Does anyone go against the manual and let their car warm up?

[Drag'nGT]

Seriously. I was reading my manual when I first bought the car and noticed that it said for you not to let the car idle to warm up. Instead, they want you to drive the car at a moderate speed to allow the car to warm up.

Well I seriously disagree with this. I see no need to put stress on cold parts like the valves, retainers etc... Also in winter I notice little things like my shifter was a ***** to get into reverse yesterday and then this morning first gear was feeling stiff then shifting into 2nd felt stiff as well. Could I not have prepared my car for winter correctly or is this because I didn't let the car warm up? Am I supposed to tell the dealer to winterize it? I took it in about 1 1/2 months ago. Shouldn't they know to do it?

Anyway, back to the main question. Do you let your car idle to warm up or do you drive it like the manual indicates?

[tpzblu330ci]

I let it sit for atleast 30 seoncds now to at least let the oil move aroudn the engine.

[bimmaboy23]

Funny you ask because I live on the East Coast, and as of late its been frigid. I also am forced to park on an upslope a lot of times, meaning goin up that steep sob with a cold bimma early in the morning can be annoying as sh*t..

anywho, i acknowledge, and actually agree with your opinion on questioning stress being put on cold parts, etc by driving the car immediately....but for the sake of following the manual's word, i've just trusted that judgement...I usually leave the car on for a good couple of minutes and let the guage move to about the end of the left marker and drive until it becomes centered...

my .02

03 zhp

[Souljah]

I agree with you...i let my car warm up for 3-5 minutes. If i don't, the car is not driveable without slamming the gears and grinding them...

and i will continue to do this until i get a good explanation and demonstration as to why i should not warm it up.

[330man]

Most engine wear occurs at startup and when the engine is cold because the parts do not fit together correctly when they are cold. By driving your car immediately after startup at a 50% pace you will warm the car up much more quickly than if you let it sit and idle, thereby reducing internal engine wear.

[Souljah]

well if you force the pistons to move up and down faster when it's cold, wouldn't it wear it out more than just let it idle and warm itself up? This is my first BMW, so i really don't know much. But on my honda, i let it warm up for atleast 5 minutes in the cold to get everything to work right...

[ny finest]

i never drive my car right away in the morning, i let it sit for at least 5min.

[330man]

[QUOTE=Souljah]well if you force the pistons to move up and down faster when it's cold, wouldn't it wear it out more than just let it idle and warm itself up? [QUOTE]
One would think so but the pro's tell us otherwise in most industries.

[hakjai]

i always let it warm up until the needle clears the blue, but it warms up pretty fast when u drive it anways i noticed

[snorl3x]

driving it around under 3k rpm is the BEST way to warm up an engine. just like the rule says, never idle your car for too long.

[bobm3]

i drive off to warm up the car. and also to warm up my heated seates to.
bobm3

[tim330i]

When the car is shut off the oil drains out of all the passageways and back down into the oil pan where it gets nice a cold. When you first start the car the cold oil is just sitting down in the pan and not lubricating the engine as well. By letting it idle you are letting the engine grind on itself while un-lubricated. If you jump in and start driving you are putting some load on the engine, but more importantly you are warming up the oil so it starts to circulate and lubricate. Additionally by increasing the motor speed you are increasing the oil pump speed giving it more pressure to push the cold oil around.

This has been tested so many time you would think that everyone would accept this as fact by now :rolleyes:

[Drag'nGT]

Most engine wear occurs at startup and when the engine is cold because the parts do not fit together correctly when they are cold. By driving your car immediately after startup at a 50% pace you will warm the car up much more quickly than if you let it sit and idle, thereby reducing internal engine wear.

So by making the car do 50% more work when it's cold, making the valves and other small parts work 50% more than if you let it sit for like 2-3min. at idle, that is better?

Of course the car will warm up quicker when driven because you're causing more combustion in the engine. But we are worried that by driving the car you are forcing it to warm up. And that quicker warm up is what we feel will hurt the car. Letting the car idle for just 2-3min before driving will get the same effect as driving it will but you don't put immediate stress on the cold parts.

