Longterm Heat Damage

[Loco38SUP]

I was wondering if I’m the only demented person that opens their hood after they get home from a spirited run.

This is something I’ve done for years with my turbo cars. Does anyone else do the same?

-RJM

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[XtremeMaC]

Fans continue running for a while to cool things down but opening hood can't hurt to vent.

For sure, during spirited runs, or standstill traffic under 120+F, things heat up especially with turbo and exposed to higher asphalt temperatures, rain, snow, dirt, etc. and the engine bay is rather sealed off to limit exposures and direct cool air where needed essentially making it a hot box. etc. etc.

In short, I guess I never thought of doing this and I'm not doing it.

 

[MyCorolla]

See tips 5 & 6:

https://blog.motoringassist.com/car...ansmission/6-tips-to-protect-your-cars-turbo/

 

[Msoupe]

I open my hood after my sessions when I go autocrossing. Even then I would do a few cool down passes in the paddock before parking.

You shouldn't have to pop the hood when coming home unless you are racing down the street right up to your house.

 

[XtremeMaC]

I open my hood after my sessions when I go autocrossing. Even then I would do a few cool down passes in the paddock before parking.

You shouldn't have to pop the hood when coming home unless you are racing down the street right up to your house.

Well yeah, heat soak

 

[Evolution]

I am with Msoupe. Hood gets popped after auto-x sessions only. When I do my normal mountain run, I will let it idle for a few minutes when I get home (fans are normally on) but dont pop the hood.

 

[Rocksandblues]

Track days yes after sessions.

Spirited town driving no. Just go
Easy through neighborhood on way home

 

[digicidal]

I have a long-ish residential leg to my commute where I'm never above 2K RPM (much at 1K & 25mph) - still with a frustrating freeway hill climb leading up to that point and 114F+ temperatures... the fans have run for about 30 seconds after I let it idle for 30 or so entering the garage. Never bothered with cracking the hood though. Either it survives the warranty or gets replaced under it... after that, it's just a good excuse for upgrading to a Pure800 and rebuilding a few things.

Maybe naive of me, but considering the number of tuned BMWs (and everything else) tearing up the roads in Dubai, Kuwait, etc. - I figure it's in the calculus somewhere. So far this is looking like the summer to find out... not done with June and already 7 days over 110F.

 

[underdonk]

Just running errands or putting around town, no. After spirited drives or track work, always. Not because of the paint, though, but just for a little additional help cooling things down from an internals perspective. In addition to letting the car idle for a bit (with the hood open). It's probably overkill with these cars, but I've always done it with forced-induction performance vehicles and was passed down to me genetically. ?

I probably care a lot less about what my car looks like than most on the forum.

 

[Escapist]

I actually thought about starting to do this the other day, I really wish our hood vents were functional. I probably wont do this after coming home from work as I only live like 5 miles from my job but I will start leaving the garage door open for a few mins.

 

[Guff]

To be fair it probably won't do much. I was logging Coolant Temp, Oil Temp, and IATs at a track day recently, and having the hood open between sessions had a marginal difference in how quickly it cooled down. The fans will continue to run for a while after the car is off, and no doubt having the hood open should help move air, but again, the logs didn't seem to change much.

These motors do have issues with intercooler heatsoak and high IATs at warmer track days but unfortunately the only way to solve it is going with a bigger heat exchanger or intercooler.

That being said, if it gives you peace of mind, do it! No harm in it, that's for sure. There really shouldn't be a difference in longevity if you don't though. Modern thermoplastics are more than capable of handling significant amounts of heat repeatedly. Hence why your radiator end tanks are plastic, your wastegate actuator is plastic, hell, many cars even have plastic oil pans now.

 

[Escapist]

An upgraded heat exchanger is definitely in my future. Wouldn't be financially responsible of me to drop $4k+ right now on an intake manifold but that will most likely be the last mod I do to this car down the road.

 

[Andrew4Supra]

When driving the car hard/aggressively … I always allow the engine to idle for a few minutes or so before shutting the car off.

Just feels like it’s best for the car to cool off a bit.

 

[max]

See tips 5 & 6:

https://blog.motoringassist.com/car...ansmission/6-tips-to-protect-your-cars-turbo/

Item #2 is my main reason for somewhat disagreeing with the folks trying to figure out the high oil consumption by going to a thicker oil.........I totally understand the chemistry/physics behind switching to the thicker viscosity but the turbo is a very sound justification for the thin stuff. I can only imagine the cold startup conditions with a much heavier weight oil trying to make it's way through the oil passages and bearings of the turbo.

Nice link.

 

[Axix23]

Item #2 is my main reason for somewhat disagreeing with the folks trying to figure out the high oil consumption by going to a thicker oil.........I totally understand the chemistry/physics behind switching to the thicker viscosity but the turbo is a very sound justification for the thin stuff. I can only imagine the cold startup conditions with a much heavier weight oil trying to make it's way through the oil passages and bearings of the turbo.

Nice link.

I been talking about this forever. lol The first weight you want as thin as possible to lubricate the turbo upon cold start up as fast as you can…..

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