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      01-19-2019, 03:00 PM   #1
boonkgang13k
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Do you warm up your modern-day BMW before driving off?

The owner manual says there’s no need to let it idle for a minute - just drive away at low RPM. But there's a lot of people who say that warming up the car first is better.

What are your thoughts?
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      01-19-2019, 03:03 PM   #2
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Personally I just let it get to idle after a minute then go.
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      01-19-2019, 03:12 PM   #3
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Recent topic on engine warm up.

https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1572724
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      01-19-2019, 03:16 PM   #4
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I start the car and drive. However, I take it easy until the car reaches normal operating temp before I push it.
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      01-19-2019, 03:19 PM   #5
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As I mention before, I let it idle roughly a minute to circulate the oil and drive easy the 1st few miles. Then go for it.
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      01-19-2019, 03:24 PM   #6
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No need to let the car sit and idle. It's just a waste of gas.
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      01-19-2019, 04:01 PM   #7
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I would warm your car up. Especially in very cold temps. Don't listen to the Interwebs... warm up your car!


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      01-19-2019, 04:57 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dackelone View Post
I would warm your car up. Especially in very cold temps. Don't listen to the Interwebs... warm up your car!


I think 'warm up' going from 75* to 240*

and 'warm up' going from 10* to 240*

are pretty different scenarios.

If it's 10*, I might warm up the car for my own sake, but if it's 60* out, I'm going to let it warm up on the road.
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      01-19-2019, 05:38 PM   #9
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I turn it over as soon as I get in. If it's cold I hit the seat heat with my pinkie at the same time I activate the starter. Then I let her idle while I put my belt on, turn on the audio system, set the navigation (if appropriate) and get my phones set up. After this all is done I drive away.

Answer is "yes" but not intentionally. It's a byproduct of getting setup to drive.
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      01-19-2019, 05:40 PM   #10
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I never warm up my cars. Just start and go. I don’t push it though until it warms up.
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      01-19-2019, 05:42 PM   #11
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I wait for the cold start to idle down then drive off. While I wait that 15-20 seconds, I buckle, put spotify on, and mount my phone in the holder. Then I drive off. But as others mentioned in the other post, the engine warms up quicker by driving. Also like they mentioned, not recommended to go ham from the get go. Cold cylinder/heads/gaskets aren't as strong to 16psi as they are when warm. Remember, cold things are brittle.
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      01-19-2019, 06:04 PM   #12
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Basically I start and drive away.

I start my car, plug my phone in, put my keys/wallet in their respective places, then drive off. My park is three stories up and by the time I get to the swipe sensor to open the gate cold start has finished.

Accelerate pretty gentily until oil temp is at normal then enjoy a few higher revs.

If the temps were crazy cold like in some places in the world? I’d probably give it more time before setting off, but “cold” here in Melbourne is like 10C (50F), so no need.
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      01-19-2019, 06:43 PM   #13
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I don't have any say in the matter. So Cal traffic keeps me under 30mph.
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      01-19-2019, 07:19 PM   #14
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These days you let it idle for a bit to warm the software up...
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      01-19-2019, 07:29 PM   #15
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I typically wait for the initial cold start revs to lower back down to normal idle (~30seconds? I dunno, I've never timed it), then I put it in gear and get moving. I keep mine in the garage pretty much year round and it never gets below 50F in there during the winter, no matter how cold outside it is.
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      01-19-2019, 07:31 PM   #16
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Once the idle speed drops after a cold start (usually about 20 secs or so), I drive away, albeit slowly at first.
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      01-19-2019, 07:38 PM   #17
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I let the coldstart cycle on my car finish then drive off. Some days the coldstart cycle is longer than others
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      01-19-2019, 08:03 PM   #18
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No, its stupid waste of gas, engine life and pollution.
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      01-19-2019, 08:51 PM   #19
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I start it and let it idle for a minute and a half to let oil circulate and lubricate everything and allow the secondary air pumps to shut off and revs stabilize. Then I reverse the car out of the garage and let it idle for another 3-5 mins before I drive, and I wouldn't push the car hard till the oils temps and water temps hit 90°C (middle of the m2's tenp gauge).
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      01-19-2019, 09:14 PM   #20
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Always let the cold start function end, then keep the revs low for the first 5 minutes or so while the oil warms up. Seems like common sense.
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      01-19-2019, 09:47 PM   #21
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I push Start, Reverse, and the gas pedal to the floor all in one smooth motion.
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      01-20-2019, 02:42 AM   #22
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I also don’t, I only wait for the revs to go done which is 30sec and then drive off. The main idea of setting off after the revs go down is to let all of the driving components such as the transmission, differential, brakes etc. to warm up together with the engine itself. If you warm up while idling the engine will be ready to give out what it has but other components are simply not ready to handle the load. Also bear in mind that a proper warm up of the transmission is at least 20-25km of driving as the transmission fluid is very hard to heat up and cool down. If you start putting pedal to the metal before that I can guarantee that it will give you headache on the longer run.
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