I would say 2-3 min is a compromise between a 5 min warm up like some of you say you do and the 'drive immediately' instructions in the manual. 2-3 min doesn't do much but move the needle outta the blue area. It does allow for some warm up before you start driving and this does help the engine.

[Unveiled]

Unless I'm running late, I'll let it sit for at least 2 minutes. I agree with the individual that mentioned "slamming the gears". When it's cold, the lever just doesn't go into place very easily. It is alot more driveable after a few minutes of idle. Engine wear is going to occur any way that you look at it. For peace of mind, I would rather let it warm up, than to just drive off.

[330man]

So by making the car do 50% more work when it's cold, making the valves and other small parts work 50% more than if you let it sit for like 2-3min. at idle, that is better?

Of course the car will warm up quicker when driven because you're causing more combustion in the engine. But we are worried that by driving the car you are forcing it to warm up. And that quicker warm up is what we feel will hurt the car. Letting the car idle for just 2-3min before driving will get the same effect as driving it will but you don't put immediate stress on the cold parts.

I would say 2-3 min is a compromise between a 5 min warm up like some of you say you do and the 'drive immediately' instructions in the manual. 2-3 min doesn't do much but move the needle outta the blue area. It does allow for some warm up before you start driving and this does help the engine.
The facts are the facts, and a warm up is neither neccesary nor recommended. However, it is your car and you can do with it as you please based upon your own reasoning. Do you really think that a car manufacturer would give you bogus advise that is likely to cause early engine failure and create a bad reputation for their vehicles?

[gmhl10]

I usually start driving immediately after I turn on the ignition.
Usually because I want the warm air to start coming in because it's damn cold.
I make sure to not go over 2500 rpm until the oil temperature reads at least 180 degrees though.

I heard on the news though that you should be driving it like that rather than having it idle because of not the reasons stated by previous posts.
They said something about 1990+ cars should have (something I don't remember - something about spark plugs I think) and that if you keep it idle, you're just wasting your time and polluting the air.
They went around to several dealers and mechanics and they all said that you shouldn't idle on newer cars.

[Will ZCPM3]

Unless I'm running late, I'll let it sit for at least 2 minutes. I agree with the individual that mentioned "slamming the gears". When it's cold, the lever just doesn't go into place very easily. It is alot more driveable after a few minutes of idle. Engine wear is going to occur any way that you look at it. For peace of mind, I would rather let it warm up, than to just drive off.

i totally agree, my car is impossible to shift when its cold and hasnt warmed up. its like the shifter just gets stuck.

plus id rather not be cold and let it idle for a few mins

[Drag'nGT]

The facts are the facts, and a warm up is neither neccesary nor recommended. However, it is your car and you can do with it as you please based upon your own reasoning. Do you really think that a car manufacturer would give you bogus advise that is likely to cause early engine failure and create a bad reputation for their vehicles?

I guess my point of reference is with my old car. I never let the car warm up. I was so used to my parents driving style, get in and drive, that I did it myself. But when we had a meet I noticed that everyone's car ran ALOT quieter than mine. They claimed they always let the car warm up. So I swore that I would do it with this car to avoid those problems. But you're right. I doubt they'd write false information in the manual.

I just thought it was odd so I made the post.

[Unveiled]

I don't question BMW's recommendations one bit, but my peace of mind won't allow me just to get in and drive off after sitting all night. Two minutes goes by relatively fast, and I think it does no harm in giving the oil a chance to circulate. Of course I don't sit in one spot and let all of the warming lights dissipate (which I think was the true message that BMW was trying to convey in their manual......i.e.....do not let the car sit stagnant while the warming lights go off). I think that people take the information in the manual out of context, and apply it too literally!

Also, I feel it is all situation based. For those that live in really cold climates, I think it'd do more harm than good to just get in the car and drive off, especially considering the state of the oil at any given time.

