[LaNcE01]

Hi All,

Ive noticed that on the 328i it takes a lot longer to warm up vs pretty much all the vehicles ive had bar the diesel WK2 that I had. I religiously warm up all our vehicles at home from my 20 year old lancer to the RRS that my wife has even if that means waking up at 3am to warm her car up before she goes.

I have noticed that after the 5 min warm up the 328 still isnt up to at least 70 on the gauge, I just checked the oil levels via the idrive and its okay.

Am I correct to lean on the thermostat sticking hence the longer warm up time?

thanks on any info you might have!

[Billfitz]

It appears to take longer to warm up because the temperature gauge is for the oil temperature, not the coolant temperature. Also, never warm the car up. Get in, start it and drive away.

[f34guy]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It appears to take longer to warm up because the temperature gauge is for the oil temperature, not the coolant temperature. Also, never warm the car up. Get in, start it and drive away.

Truth be told I actually read this in my owners manual

[IraHayes]

As Bill said, perhaps you are mistaking your oil temperature gauge for a coolant temperature gauge. Oil takes a little longer to get up to operating temp, vs coolant/antifreeze.

So far as warm ups go, if memory serves, BMW recommends driving away immediately, but driving moderately until the car reaches operating temperature i.e. don’t flog the car to death until it’s fully warmed up. For me personally, I typically let the engine idle for 30 or 40 seconds just to let the oil circulate through the engine a bit before I take off. The notion of letting a car warm up is a throwback to the days of carbureted cars with thermostatically controlled chokes, or manual chokes for that matter, where you had to let the car warm up, or risk stalling. We are quite a ways away from those days .

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by f34guy

Truth be told I actually read this in my owners manual

You read your owners manual???

[f34guy]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

You read your owners manual???

[img]https://media.tenor.com/images/6a3e8...db4a/tenor.gif[/img]

I thought I did a good thing :

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

You read your owners manual???

I read my owner's manual from the day I got the car... reading it on the sh*tter is the best way to do it.

[LaNcE01]

Thats what I needed to know! thanks that explains a lot as to why it takes so long.

I knew I was going to get a backlash on warming up, all Im hurting is my fuel consumption and I know that. safe to say I live in whoop whoop 100 kilometers away from my work and my vehicles rack up considerable amount of kilometers I am yet to have issues from a head gasket or high oil consumption.

So all in all spending that $3 more in fuel is worth it I think?

[sspade]

Originally Posted by LaNcE01

Thats what I needed to know! thanks that explains a lot as to why it takes so long.

I knew I was going to get a backlash on warming up, all Im hurting is my fuel consumption and I know that. safe to say I live in whoop whoop 100 kilometers away from my work and my vehicles rack up considerable amount of kilometers I am yet to have issues from a head gasket or high oil consumption.

So all in all spending that $3 more in fuel is worth it I think?

https://www.popularmechanics.com/car...-harms-engine/

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by LaNcE01

I knew I was going to get a backlash on warming up, all Im hurting is my fuel consumption

You're creating a lot of excess engine wear as well, especially in cold temperatures when you're most likely to want to warm the car before driving.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/car...-harms-engine/

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by sspade

https://www.popularmechanics.com/car...-harms-engine/

This is good reading, I always drive off immediately, maybe I should wait a few seconds now like volvo says.

[LaNcE01]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

You're creating a lot of excess engine wear as well, especially in cold temperatures when you're most likely to want to warm the car before driving.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/car...-harms-engine/

yes! Actually ive read on that topic, even all the vehicle manuals I have says otherwise. but the results I have from the vehicles I own tell a different story. I tend to keep my cars for a very long time, except for a couple few that I got rid off just after 4/5 years not for mechanical issues but more on the fuel consumption.

eg. the freelander I have that we bought brand new in 2009 that was used primarily as a family car has 375k's now. no oil leaks, does not use a drop of oil most especially no head gasket issues.

2. 2012 c63 as a toy that i still have, it was one of the first few ones that was having the head bolt issues, 240ks no issues at all with oil / head, even the head bolts are still oem. never needed to have it cracked open.

My father bought a new 2011 c63 ( which made me get our one), he wasnt a believer of warming up, he does not drive like a maniac i can assure you that before the car heated up but managed to blow his head gasket at 130k's. bad luck? lemon? maybe.

maybe its coincedence? maybe? but I attribute this to warming up thr vehicle prior to use. the 3 mins doesnt hurt anyway.

imagine this, I wake you up in the morning and ask you to run straight away. What will you feel after that?

warming up is topic of old school vs modern thinking. No one wins the arguement neither lose. actually the only winner is the fuel bowser. lol