Originally Posted by
Rogeyboy
I think the water cooling it to extend the life of the turbo, imo ford wouldnt have introduced it onto the S2 if there was no advantage... The water cooling helps cool the turbo core, saves you having to run the car for 5-10mins after use to let the core cool.
I don't run water cooling as I believe that it was added for the S2 for the numptys who boot it then turn up somewhere and switch the car straight off.
Ford were probably trying to make the S2 more of an "everyday" car rather than the homologation style of the S1, as water sitting in the turbo when you turn off the ignition absorbs a lot of the leftover heat.
I think careful ownership shouldn't see any ill effects from not using the water cooling.