[fastfour]

I can see both sides of this debate, but I still let my cars warm a bit, all of them. It just makes sense to lubricate an engine before you put load on it. The down side of this though is that the tranny is necessarily "warmed" by just sitting there. I seriously doubt going against the manual and letting it warm a bit will have any ill effects.

Zach

[GordonMurray]

I agree with you...i let my car warm up for 3-5 minutes. If i don't, the car is not driveable without slamming the gears and grinding them...

and i will continue to do this until i get a good explanation and demonstration as to why i should not warm it up.
:eek:

[330man]

In response to the concerns over lack of lubrication until the engine warms up, if you are using the proper oil weight (5-30) you will have oil pressure almost
immediately which is indicated by your red oil light going out on the dash. You oil pump produces at least 50-60 psi when the oil is cold and that pressure pumps oil throughout the engine in a matter of 2-3 seconds, thereby eliminating the need for any sort of warm up.

[Unveiled]

In response to the concerns over lack of lubrication until the engine warms up, if you are using the proper oil weight (5-30) you will have oil pressure almost
immediately which is indicated by your red oil light going out on the dash. You oil pump produces at least 50-60 psi when the oil is cold and that pressure pumps oil throughout the engine in a matter of 2-3 seconds, thereby eliminating the need for any sort of warm up.

... 5w/60 for us M3 owners! :D

[Audiolab]

Apart form the wear issue the other problem with letting your car idle is that when you get in you tend to think that everything fine caus your engine is warm and then drive normally. However the diff, brakes and back end of the gearbox are still cold and driving normally would wear them much quicler.. Much better to get everything warmed (engine, gearbox, diff & brakes) by driving gentle till reaching normal temp.

Do i idle my car?, yes I do. I idle for a few minutes then drive below 3000rpm till the needle hits straight up.

Sometimes it is dangerous to drive straight away because the front and rear windows mist for a minute first thing even with A/C on. The ideal solution is a heated garage if you have one.

[cheffy]

I wish i can just jump in and drive but with the toronto weather now (-4 F), i can't even put my car in first gear.

[Unveiled]

Do i idle my car?, yes I do. I idle for a few minutes then drive below 3000rpm till the needle hits straight up.

Sometimes it is dangerous to drive straight away because the front and rear windows mist for a minute first thing even with A/C on. The ideal solution is a heated garage if you have one.

...and I think this is the point that most in favor of a short idle period are trying to convey.

[greg330i]

I think the ambient temp around your car would make a diff. In my garage, it's always around 56 degrees. I let it run for about 30 seconds, then drive it below 3k rpm until it warms up.
I've never had the shifter problems. Goes right into any gear even when cold.

One exception was when I had to park in the driveway and it was about 28 degrees. Then it didn't really want to go into reverse without a little coaxing.

I did notice that my 330i warms up much quicker than my friends E46 M3. I think that's because i'm all alluminum and he's a cast iron block...
-Greg

[Souljah]

This is actually a very good thread. Until recently, i've never heard of it being bad to get in your car and drive right away in the cold.

My whole family drive hondas or toyotas, and they warm their car up each and every morning, regardless of temperature...I myself, have been warming up my car before i drive, did that for 5 years and nothing has happened...car still ran very strong, very quiet...and their cars have 150K miles plus and they still run strong. My sister has a 530 for a over a year now and she does the same thing, warm i up before she drives it in the cold, and her engine runs as good as the day she bought it.

I really don't see the harm of letting all the fluid circulate for a few minutes before driving off..I understand about the transmission not being warmed up as well, if that's the case, go easy on it after the car has warmed up. Shift below 3K. what difference does it make that the engine is cold and you go easy on the transmision, as opposed to the engine being warmed and you go easy on the transmission?

[Souljah]

I think the ambient temp around your car would make a diff. In my garage, it's always around 56 degrees. I let it run for about 30 seconds, then drive it below 3k rpm until it warms up.
I've never had the shifter problems. Goes right into any gear even when cold.

One exception was when I had to park in the driveway and it was about 28 degrees. Then it didn't really want to go into reverse without a little coaxing.

