I have a new '22 Forester that has a high rpm cold start idle, around 1700-1800rpm. Even on hot days, it takes a minute or two to idle down below 1000rpm. This seems to be normal for that NA2.5 GDI flat 4 according to Forester forums. Is shifting into reverse or drive "bad" at that kind of rpm? I can't imagine the manufacturer would set it up that way if it was, where it would require time to idle down before shifting and driving, but it does make me a little nervous. CVT, fwiw.
New Forester high idle - ok to shift?
- Thread starter thunderfog
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My 17 3.6 is the same way. It is geared to get the engine warm ASAP as that is supposedly helping MPG/emissions. Another one of those .002MPG gains we all suffer through. As habit I like to give my vehicle a minute in warm weather to get the oil flowing no matter what. Cold weather I give it a 2 minute or so warm up. IMHO that is plenty unless you are in truly cold. We all have definitions of truly cold. For me in the NorthEast truly cold is anything in the teens and below.
I never liked that cold start high rev. Seems bad for the engine to rev it up like that immediately on cold start. At least give it a few secs for the oil to circulate first. I don't know about Subarus, but the Mazdas I have owned have an undocumented feature or "easter egg". If you put the car in 1st or reverse (depends on the model) before starting, it disables that cold start high rev. Of course this is only for stick shifts...
Can you park so you can put it right into drive when you leave? Can you let it roll in neutral a bit before putting into gear?
Since yours is a cvt, it may not behave the same, but I found out recently that if I shift my Mustang from Park to Neutral, even right after firing it up, it slows the high idle. Then I shift it into gear. Give it a try.
Done that, no change, unfortunately.
Applies to All Model Years - The little blue "cold...
I'm just curious. How many of you: A: Treat it like any other car, get in, start it and immediately put it in gear and start driving normally completely ignoring the blue light. B: Get in, start it and immediately put it in gear but take it easy till the blue light goes off. C: Either...
www.subaruxvforum.com
When you start it cold, you'll notice that after about ~30 seconds of the engine running, the car changes idle a bit...kinda goes down and then back up. After this happens I then put it in neutral. Once it's in neutral, the idle drops to a normal idle speed after a second or so. Then one can put it in gear without being on high idle. It also seems to take care of the car wanting to run at such high RPM's when the blue light is on. This has been my experience the past couple of times.
Our Sienna idles high as well when first starting, never was a fan of the high idle it had. It also delays upshifts to a ridiculous level until temperature comes up, even in warmer weather. No known advese effects after 17 years and 120k miles, I still can't stand it though.
Toyota know something about high idle if vehicle is running 17 years later.
It is running and running very well, it has been a great, although not perfect vehicle. The problems we had were mostly body related in nature, for example, the drivers side door check welds broke inside the door, a common problem on the early second gen Sienna's. Un excusable in my book, but the van has delivered where it counts, I suppose.
The other complaint I have on this era of Toyotas is the spastic operation of the cruise control.
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