Warming up engine question

[sumotan]

Hi Gents,
What's your thoughts on warming up engine everyday when you don't drive. I live in the tropics & I drive my Z only once or twice per week.
The thing is I will start the engine everyday let it idle for about 3-4 mins then I bring the rev up to about 1500 to 1700 rpm for around 4 mins then let idle for another minute or so before I shut down the engine.. My thoughts is
plainly to charge the battery but more importantly to get oil flowing all over the engine internals. I might be wrong in doing so, would like your thoughts on this..

Thanks

[mcbutler]

Absolutely not, max wear occurs during the first few minutes of running until its warm. Due to high cold tolerances and reduced efficiency of oils at low temps (not all)...
An engines builder would advise you to - start the engine and drive it immediately. This way it reaches operating temp quickly and wear is reduced.

[Marcoose]

Yeah, what Mark said. Warming up engines is a legacy from our grandparents. If you drive that little –same here–, you may want to consider a battery tender.

How’s the rust problem in your region?

[sumotan]

Thanks Gents , Rust isn't an issue at my end Marcoose so far haven't notice it. Lol

[Marcoose]

Great. I’ve worked for a few months in the Yucatan Peninsula –a paradise!–, and rust there was horrible.

Say, in your region, do sun visors have warning stickers?

[brillomaster]

Definitely not. When a car is used it is good to get it properly up to temperature, but certainly doesnt need to be brought up to temp every day when you arent driving anywhere!?!

Not sure 4 minutes of idling and 4 minutes of sustained low revs will get an engine warm anyway. Normally needs a good 20 minutes of use ideally. The battery also wont likely recover the charge required to start in 8 minutes.

Id stop doing it. You're just wearing out your engine, starter motor and battery prematurely.

[BeeEmm]

What does the manual say? Start up and drive immediately keeping revs reasonably low. mcbutler has the right idea. Idling is bad for a cold engine, bad, bad, bad. Read the effing manual. It matters not whether you live in California or Norway.

[buzyg]

Wise advise above. Fair enough, if you car is laid up a long time it's worth running the engine and rocking the car back and forth a few times once a month or so. But much more than that is just putting unnecessary wear on your engine. Many folk happily leave their Z4's several months with little more maintenance than a trickle charger. Personally I don't think that is best for the car, as things can seize up else ware. I don't think the engine itself suffers by being left for several months.

[sumotan]

Thank Gents, well after the advices I now make it a point to drive it at least twice a week. Lol

[Marcoose]

One more advice: drive it like it’s stolen.

[buzyg]

One more advice: drive it like it’s stolen.

But only after it's properly warmed up.

I get lorries and camper vans over taking me when I set off onto the small duelled section of up hill, a few hundred yards from our house. I try to make up for it once the car is properly warmed through.

[ronk]

If mine is not going to reach full temperature - it doesn't get started.
When it does, it is warmed up gently - After its winter hibernation even more slowly as there are a lot of other things to get warmed up again.

[step_change]

This is what concerns me when I have to get the car out of the garage to access other things in there since because it's an auto I can't just push it back, I have to start the engine.
I try to do this as little as possible.

[ronk]

I remember years ago there used to be an engine pre warming device available as an add on accessory. Mains voltage.