-Greg

Try to put your car into reverse after it sits outside over night in 0-10 degrees temperature...you guys are lucky to have a garage

[Dougs325]

Tim's right.

[Ward]

I drive off immediately. Partly because it's never super cold in CA and also because I park in a garage both at home and my apt so I never deal with a car thats in freezing temperature. Anyways, this is how I apply my logic to it. I've let my car sit there and warm up (water temp to the middle) before and it took soo long. It took well over 5 minutes I'd say. Also, my car idles really high for the first 30 seconds or something. Some mornings even at 1200 rpms. So if it takes that long for the temp gauge to get to the middle, why not just drive it? I drive at a max of 3k rpms which is definitely easy on the engine and it warms up so fast. I know the oil takes at least twice as long to warm up but I take the water temp indicator as a precursor to the oil temp. So in the end, I'd rather drive under 3k rpms for 3 mins and get the temp to the middle rather than let it idle for like 7 minutes. Plus I'm not waking up 7 minutes earlier for school just to warm up my car. There have been many times when I'm in a hurry and I hit 5k seconds after starting up. Really, what do you think will happen if you don't warm up or you do? Maybe a leaky gasket? Thats not going to break your wallet. I know for sure that not warming up my car won't cause major internal break down. Just drive it. It's only a car

[330man]

Really, what do you think will happen if you don't warm up or you do? Maybe a leaky gasket? Thats not going to break your wallet. I know for sure that not warming up my car won't cause major internal break down. Just drive it. It's only a car
High RPM with a cold engine will result in beat up pistons actually. Your pistons are aluminum and expand when they get hot. When they are cold, they do not fit in the cylinder correctly and high RPM operation can cause damage to pistons and cylinder walls due to this misfit of parts.

[mysilver330ci]

I usually start my engine and then head back out to clear all the snow off my car!! The temp is still in the blue at that point and I also find that it is damn near impossible to shift from 1st to 2nd.....I actually took my car in the other day to have them take a look and they re-programmed the software and changed the tranny fluid to a synthetic fluid. Its been much better the last couple of days.

[T99Blk328i]

I turn my car on and go back inside, I always let my car sit for 10-15 minutes and only start driving when the needle is fully in the middle or very close.

[JoeyGoodfella]

oh no... not this debate again.... :rolleyes:

The manual say's to drive the car to warm it up "FASTER".
I personally have auto-start and since it's friggin friggid out here in NY I don't give 2 ****s what the manual or what anyone say's I let my car warm up fully and when I get in It's warm and I have nice toasty seats :thumbup:

[otacon]

So by making the car do 50% more work when it's cold, making the valves and other small parts work 50% more than if you let it sit for like 2-3min. at idle, that is better?

Of course the car will warm up quicker when driven because you're causing more combustion in the engine. But we are worried that by driving the car you are forcing it to warm up. And that quicker warm up is what we feel will hurt the car. Letting the car idle for just 2-3min before driving will get the same effect as driving it will but you don't put immediate stress on the cold parts.

I would say 2-3 min is a compromise between a 5 min warm up like some of you say you do and the 'drive immediately' instructions in the manual. 2-3 min doesn't do much but move the needle outta the blue area. It does allow for some warm up before you start driving and this does help the engine.

IIRC, the manual says, if it's cold, idle for about 30sec to a min, otherwise, like 2-5 seconds or something. I could be wrong tho.

[otacon]

For all with issues shifting in the cold, is that an auto tranny or manual? I live here in Boston, and it's damn cold now. I mean, we've had mornings where it's around -19C (Dunno F, still). Anyhow, I don't have any issues shifting, and that's with the car sitting out.

If it's an auto, and parked on a hill, what helps is to use the parking brake. I know most people just shift to "P" and let the parking hook stop the car, but I found that it will create difficulty when shifting out, esp. when it's cold, makes that really loud thump sound.

