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Thread: Do you warm up your car in cold weather?

  1. #1
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    Do you warm up your car in cold weather?

    With cold weather approaching, I started researching Remote Start for my 540i. Upon searching, I found several people who said Remote Start systems aren't recommended for a variety of reasons. Is that only because it can easily be done incorrectly, or is there a "right way" to do it?

    Also, upon searching the aforementioned, I saw people said that it isn't good to let your car "warm up". Supposedly the manual says to start driving the car, just keeping revs low, and "warming up" your car washes oil of the cylinder walls...or something to that effect. Is there any truth to this?

    It feels like my car likes me more after letting it idle for a couple minutes, rather than hopping in and going.

    Thanks.


  2. #2
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    as soon as it is running smooth start driving as the owners manual says. When it just sits and idles the engine is not working which can actually make the piston rings not seal as well as they should, it also has a lower combustion temperature that causes more harmful deposits in the combustion chamber leading to faster wear. hope this helps.

  3. #3
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    I warm my car up every day, I know the manual says drive it straight away but I have spoke to many engineers who all say to get best life from any motor and more so if it's a automatic is to warm your car up to normal running temp or at least 4 minutes.
    Some times I think BMW say these things to get you to wear your motor parts out faster.
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  4. #4
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    The engineers to whom you spoke were morons. Engines warm up much faster when driven away. Start the car, fasten your seat belt, put on your shades, and drive away gingerly. You may wish to run a minute or two when it's freezing outside, but no more.

    However, it's your car, and you can do with it what you will.


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  5. #5
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    most shops dont recommend remote starts because you have a manual. there are ways to rig it to work but the problem is, what if you forget you parked it in gear because your e-brake doesnt work? it will make the car crash forwards or even worse start up and drive away without you!!

    the only only way to make this work is to defeat the clutch pedal sensor but then you also lose cruise control if you do that.
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  6. #6
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    BMW also designed an "engine warm up cycle" for cold starts...plus by getting underway not only does the engine coolant warm up...so does the transmission and rear end. When you idle for long periods of time (which takes the engine longer to warm up)...you now have a warm engine and a cold rear end. When you start up and drive off...the car warms up evenly (front end & rear end).

    From the owners manual...


    Engine Warm Up Cycle explained:

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  7. #7
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    I like to wait the 30 seconds when the secondary air pump stops with it's thing, and the car begins to idle smoothly.

    Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …

  8. #8
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    I just wait for the RPMs to fall, usually takes about 2 minutes, and drive off.

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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by fragzem View Post
    I just wait for the RPMs to fall, usually takes about 2 minutes, and drive off.
    Yep, same here.
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  10. #10
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    Good thread, I did not know about the engine warm up cycle. I tend to let the car idle till the needle is at the end of the blue mark or secondary air pump shuts down before I drive off. Thanks for the posts, guess it's better to just drive off when you start the car.
    Last edited by htran; 09-17-2011 at 10:28 PM.



  11. #11
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    I get in an go 'cause I'm already late for work.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by maigo View Post
    I get in an go 'cause I'm already late for work.
    I was never late for work, the clock was always wrong.

    Boss: "WE START AT 8 !"
    Me: "WELL WTF TIME IS IT???!"
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  13. #13
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    I wouldn't recommend a remote start for a number of reasons.

    1. You have to bypass the OEM transponder. When you do this you turn your car into an '81 Honda, where any kid that knows how to remove the ignition switch and put some wires together can steal your car.

    2. You make it possible for people to steal you car while it is warming up. Most modern cars with these systems installed have safety switches that will shut the motor done. (For example, locking the door, shutting off when a door is open, shutting off when removed from park.) Some aftermarket remote starts come with these features, but they have to be wired up correctly.

    3. You have a manual transmission. Modern manual transmissions normally don't even come with a remote start option. Those that do have ways to bypass it like having a electric pump disengage the clutch. By the way, why don't they make a manual transmission with park? Seems like a nice idea to me.

    R 1 3 5
    |-|-|-|
    P 2 4 6

    4. As mentioned before. Idling while cold with cold engine = bad.



  14. #14
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    I work for a shop who does remote starts on alot of BMW's including manual versions. I do agree that it says its a bad on the motor, however in an area where it barely gets above freezing, it is nice to get into a warm car. Course My BMWs park in a heated garage, but my VW and Dodge pickup both have Remote starts.

    I can assure you that you can put a remote start on manuals, and the modern remote start systems have provisions to install on manuals. There is what is known as reservation mode that has to see certain conditions or the remote start is disabled. For example, when you get out of the car, the RS must see that the parking break is on, when you turn the ignition is off and you pull your key out the engine stays running. Once you exit the car and the RS sees that the drivers door has been opened and closed, it shuts the motor down and locks the doors. That way the RS knows that the car is not in gear and is able to be remote started.

