Is it best to drive cautiously while the engine is heating up?

[Jay-Z4]

I've been taking it easy when setting off as I worry I might damage the engine if I put my foot down too aggressively before the engine has heated up. Is this the correct thing to do?

Sorry for the newbie type question, it probably belongs in there!

 

[Zed Five]

Yes. Mechanical sympathy is a good thing. Wait until the oil is warmed up.

 

[srhutch]

Definitely, keep revs under 3k and no harsh acceleration. Allow 5+ miles as well even though the temp gauge maybe up to temperature, the oil will take longer.

 

[PerryGunn]

^^^ +1 - don't think you'll find anyone on here who says differently - unless they're driving a rental :evil:

 

[Marlon]

I've never given that any thought, waiting until engine is warm before giving it the beans (and 5 miles too) - thats going to test me

 

[Zed Five]

^^^ +1 - don't think you'll find anyone on here who says differently - unless they're driving a rental :evil:

Except those who say ' oooh, don't drive it. It gets it dirty and pushes the mileage up.'

 

[Havard]

The M is great how it gives you a false red line while the car is cold. Most engine wear takes place when the oil is cold so why would you thrash it during that time.

 

[RickRob]

+ 1 on all of the above.

 

[paulgs1000]

The engine warms up surprisingly quickly but let it have time to warm through completely before giving it the beans and using increasing revs.

 

[markeg]

I usually give it a minute for the exhaust note to calm down (i.e. wait until the "bag of spanners" sound disappears), then its a couple of miles of 30/40 zone before hitting the "open" roads. IIRC ///M have a light system to show when you can open it up?

 

[Bing]

The M is great how it gives you a false red line while the car is cold. Most engine wear takes place when the oil is cold so why would you thrash it during that time.

That false red line is pretty meaningless though - I *think* it's related to coolant temp, but even if it's not the lights go out way too fast. It's the oil temp gauge you should watch on the M. Takes about 10 miles for mine to get fully up to temp.

 

[Havard]

The M is great how it gives you a false red line while the car is cold. Most engine wear takes place when the oil is cold so why would you thrash it during that time.

That false red line is pretty meaningless though - I *think* it's related to coolant temp, but even if it's not the lights go out way too fast. It's the oil temp gauge you should watch on the M. Takes about 10 miles for mine to get fully up to temp.

Agreed. When the lights go to the last three at 7.5K revs the temp is still below a quarter on the gauge. I still rarely get above 5K revs on the best of drives these days.

H.

 

[buzyg]

You should always take it easy in any vehicle until the systems are warmed through.

 

[CornishRob]

Remember the driveline needs to warm up to, so gearbox and diff etc should all be treated sympathetically when cold.

Avoid overly revving the engine or putting it under too much load if you're in the wrong gear etc.

 

[TonyP]

I've never given that any thought, waiting until engine is warm before giving it the beans (and 5 miles too) - thats going to test me

Hey Marlon, remind me to never buy a car from you

 

[mmm-five]

Driving a Z4 is like making love to a beautiful woman.

You approach slowly, taking in every curve, appreciating those tiny imperfections, building up the anticipation. You ensure you warm her up for at least 10 minutes so that she's fully lubricated. You gradually build up the speed so that you don't crash & burn at the start of your journey, before finally applying full thrust for 5 seconds and then settling in to a 8 hour marathon session :wink:

 

[JINGLE]

by marathon you mean sleep right?

 

[stuartC]

I've never given that any thought, waiting until engine is warm before giving it the beans (and 5 miles too) - thats going to test me

Hey Marlon, remind me to never buy a car from you

+1

 

[mmm-five]

by marathon you mean sleep right?

Depends whether you're married or not

On the National/Skye trips, some owners with with their partners for over 8 hours - although that was with frequent full power thrusts

 

[PerryGunn]

Driving a Z4 is like making love to a beautiful woman.

You approach slowly, taking in every curve, appreciating those tiny imperfections, building up the anticipation. You ensure you warm her up for at least 10 minutes so that she's fully lubricated. You gradually build up the speed so that you don't crash & burn at the start of your journey, before finally applying full thrust for 5 seconds and then settling in to a 8 hour marathon session :wink:

Yea! Swiss Toni....