[StreetTrixE4six]

i let my car sit for 1-2 minutes that's all. i don't wait until it's completely warmed up however i can't just start driving it right away either. i find that the hardest part is that i'm so cold and usually shivering that i can't shift right and keep jerking until i'm nice and warm :D

[StreetTrixE4six]

For all with issues shifting in the cold, is that an auto tranny or manual? I live here in Boston, and it's damn cold now. I mean, we've had mornings where it's around -19C (Dunno F, still). Anyhow, I don't have any issues shifting, and that's with the car sitting out.

If it's an auto, and parked on a hill, what helps is to use the parking brake. I know most people just shift to "P" and let the parking hook stop the car, but I found that it will create difficulty when shifting out, esp. when it's cold, makes that really loud thump sound.

manual. my car's manual and when it's really cold, i have to slam my shifter into gear.

[gmhl10]

All this debate about just going or letting it idle...
By chance, does it make a difference if you should just go or idle from cold start if your car was FI?

[notE46]

one thing about bmw engines no one mentioned yet (or I missed) is that you never start without lube. the oil filter holds a certain amount of oil that is circulated immediately upon engine start.

and I too drive off immediately after starting the engine. have been doing the same since my 96 gti vr6 and the 00 mcoupe, 02 330i.

[RRRize]

When the car is shut off the oil drains out of all the passageways and back down into the oil pan where it gets nice a cold. When you first start the car the cold oil is just sitting down in the pan and not lubricating the engine as well. By letting it idle you are letting the engine grind on itself while un-lubricated. If you jump in and start driving you are putting some load on the engine, but more importantly you are warming up the oil so it starts to circulate and lubricate. Additionally by increasing the motor speed you are increasing the oil pump speed giving it more pressure to push the cold oil around.

This has been tested so many time you would think that everyone would accept this as fact by now :rolleyes:

This topic is a good one, I must say!

Now what Tim says is 100% correct and should be practiced by us all. I had a discussion about this very issue with both my Service Advisor and Service Manager at the dealeship last year, about this time. Almost verbatim, they explained to me exactly what Tim said above. It is in EVERYONES best interest to follow the manual instructions. It will bite you in the rear as the car gets older, FOR SURE!!!

[akhbhaat]

Exactly how cold are we talking about? Coldest I've had to start at in the morning here is 25 degrees. At that temperature, the car runs and drives fine (the clutch actually works better, doesn't slip). I drive off right away and keep it under 3k for a few minutes. More often than not, it's 35 to 40 or even higher during the winter.

[e46shift]

sometime i just shift through the gears while waiting just to make sure the shifter isnt too stiff. sometimes it feels like a stick in cement

[Jupiter19]

Normally I just jump in and go, but these past few week that its been around 10-20 degrees, I have to let the car heat up a little bit. If not, it takes the full 1/2 hour commute to work for the inside of the car to start to heat up. I'm thinking of taking it in to get looked at. Non of our other cars take have that long to get warmed up :dunno:

[Canuck328i]

Take it from someone in the near-arctic: start up, wait 10 seconds or so, and go. Just go slowly. One day last week it was -29C (-20F) and she had a hell of a time shifting out of first (automatic), but after 1 or 2 minutes it was fine. Also the steering is so stiff it's a two-hander getting out of the driveway.

But, while driving, it takes 2 or 3 minutes and it is at near-running temperature. Just sitting idling in the driveway, the gauge won't get out of the blue zone for nearly 10 minutes.

I agree with 330man - with the correct weight of oil (especially Synthetic), it gets moving pretty quickly through the motor. Personally i'm more worried about getting the tranny oil and PS fluid moving, and it ain't goin' nowhere with the car sittin' in the driveway.

[He and his]

i'm pretty sure that everyone who lives in these cold freakin states let their cars warm up for atleast 3-5 minutes no matter what the manuals say


BUT in the fall, spring and summer, i just get in and go

[StreetTrixE4six]

This topic is a good one, I must say!

It is in EVERYONES best interest to follow the manual instructions. It will bite you in the rear as the car gets older, FOR SURE!!!

I'll be honest bro, my car is on a 36 month lease and covered under warranty throughout. I really could care less. I like to let things run for a minute or two before i get going. I doubt BMW will say to me "we're not covering this b/c we think your not starting your car and going" :D But i hear what your saying. If i purchased my car and intended to keep it for along time, i would probably follow the manual word for word.

