i was wondering cause in most of my cars i driven i let me car idle for it to warm up for at least 5 mintues before i drive off but in the bmw manual it says drive off when starting the car dont let it idle to warm up...does this make a different because i know it does in other cars but it doesnt seem to affect my 330

i was wondering cause in most of my cars i driven i let me car idle for it to warm up for at least 5 mintues before i drive off but in the bmw manual it says drive off when starting the car dont let it idle to warm up...does this make a different because i know it does in other cars but it doesnt seem to affect my 330

It's supposed to be bad for the engine.

What I do is start the car and let it run for about 20-30 seconds, basically when the RPM needle drops from it's cold start-up idle position to it's normal idle position.. i do that just to give the oil enough time to circulate in the engine to lubricate..

then it's go time.. but keep it under 4k until engine reaches normal operating temps.. approx. 10-15 minutes.. i usually start shifting at 2.5k when I'm leaving my apt complex to get to the street with light pedal pressure.. don't want to lug the engine.. and then when I get on the street I gradually shift at higher points.. after 5 minutes... shifting at 3k (still with light pedal pressure).. after 10 minutes.. 3.5k... moderate pedal pressure.. 15 minutes.. whatch out now!!! :firedevil

Same here, I start it up, let it sit for 10-30 seconds, whatever it takes for the tach to drop to normal idle, and then proceed, and take it easy until the temp comes up. "Take it easy" = no revs above 3000 rpms...

i do the same i let my car idle for like about a mintue while i get my seat belt and the radio and stuff right before driving off and i usually shit at like 2k 2.5k yeah and this is a brand new 2004 330ci so yeah i cant really drive it hard yet so i baby it all day long

It's not a good idea to let cars "warm up" by idling.

The damage you're doing to the driveline is a lot worse than the damage you could POSSIBLY be doing to the engine. What you're doing by letting the car sit and idle, is that different part of the drive-line heat up at different rate. So by the time your engine is warmed up and you're pulling away from idle, your transmission is cold and your driveshaft is cold and your diff is cold. The difference in temperature between the engine and the rest of the drive-line will cause the seals to stress and ultimately you'll suffer from leaking fluids from various seals in the transmission.

The best thing to do is actually start driving right away, but keep it under 3,500 rpm and no more than 50% throttle for the first 10-15 minute on an automatic, and on a manual wait for about 5-10 seconds before driving off.

Thanks a lot hack yeah i reread my manual book and it says to drive off after turning on the engine but at moderate speed till the engine goes to it normal state before i can rev the car at higher rpm's

It's not a good idea to let cars "warm up" by idling.

The damage you're doing to the driveline is a lot worse than the damage you could POSSIBLY be doing to the engine. What you're doing by letting the car sit and idle, is that different part of the drive-line heat up at different rate. So by the time your engine is warmed up and you're pulling away from idle, your transmission is cold and your driveshaft is cold and your diff is cold. The difference in temperature between the engine and the rest of the drive-line will cause the seals to stress and ultimately you'll suffer from leaking fluids from various seals in the transmission.

The best thing to do is actually start driving right away, but keep it under 3,500 rpm and no more than 50% throttle for the first 10-15 minute on an automatic, and on a manual wait for about 5-10 seconds before driving off.

THat's good info to know.. I always knew it was bad.. but now I know why.. :blueball

Shit, I always let my car warm up for like 10 minutes in the mornings. Had no idea that this was bad...

Hack knows all. :buttrock

No Need To Warm Up Your Car Unless You Are In Cold Climate Place Or You Have A Turbo Car! Start The Car And Drive Is All Good, But Still Drive It Slow In The Beginning, Don't Step On It Too Hard Yet! Let It Run For A Normal Gear And Speed For A While, Let The Engine Oil Lube Everything Inside Your Engine First, The Reason Is Your Car Sit There And Haven't Been Move For The Whole Night. The Parts Inside Your Engine Is Kind A Dry Out. If You Drive It Too Hard In The Beginning, It Is Really Hurt Your Car!

The Hack:

Do you think that for the three months that I've let the car warm up for 5-10 minutes that I did any damage to the car yet? Can i check something?

Well that's good to know! I always hated letting my car warm up, so more of a reason just to go!! :D