jjk

Folks,

Is it best to leave the car running for a fair few minutes before actually driving it from cold?

Just wondering as I garage my scoob and sometimes fire it up and leave it for a few mins before I start my journey.

What are the pro's and con's?

Many thanks

Jas

mutant_matt

Well I would take it out of the garage whilst letting it idle before moving off ( ). Opinion seems to be divided on this one but I think you should let it idle for a minute or to before driving off (and then keeping it on a light throttle/off boost until the oil is up to temp (about 15 mins)).

Matt

P.S. This method also seems to avoid the dreaded clutch judder as well....

SWRTWannabe

I usually drive mine straight away, unless I have to clear ice off it etc. Having said that, my Dad said something the other day about idling when you start the car being bad for the catalytic converter. Don't know any more though - anybody else heard that?

davyboy

Turn key, and drive. Stop being such a bunch of wussies!

We are not driving highly tuned race cars!!

Disco

Speak for yourself davyboy, blow your turbo if you really want

SWRT - How many people here still have CATs though?

Shark

IMHO you can drive straight away. Turn key, engine start, allow to settle for a few seconds then drive, but do not exceed 2500 rpm until the oil is hot.

David

BarryK

You're having a laugh.

I am trying to look where I'm going, turn corners read junctions etc etc. I am not constantly looking at my rev counter.

Warm a car before you drive it? Come on get real. Subaru sell every day cars right? I drive one.

This is not "life's great rally" these are just cars for goodness sake. If they are so pitifully built that they can't hack being driven every day they've no right making and selling them to us.

By all means be sensible but do please cut the crap.

jjk

cheers for the comments guys.
I think I will stick to idling it for a minute and then not thrashing it.
The car may be bullet proof, but personally I would rather treat it with a bit of care when cold and save the unnecessary wear and tear and the price of a new turbo

jas

DavidRB

Let it warm up properly, let it cool down properly and make sure you thrash it good & proper in between.

JoeyDeacon

Firstly can I say it is a car and not some priceless Ming vase. Start the car, get in and drive the thing it is hardly going to explode as you get to the end of your road if you don't leave it idling for 5 minutes.

Secondly when you first start a car it is obviously running at it's richest so there is lots of petrol going into the bores. Leaving the car to idle for ages means there is probably so much petrol going into the bores that it will start to dilute the oil and may even lead to bore wash.

mutant_matt

Steve3drRS

LOL@"bulletproof".

Depends on how tuned ur engine is n how u drive it- i let my car warm up for bout 1min, not go over 3000rpm till oils hot, n let it idle for at least 2mins b4 switching off. Then again i also change the oil every 2500/3000 miles.

Steve

Mildo

Don't engines warm up a lot more quickly when they're driven than when they're idling? What an unnecessary waste of expensive petrol, having your car sat there idling when it should be driving.
I never drive hard until it's properly warmed up though.

golfturbo

Just keeps the revs low until it warms up - somebody told me that the new M3 has lights around the rev counter showing the safe limit and they go out as the car warms up....is that true ?

Steve3drRS

Yep and new M5, on the rev counter the redline is displayed digitally and moves up once the cars warmed up. its amazing. drove new M5 6 months ago, couldnt bear to get back out, i wanted it so much..!

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Look, just start it up, wait a few secs (fuel pump?) and drive. Stay under 3k rpm until warm. Don't go full boost till the oil is up to temp, not your water. BTW you don't need to look at the rev counter every gear change - use your ears man!

LeighJ

On the really cold mornings, I let mine idle in the garage (with door slightly open) for a few mins, below 3K rpm, then drive it for 10 mins (ish) until temp is up, then floor it.

BarryK

Er, I have the radio on.

Er, I can't see with my ears.

Er..........that's it.

Put your foot down and drive as someone once said.

Nigel R Smith

I have had my scooby for 5 months now usualy just drive straight away and keep revs below 3 thousand until car is warm (look at temp gauge) some of you say when the oil is warm how do you know your oil temp?

ZAZ

This came up a while back and somebody brought up the fact that the entire car needs to warm up, bearings, joins, etc. aswell as the engine so you might as well start it let it run for 20-30 seconds then drive on low revs, low boost until warmed up properly. I usually start it then go about taking the steering lock off and putting the stereo front on then when I'm ready drive!

Another thing that was mentioned before was that the standard temp gauge is for the water and doesn't necessarily mean that the oil is up to temp. A oil temp guage is needed for that and it is next on the shopping list for me (along with other guages).

Steve3drRS

Oil takes longer to get to correct temp than water...

Ive got 7 gauges in my car- boost, oil press', oil temp, fuel press', inlet charge temp, exhaust gas temp (cuz ive got anti-lag), and air/fuel ratio.

Steve

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

I just start it and drive. Redline the thing in every gear......................by the way I'm thinking of selling my car. Anybody want it?


Seriously, just be sensible for the first 5-10 minutes and you should be fine

davyboy

When I made my first comment I did mean driving sensibly, like below 3 thousand revs!

NENO

Ohh the joys of piston slap. Perhaps I should market this great new aural device which, when cold makes your turbo car sound like an old diesel. No more noise - she's warm and ready to fly!

Thank fully Scooby Sport are removing it this weekend...