[e46shift]

Normally I just jump in and go, but these past few week that its been around 10-20 degrees, I have to let the car heat up a little bit. If not, it takes the full 1/2 hour commute to work for the inside of the car to start to heat up. I'm thinking of taking it in to get looked at. Non of our other cars take have that long to get warmed up :dunno:

make sure you don't have the fan running on the climate control. the fan cools down the engine prolonging the warm up. i turn up the fan when the needle moves up to the middle.
you'll see what i mean when you the needle first begins to move up and you turn the fan on high and you can see how the needle will move back down to the left.

[Jupiter19]

make sure you don't have the fan running on the climate control. the fan cools down the engine prolonging the warm up. i turn up the fan when the needle moves up to the middle.
you'll see what i mean when you the needle first begins to move up and you turn the fan on high and you can see how the needle will move back down to the left.

How do I know if the fan is on? The only button I have pressed is the AUTO button.

[Boosted330]

no1 has mentioned the fact that our engine blocks are ALUMINUM rather tahn Cast iron like most other blocks. this is the reasoning behind driving it right away... you're not supposed to push the car, nor are you supposed to let it sit. you're supposed to get in and go, and just not push it at first. BMW has their reasons behind EVERYTHING, i always just get in and go

-Robby

[Double Vanos]

I think it mainly matters how cold it gets where you live. My car is garaged all the time and the coldest it gets in there is about 40 degrees, i basically turn it on and wait for the idle to settle down which takes about a min or two to normal levels and than drive gently(under 3.5 Rpms) til the needle is in the dead center of the temp gauge. Also when its really cold my steering wheel shakes a little, do you guys experience this as well?

P.S. Never had any problems with the shifter being stiff.

[drdavidge]

since its been cold and snowing lately, (5-20F in the mornings here in jersey....) i go outside and start my car 5-10 mins before i am ready to leave (unless i am running late) so that the car is decently warm by time i am ready to go. i honestly dont see anything wrong with that. if the engine is idling, the oil is still circulating otherwise we would hear some pretty serious and scarey noises comming from the engine, haha.

[e46shift]

How do I know if the fan is on? The only button I have pressed is the AUTO button.

auto will run the fan. just shut off the climate control, lcd should be off.

[tonyluvbmw]

before i let it warm up for about 5 mins but now i just drive off. just make sure when you drive away just go very slow until it gets a lil bit warmer. it shouldn't be any harm

[qzbeemer]

umm... you guys take the manual word for word... but if you read some complaints about BMW, you know they lie... Sorry, just popped into my head... I don't really warm up my car... it makes a little squeeky sound for the first 20-30 seconds, then I'm out...

Q

[Jupiter19]

auto will run the fan. just shut off the climate control, lcd should be off.

Ok..thanks :thumbup:

[Rhali]

I always let my car idle no less than 30 secs and no more than a minute and a half. However long it takes for the engine idle to drop back to normal operating speed. The higher RPM initially is to move the oil around the engine and it takes advantage of the fact that the less lubricated surfaces have more friction which in turn warm up the engine, which warms up the oil, which lubricates the engine...etc...

Basically, just dont take off RIGHT away, give yourself a sec, check your mirrors, put on your seat belt, turn off DSC, then go.

EDIT: /agree Double Vanos... except for the wheel shaking...

[Unveiled]

no1 has mentioned the fact that our engine blocks are ALUMINUM rather tahn Cast iron like most other blocks. this is the reasoning behind driving it right away... you're not supposed to push the car, nor are you supposed to let it sit. you're supposed to get in and go, and just not push it at first. BMW has their reasons behind EVERYTHING, i always just get in and go

-Robby

In our case (M3 owners), our blocks are not aluminum, they are cast iron!

[JustinB181]

What about remote start with alarms? Aren't they designed to warm or cool your car before you drive? Is this not reconmended for our cars?

