Warming up your car

[RickMonet]

Any opinions on whether to "warm up" in Efficient Mode opposed to Sport/Sport+?

Not sure it is warranted, but I seem to leave in Efficient until I get the temp needle moving. Then switch engine mode.

[Firaxis]

Originally Posted by RickMonet

Any opinions on whether to "warm up" in Efficient Mode opposed to Sport/Sport+?

Not sure it is warranted, but I seem to leave in Efficient until I get the temp needle moving. Then switch engine mode.

It's really simple, don't rag it until the oil warms up enough to do it's job properly. Doesn't matter what mode you're in..

Also I can gurantee driving cars (especially performance cars) like miss daisy causes nothing but issues. My previous car wasn't getting much of a workout and the disks / brakes kept rusting / ceasing.

I had a Focus ST, moved jobs (somewhere near me) and I was stuck doing 30MPH all the time. Until an engine management light came on because it was clogged up. Took it for a good dash down some B roads and it was happy again.

They aren't delicate flowers that need to be fettled lightly, they like us need exercise every now and again to clear out the system.

[STOOF]

lol

I actually RTFM the other night and it says on page 168,

Drive away immediately
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right away, but at moderate engine speeds.
This is the quickest way of warming the cold engine up to operating temperature.

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by STOOF

lol

I actually RTFM the other night and it says on page 168,

Drive away immediately
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right away, but at moderate engine speeds.
This is the quickest way of warming the cold engine up to operating temperature.

Good luck driving your car in -20 with your windshield all frosted. Most people who idle their cars do it because they need to get the heater going so they can see to drive otherwise no one likes to waste gas. In warm weather, yeah get in the car and drive...

[Cattivo]

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

Good luck driving your car in -20 with your windshield all frosted. Most people who idle their cars do it because they need to get the heater going so they can see to drive otherwise no one likes to waste gas. In warm weather, yeah get in the car and drive...

This

[Blackhawk878]

A garage for your precious usually helps with a frosted windshield.

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by Blackhawk878

A garage for your precious usually helps with a frosted windshield.

Sorry only a two car garage, F30 ends up staying out chillin....

[lowbudgethero]

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

Good luck driving your car in -20 with your windshield all frosted. Most people who idle their cars do it because they need to get the heater going so they can see to drive otherwise no one likes to waste gas. In warm weather, yeah get in the car and drive...

in my area good luck being gentle on the throttle when you have to merge with rush hour traffic

[STOOF]

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

Good luck driving your car in -20 with your windshield all frosted. Most people who idle their cars do it because they need to get the heater going so they can see to drive otherwise no one likes to waste gas. In warm weather, yeah get in the car and drive...

OBVIOUSLY you don't get in and drive away when your window is frosted.

I know a lot of ppl that wait 5-10 mins letting the car warm up before driving away. Not just to defrost their windshield.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by Blackhawk878

A garage for your precious usually helps with a frosted windshield.

And if I could bring a garage with me wherever I went, this would make sense.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Hit continious redline in cold start for quicker warm up !
Than it goes really slower ...

Originally Posted by Ricfutures

Followed by another bearing failure thread.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

Good luck driving your car in -20 with your windshield all frosted. Most people who idle their cars do it because they need to get the heater going so they can see to drive otherwise no one likes to waste gas. In warm weather, yeah get in the car and drive...

Doesn't the defroster work without the engine running?

[overcoil]

I think initial cold start up would create the most wear. Idling damage after that point for the reasons stated in the OP's link I question. With direct injection I don't think fuel/low temps wash away oil, and with these low tolerance engines rich fuel isn't migrating to cylinder walls and washing away oil
MPG seems like the only liability.

I idle for about a minute, thinking that heat expansion and oil flow helps before acceleration loads are placed on the crankshaft large end bearing shells. I also like getting some heat migration to rear main seal before transmission loads and engine loads twist the drivetrain even ever so slightly.

[gthal]

Originally Posted by STOOF

lol

I actually RTFM the other night and it says on page 168,

Drive away immediately
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right away, but at moderate engine speeds.
This is the quickest way of warming the cold engine up to operating temperature.

Wait... do you mean listen to the BMW engineers as opposed internet experts? WHAT!!! Non-sense!!!

[gthal]

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

Good luck driving your car in -20 with your windshield all frosted. Most people who idle their cars do it because they need to get the heater going so they can see to drive otherwise no one likes to waste gas. In warm weather, yeah get in the car and drive...

Start the car.

Scrape the windows... takes a minute.

Drive off.

It idles for a minute or so max and you are off. Pretty consistent with the owner's manual with a simple "I need to clear windows first" step.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

Doesn't the defroster work without the engine running?

Err, some people don't really understand those of us that drive in the North face some significant issues, and I'd imagine it's the same for Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, etc.

