Warm up: how gentle?

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: daves66nova
any website for kiwimpg?


Check out plxkiwi.com, it's one of their product. PLX Kiwi has been around for a while. I've never seen one in person -- they're pretty expensive and a little more flashy and user friendly than I need in a device like that. The KiwiMPG is supposed to come out this month. It's cheaper and more limited than the ScanGauge and fits perfectly with what someone like my GF "needs" in a trip computer.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: rationull
Originally Posted By: daves66nova
any website for kiwimpg?


Check out plxkiwi.com, it's one of their product. PLX Kiwi has been around for a while. I've never seen one in person -- they're pretty expensive and a little more flashy and user friendly than I need in a device like that. The KiwiMPG is supposed to come out this month. It's cheaper and more limited than the ScanGauge and fits perfectly with what someone like my GF "needs" in a trip computer.


Hmm! That does look good. I could mount it next to the Driver Information Center readout, and compare the two. No way I'd mount it blocking an A/C vent!

 

[Patman]

I drive extremely gentle during the warmup cycle, in the case of my Corvette, I use light enough throttle pressure so that it shifts at about 1500-1700rpm, at least until the oil temperature gets to about 100F, then I'll use enough throttle pressure so that it shifts at around 2000-2200. I will rarely go full throttle until the oil reaches 180F. With my wife's Civic, I try to keep the rpms below 2000 during the warmup cycle, but it's not as easy to do in that car since it has so much less torque than mine, so sometimes I'll go as high as 2500. Her engine warms up a lot faster than mine though, thanks to the tiny 4qt cooling system (I believe mine is around 12qts)

 

[rationull]

I just drove home to meet the plumber, and took the nice curvy onramp closest to my office since I was in a hurry. For whatever reason traffic was pretty tight so I had to speed up faster than I expected and ended up shifting into 3rd and 4th at about 4k RPM with the coolant temp gauge still at the bottom (although the car had only been off for 3.5 hours or so since I got to work in the morning).

It's situations like this, in part, that prompted me to post this thread. I feel bad about shifting that high when the engine's cold, but I'm not sure if should even be worried about it at all.

 

[Max_Wander]

I beat on it the instant the starter disengages.. At that rate I figure it can't stay too cold for too long!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Any E46 M3 or E60 owners here? Apparently the tachometer on these cars actively adjusts the redline depending on the engine's coolant and/or oil temperature. I'm be curious to know where the redline sits right after a cold start, and approximately how long it takes before it reaches the "true" redline...

 

[Steve S]

I really wouldn't worry about it Using a multi visc oil proper for the temps be conservative and go for it. Engines are pretty tough.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I'm be curious

...and I'm be unable to edit.

 

[sciphi]

I take it pretty gently for the first few minutes.

Then again, my car idles for at most 10 seconds before taking off. Usually it's engine catches, then into D (backed into parking space usually), idle through massive parking lot for a minute, wait for apt. complex gate to open, then onto the small feeder road I live off of. It gets a lot of idle time to warm up.

 

[rationull]

I just checked my car's manual and noticed two interesting things:

1) There's no directive (that I can find) about taking it easier on the engine when it's cold.

2) The section about the auto transmission actually says that the the car will shift at [slightly] higher engine speeds when cold to help it warm up faster.

 

[John K]

When we had a 68 Volvo 244 (?) my wife used to rev the engine when starting. It usually sounded pretty bad. When it was 18 months old I was driving on the expressway when the temperature gauge pegged. I pulled off and found some water, took out the thermostat and it had failed shut. Ended up having to replace #4 piston as the rings had frozen. Sounded terrible at idle but it was obvious there was a problem. I did the work myself and ended up replacing the tappets as well because they were severely pitted. I figure racing the engine when cold didn't help. Not quite the same thing I know.

I have an 87 Porsche 911 and the manual is very explicit, says do not rev past 3000 until the oil temperature gauge reads above the white block....depending on the ambient temperature that can take a while.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: John K
When we had a 68 Volvo 244 (?) my wife used to rev the engine when starting. It usually sounded pretty bad. When it was 18 months old I was driving on the expressway when the temperature gauge pegged. I pulled off and found some water, took out the thermostat and it had failed shut. Ended up having to replace #4 piston as the rings had frozen. Sounded terrible at idle but it was obvious there was a problem. I did the work myself and ended up replacing the tappets as well because they were severely pitted. I figure racing the engine when cold didn't help. Not quite the same thing I know.

I have an 87 Porsche 911 and the manual is very explicit, says do not rev past 3000 until the oil temperature gauge reads above the white block....depending on the ambient temperature that can take a while.


Just curious about how long it takes the 911 to move above the white block in 25*-30*F temps? Thanks

 

[labman]

In 1968 I rented an upper flat in an area where there was about room for a driveway between the houses. The people next door parked their 60 Chevy 6 right under the bedroom window. Every morning they came out started it and reved it as high as it would go for several minutes. The first few mornings, I dived under the bed expecting pistons to come flying through the window. Never happened. I think we were there 2-3 years and it survived.

 

[John K]

I will try to time it this weekend if the weather cooperates.

 

[John K]

Temperature is in the high 50s today.......

 

[demarpaint]

Thanks, your report should be interesting.

 

[John K]

Never trust my memory! I checked the manual again and it says: "The engine oil temperature has an influence on the service life of the engine. After starting the engine, you should therefore drive at moderate speeds not exceeding 4500 rpm for the first 5 minutes." I am confident that I read somewhere 3000 rpm until the oil temperature is out of the white area, but.... maybe not.

I have been thwarted in getting the info, first the weather and then a dead battery! I took it out tonight and the temperature was about 58F. It took 7 minutes to get out of the white area, about 3 miles until I got out on the highway.

 

[PT1]

Since the first half of my commute is 3 miles of 25mph...I never have a problem running it too hard at cold start.

 

[hal]

I let my car idle for 30 sec on cooler days, maybe a minute on cold days (under 30F), maybe 10-15 seconds if its >60 degrees F outside, whatever i think is enough to get the oil circulating good. then i'll drive it very easy the first few times i go through the gears until i can tell the oil has thinned out a bit. then after that i don't rev it past 2800-3000rpm's until the temp gauge is at full operating temp. i rarely rev it past 3000rpm unless i am going on a drive further than about 15 miles. my normal driving past this point would be 3000-4000rpm shifts. sometimes i'll get it real close to redline after its good and warmed up if im on a long drive, helps keep the motor clean.

btw my car is a 2000 Volvo V70 w/ 138,xxx miles. still runs like new

this method has served me well in the past with other cars, too....