[AMG EATER]

very good thread! I let my car warm up until my secondary air pump stops screeching for about 40 seconds! ( :banghead: ) The bad thing is, is that I live near the freeway so I wait until my needle is out of the far left section (cold) before I jump on the freeway.

[AMG EATER]

not to high jack the thread, but does anyone elses car make a loud screeching noise in the morning in the engine bay for like the first 45 seconds and then shuts off?? :dunno: see pic below from where I am thinking it is coming from:

http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/14966bmw_engine.jpg

[otacon]

auto will run the fan. just shut off the climate control, lcd should be off.

I have both a '02 and '03, both are on auto for climate control. When I start the car in the morning, the fans are completely off, then once the engine is warmed up enough, it'll kick in the warm air.

Lately, in boston, the weather is like ~5-10F in the morning. I sit about 30sec for the RPM to dip down to around idle (700ish) then I drive slowly, then the heat starts to come in in about another 30-60 seconds.

[Sicily1918]

I idle it for about 5 seconds -- as much as 30 if I'm fiddling around with something (like throwing my jacket in the back or getting my phone charger going or something). I drive under 3K until the temp reaches the middle, then I open 'er up a little more. Within 10 minutes I can go full throttle.

Beyond what most of the guys here have said, I've asked my dad, who's been a mechanic longer than I've been alive, and he said warming up in idle is unecessary and bad for the vehicle -- actually, what he said was that idling in general is bad for a vehicle's engine (which makes sense, when you think about it).

[Unveiled]

Beyond what most of the guys here have said, I've asked my dad, who's been a mechanic longer than I've been alive, and he said warming up in idle is unecessary and bad for the vehicle -- actually, what he said was that idling in general is bad for a vehicle's engine (which makes sense, when you think about it).

This is true, as it causes the engine to heat up and renders such things as the radiator (or intercooler for you F/I guys :thumbup: ) less effective. However, when your goal IS to heat up the engine briefly, it can be looked upon as being positive (within limits).

[sundance2108]

Yeah, this is a great thread, I think after this people will reconsider warming their cars up and such. I didn't realize it was bad until this thread and then I read the manual..

As for me, I'm goin to still sit there for a min or so then drive like a g-ma till she's ready to try to accelerate (damn 2.5 :banghead: )

[KevinJ_2k1_325ci]

For years people have let their car warm up. Well this was fine with the days of non-synthetic oil and less sofisticated engines. From the information I've read, the BMW engine is allowed to quickly heat up not just for the purposes for warming the engine but so that it has lower emissions and burns less fuel. According the emissions standards, cold start and idle conditions allow for the car to run "fuel rich". BMW takes the stance that a warmer engine with more fluid oil flow not only is good for emissions and fuel economy because the catalytic converters can heat up faster but this also saves vital engine components. Cold idling allows the car to run rich which contaminates the oil (exhaust gas is allowed to re-enter the oil chamber for emissions purposes). So idling will allow fuel vapor into the oil as well which will cause the synthetic oil the break-down.

The old advice has always been to drive your car slowly until the car reaches optimum operating temperature which in the case of BMW is about 10-15 minutes. I let my car warm up for 30 seconds and go. Usually alot longer if it is just to cold outside to drive in it or I'm melting ice off the windows.

Seriously. I was reading my manual when I first bought the car and noticed that it said for you not to let the car idle to warm up. Instead, they want you to drive the car at a moderate speed to allow the car to warm up.

Well I seriously disagree with this. I see no need to put stress on cold parts like the valves, retainers etc... Also in winter I notice little things like my shifter was a ***** to get into reverse yesterday and then this morning first gear was feeling stiff then shifting into 2nd felt stiff as well. Could I not have prepared my car for winter correctly or is this because I didn't let the car warm up? Am I supposed to tell the dealer to winterize it? I took it in about 1 1/2 months ago. Shouldn't they know to do it?

Anyway, back to the main question. Do you let your car idle to warm up or do you drive it like the manual indicates?