You park your car, come out a few hours later, and the entire thing will be frosted up. Most of us have ice-scrapes, but depending on what is happening, precip, moisture in the air, etc., you simply have to heat up the inside of the car to have a chance of getting it off. Snow is now big deal when it's warmer, but when it's colder you have to wait until the car/windows warm enough so you can scrape it off, so your car is going to sit there idling no matter what. When it's 15 degrees F and higher, sure, once you can see outside, no problems and drive moderately, but when the temps start falling significantly below that, it's not really possible to drive without first heating up the car some, the temperature gradients make fogging and other significant, the fluids are very sluggish, etc. I keep my car in a warm garage every night, but I have a life and sometimes that means parking it for an hour to several hours, as well as at work. It doesn't get cold enough here that we need the pre-heaters they have in Fairbanks, but even there, you can't get a pre-heater everywhere and it's more of a "first-come-first-serve" issue where if you get lucky you can find one. Then there's the age old issue of living close to the highway. I mean, are you going to drive around in circles for a few minutes, exposing yourself to more danger than necessary so the car can get warm enough to accelerate up to highway speeds, or let it idle for a similar amount of time, which is probably a notional difference at most?

These kinds of articles are always directed at the mean of a population, someone that lives in a fairly temperate climate, where when it's below 70F people throw on a jacket. Down to the twenties or so, moderate driving works pretty well to warm up the car, but many people think it's the "end of the world cold" well above that, so these articles are usually directed towards those people.

[lens]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

Err, some people don't really understand those of us that drive in the North face some significant issues, and I'd imagine it's the same for Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, etc.

You park your car, come out a few hours later, and the entire thing will be frosted up. Most of us have ice-scrapes, but depending on what is happening, precip, moisture in the air, etc., you simply have to heat up the inside of the car to have a chance of getting it off. Snow is now big deal when it's warmer, but when it's colder you have to wait until the car/windows warm enough so you can scrape it off, so your car is going to sit there idling no matter what. When it's 15 degrees F and higher, sure, once you can see outside, no problems and drive moderately, but when the temps start falling significantly below that, it's not really possible to drive without first heating up the car some, the temperature gradients make fogging and other significant, the fluids are very sluggish, etc. I keep my car in a warm garage every night, but I have a life and sometimes that means parking it for an hour to several hours, as well as at work. It doesn't get cold enough here that we need the pre-heaters they have in Fairbanks, but even there, you can't get a pre-heater everywhere and it's more of a "first-come-first-serve" issue where if you get lucky you can find one. Then there's the age old issue of living close to the highway. I mean, are you going to drive around in circles for a few minutes, exposing yourself to more danger than necessary so the car can get warm enough to accelerate up to highway speeds, or let it idle for a similar amount of time, which is probably a notional difference at most?

These kinds of articles are always directed at the mean of a population, someone that lives in a fairly temperate climate, where when it's below 70F people throw on a jacket. Down to the twenties or so, moderate driving works pretty well to warm up the car, but many people think it's the "end of the world cold" well above that, so these articles are usually directed towards those people.

^

It's been around -15 to -35C the past few days, and usually around -20's in the mornings, so my car usually has frost on the windshield, and I don't have a garage unfortunately.

I have to get up each morning and start my car and leave it to idle for 10-15 minutes max depending on the temperature. While I go back in, shower, brush teeth, and throw on clothes for the day. And when I come back to the car, it's completely defrosted and ready to go.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by chaungo

I have to get up each morning and start my car and leave it to idle for 10-15 minutes

Exactly.

And cars cold-soak real fast in those temps, more than an hour or two inside somewhere and you're back to the start.

Much of the time, the ice and frost here can not simply be scrapped off cold.

[SaMaster14]

I don't drive above 2500/3000rpm until the redline is all the way at operating level and I usually still wait until the oil temp gauge starts moving as well.

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by chaungo

^

It's been around -15 to -35C the past few days, and usually around -20's in the mornings, so my car usually has frost on the windshield, and I don't have a garage unfortunately.

I have to get up each morning and start my car and leave it to idle for 10-15 minutes max depending on the temperature. While I go back in, shower, brush teeth, and throw on clothes for the day. And when I come back to the car, it's completely defrosted and ready to go.

I don't think people who live in moderate climate get what we go through in the middle of winters here, no sense in discussing this any more...

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by gthal

Start the car.

Scrape the windows... takes a minute.

Drive off.

It idles for a minute or so max and you are off. Pretty consistent with the owner's manual with a simple "I need to clear windows first" step.

That's what I usually do except when it's minus 30, then it might take more than a minute...

[Desmo85]

Interesting. Seems almost everyone on this thread is an Engineer.
The only way to warm up your engine without increased tear and wear is by having auxiliary heating installed. (another benefit is that your car is warm and ice-free)

Everything else is bogus and tends to make no significant difference. Period.