So I test drove two cars today (E36 M3, R32)

[Evan]

careless car owners just shutting the car off with no cooldown period.

Typical drivers dont drive their cars hard enough to need a turbo cooldown.
And even if they did, if a cooldown period were that critical to turbocharger life, then VAG shoudl have engineered in some kind of turbo timer or oil/water recirculation system to continue to cool the turbo after the car was shut down. (this is what subaru did)
I really dont think you can expect Joe Consumer to idle for several minutes before shutting off every time they drive their car, and then blame failures on user error if they dont.

[Evan]

Dont VWs have a shorter than typical warranty period?

it's about the same according to the VW site

http://www.vw.com/gti/warranty.html

no kidding! Looks like they are actually better than many. For some reason when a friend of mine bought a Wolfsburg a few years ago she said the btob warranty was shorter than 3/36. 4/50 is a nice warranty. I like that Nissan does 4/50 too. Might make that truck decision a little easier.
(although of course they left the korean 100k mile warranties off that chart....)

[ScottyB]

careless car owners just shutting the car off with no cooldown period.

Typical drivers dont drive their cars hard enough to need a turbo cooldown.
And even if they did, if a cooldown period were that critical to turbocharger life, then VAG shoudl have engineered in some kind of turbo timer or oil/water recirculation system to continue to cool the turbo after the car was shut down. (this is what subaru did)
I really dont think you can expect Joe Consumer to idle for several minutes before shutting off every time they drive their car, and then blame failures on user error if they dont.

point taken. at least in the owners manuals for our family's cars, it states that after any spirited or highway driving a cooldown period is advised.

there was a "sludge" issue that was a large part in causing the turbo failure. VAG went from a recommended 5-30 oil to 0-40 to help prevent it. if there was a lack of cooldown i bet it could have played a part in this sludge issue.

i don't know why VAG doesnt have that oil/water recirc system you say suby has.

and i defintely don't expect the average customer to let a car sit for a long time after they shut the car off, but if the recommendation to do so is stated in the user manual like it is for my fam's cars, then i would expect them to at least take a half minute or so. i admit im generalizing hugely here because i'm going only on what audi says for it's A4.

p.s....you lookin at a nissan frontier or somethin soon? :twisted:

[JackoliciousLegs]

Even my RX-7's manual advises a cooldown period.

[Evan]

p.s....you lookin at a nissan frontier or somethin soon? :twisted:

<offtopic>
Probably a Titan, but maybe a new Frontier.
The company I work for does all of Nissan's web development, and we get Nissans at cost, so the price is pretty attractive.
I need to get my WRX sold first though.
</offtopic>

[bassmangrammy]

I had a lady test drive a 1.8T audi...she probably didn't know what a turbo was, much less, that it need to cool down.

Your turbo is setup to push more boost and is in a car where the owner realizes it has a turbo.

No, non-enthusist is going to wait for the turbo to cool if they can't even manage to change the oil on-time.

[Mike]

<offtopic>
I need to get my WRX sold first though.
</offtopic>

I've heard it helps when you advertise it.

[Evan]

I've heard it helps when you advertise it.

No shit captain obvious. I didnt say I was currently trying to sell it.