    As far as bypassing the clutch, that is true but it is done in a way that only is active when the RS has been initiated. If you were to get in the car and try to start the car in gear, it would not without pushing in the clutch.

    You do have to have a transponder bypass, and on most european cars it requires placing a key in the dash to make the car think the key is in the ignition. Now people will argue that it leaves your car vunerable to stealing, however in the 10 years I have been doing this, I have never seen a customer lose their car because someone jumped in it and took off because they used the RS.

    If your still considering this, I would HIGHLY urge you to find a good local auto sound/security shop to do this, dont take it to a best buy or whatever. Our cars are not the easiest to install in, and you want someone with some experiance and knowledge to do it. Also be prepaired for the install charge to be larger, again due to being a BMW.
    Last edited by //m320is; 09-18-2011 at 01:10 AM.

  15. #15
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    ^ I wasn't saying it can't be done. I'm just saying it is hard or expensive to do right.

    On the note about the transponder bypass. It does open your car up to being stolen easier, but for the most part, robbers who can't steal transponder cars will stay away from cars that have them. You car may not have a transponder, but the robber will think it does because it came from the factory with one.



  16. #16
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    So is it still cool for the 528i 98 auto to have remote starter????

  17. #17
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    Yeah usually with a quick burn out

  18. #18
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    I let it idle for about 20 sec and then drive away holding 1st gear at about 2500rpm through my residential till I get to a main street. Then I dont exceed 3000 rpm until the needle is almost centered
    I still own an e30, but life has picked up speed and I no longer frequent this forum or own my e39. Thanks for 7 years of help everyone!


  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by damion134 View Post
    So is it still cool for the 528i 98 auto to have remote starter????
    that's relevant.

    Do you have pen caps in a dish on your passenger seat?

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  20. #20
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    When it's -30 outside. I don't much car what a manual says. The thing is warming, at least until there's some heat blowing through the heater and it's idling down.

    And guess what? Over half of the other techs I work with have remote starters, and they get used everyday in winter. I would've had one two years ago if it wasn't such a PITA and expensive to intall in these things. Yes... fuel wash can occur from idling... but the thing has to be running for an incredibly long time to create any real problem.
    Last edited by deathwarden5; 09-21-2011 at 12:11 AM.
    Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
    Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you.

  21. #21
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    I let it warm up for about 2 minutes winter or summer.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by deathwarden5 View Post
    When it's -30 outside. I don't much car what a manual says. The thing is warming, at least until there's some heat blowing through the heater and it's idling down.

    And guess what? Over half of the other techs I work with have remote starters, and they get used everyday in winter. I would've had one two years ago if it wasn't such a PITA and expensive to intall in these things. Yes... fuel wash can occur from idling... but the thing has to be running for an incredibly long time to create any real problem.
    reminds me of an old adage...

    If all of your friends jumped off a bridge...............

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  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by fragzem View Post
    reminds me of an old adage...

    If all of your friends jumped off a bridge...............
    My point being. Warming up the engine by letting it idle, is not the horrible evil as everyone makes it out to be.

    It's easy to sit somewhere behind a computer where it rarely dips more than a few degrees below freezing and preach about how bad warming up the car by idling the car is.
    Last edited by deathwarden5; 09-21-2011 at 12:39 AM.
    Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
    Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by fragzem View Post
    that's relevant.

    Do you have pen caps in a dish on your passenger seat?
    lmao


  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by ozibimmer View Post
    I warm my car up every day, I know the manual says drive it straight away but I have spoke to many engineers who all say to get best life from any motor and more so if it's a automatic is to warm your car up to normal running temp or at least 4 minutes.
    Some times I think BMW say these things to get you to wear your motor parts out faster.
    You're actually slowly killing your engine. Idling your engine for too long (more than a couple of minutes) causes unburnt fuel to remain in the combustion chamber. That fuel washes away all the oil covering the cylinder walls, increasing wear. When you think you're babying your car, you're actually accelerating the wear process. Don't do it, no matter how cold is outside. True, fuel wash is a slow process and not as bad as it sounds, but what do you think you actually gain by letting the car warm up? You increase wear, waste fuel and what are the pros again???
    If you don't go revving like a madman there is nothing to be gained from waiting until the temperature stabilizes.


    I normally fasten my seat belt, open the garage door, organize my stuff around the car, put on my sunglasses and start driving right away. By that moment the revs have already dropped to ~600 rpms.


    My carbureted Corolla has a non-crossflow engine, and it was designed this way to help in heating the intake manifold as quickly as possible to optimize the mixture temp when cold. So intake and exhaust are on the same side. Obviously when the engine reaches operating temperature this "feature" becomes a problem because intake gases are hotter than they should be, and power is reduced. What I want to say with this is that even a 32 year old car with subpar technology had adaptations to avoid the owner having to wait until it warmed up. Even the manual in that car states that you should drive right away.
    Last edited by crdiscoverer; 09-21-2011 at 07:17 PM.
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