[e46shift]

I have both a '02 and '03, both are on auto for climate control. When I start the car in the morning, the fans are completely off, then once the engine is warmed up enough, it'll kick in the warm air.

Lately, in boston, the weather is like ~5-10F in the morning. I sit about 30sec for the RPM to dip down to around idle (700ish) then I drive slowly, then the heat starts to come in in about another 30-60 seconds.

sorry didn't know that, never use the auto. good heads up

[Asmodeus]

10-15 minutes for the car to be warmed up?

when I start the car at night after school (parked outside at -20C), it doesn't take more than 3-4 minutes for the engine to be hot and the cabin to be warm, while keeping the revs under 3.5k

[TeKNiC330]

10-15 minutes for the car to be warmed up?

when I start the car at night after school (parked outside at -20C), it doesn't take more than 3-4 minutes for the engine to be hot and the cabin to be warm, while keeping the revs under 3.5k

I think he meant for the oil to reach optimal operating temprature. Just because your temp. gauge is in the middle, doesn't mean that the oil is already warmed up.

[Souljah]

My car is covered in ice right now as we speak...i'm letting the heat melt the ice off the windows cuz nothing i can do to get the ice off...which looks to be a 1/4 inch thick...

[JustinB181]

So basically remote start functions on alarms are not good then, which the purpose of them is to cool and heat your car before you get in it.

[Micro64]

i would say warm it for 1 minute
or Until the START UP NOISE goes away. Everytime you start you car cold, it makes louder idle noises. I guess that is the way.

You can damage your cams and so on if you start the car while most of the engine oil is at the bottom. makes sense to you?

:spit:

[AMG EATER]

this thread changed the way I drove to work today! Did a warm up lap before hitting the freeway! :thumbup:

[StreetTrixE4six]

this thread changed the way I drove to work today! Did a warm up lap before hitting the freeway! :thumbup:

yeah but how long is the warm up lap? total distance i mean

[AMG EATER]

enough distance so when i hit the freeway, I am at the engine arrow pointing straight up (normal operating temp.)

[StreetTrixE4six]

enough distance so when i hit the freeway, I am at the engine arrow pointing straight up (normal operating temp.)

I live about a mile and a half away from the parkway entrance and it's uphill. my engine temp is still low by the time i hit the freeway. so for my car, i have to drive at least 3 miles to get to normal operating temp. so 7 days a week, i'd be putting an additional 21 unnecessary miles a week on my car just driving in circles trying the get the car warmed up. and that's only leaving my house not including if i did it on my way back home or if i go out more than once a day. i'd rather let it warm up for a couple minutes and just say screw it and start going.

[mase]

I turn my car on and go back inside, I always let my car sit for 10-15 minutes and only start driving when the needle is fully in the middle or very close.
I hope this was a joke

[mase]

sorry, ^^^ has already been commented on. I read somewhere that 30 seconds is the optimal time to warm up by idling, even in really cold weather.

[330man]

I was perusing my manual last night for some key memory information and came across the vehicle warm up section. It says to drive away immediately after starting the car. There are some special considerations for starting in sub-zero temperatures such as keeping your battery well charged by driving frequently but nothing about idling for a warm up. Food for thought my friends!!!

[drdavidge]

i just still dont get it.. whats wrong with letting it idle? the oil is still being moved around, whats the big deal?

[330man]

Two things, it wastes gas and the the more quickly the engine warms up the less wear occurs because of it.

[Drag'nGT]

i just still dont get it.. whats wrong with letting it idle? the oil is still being moved around, whats the big deal?

Short and sweet: Both warm the car up but the *best* way is to drive it slowly until the engine temp reaches normal operating mode.

[Section_8]

Basically, just dont take off RIGHT away, give yourself a sec, check your mirrors, put on your seat belt, turn off DSC, then go.



:thumbup:

You said a mouthfull. :pimpin:

[Bartacus]

-35C one morning. So cold it cracked 2 pieces of my CF interior trim (car parked outside). Hopped in and drove, no warm up. Car is warm in 10 minutes or less. I do this every morning. Read what Tim330i said. Its better for the car.

Bart