F430 vs. Lambo Gallardo Warm up

The Lambo procedure will work fine for your F430. Absolutely no need to sit there using fuel.

 

I never waited for anything. Then again, I never started it in temps less than 45 F. But, with modern materials and fluids, these cars are not like they were in the 60's.

The only thing I did is never go anywhere near the red line until the temp gauge was normal. I think that's just respecting the machinery. But, as far as waiting minutes before getting on my way, that just seems like a waste of fuel unless you're at freezing temps or worse.

 

I have a habit of warming up my cars in the morning before driving off. A short 2 minutes and the car just drives smoother. The owner's manual in new cars states idle time to warm up is not needed are mainly for emission reasons, BUT I do agree that with the modern materials and fluids built into and used in these engines, it's not really necessary. Most modern engines are overbuilt and are outlasting other components.

 

Maybe it's just the old technology, but my 355 drives terribly when warming up until the air injection stops. I need to let it sit for those few minutes to warm up, then it drives great. If I just take off right away, it bogs really bad during warm up. Engine was just rebuilt, so it is not a maintenace issue. I would continue letting the Ferrari warm up for a few minutes first, mine seems to drive a lot better when doing so.

 

Best to wait until the oil temp comes up on your F430 before shifting at higher RPM's, maybe anything above 4k. Warm up procedures should be the same for any high performance sports car, wait until the oil temp comes up, then let her rip.

 

The 430 manual says the same thing as your Gallardo manual, keep revs below 4k until oil is upto temp >70 degrees.

John.

 

Its the minute that I dont have to spare. I have noticed on my 06 430 that if I start then idle until the CE light turns off 10-15sec, the F1 transmission works much better with less slip, especially in reverse. Because my driveway has a slight grade for drainage and flood aversion, I pull into my garage forward (engine always warm) and back out (engine usually cold), so gravity helps me in reverse to minimize clutch wear.

 

Relax. The wink at the end of the post you responded to was to clarify that he didn't really mean you can't pay the fuel costs.

 

I used to let my 430 idle for 5 minutes before driving off at low revs till the water and o gauge needle wakes up. Now, I just drive off at cold start and stay low revs for a good 5-8 minutes. Usually she's ready before I even reach the entrance to the highway.

Seems to work well for me so far. At least the tech is not complaining of high clutch wear or existence of crap in the engine oil.

 

Have any photos? Would like to see the Esprit's.

 

I treat my 430 and 560-4 the same.... Come to think all the other cars the same way too;

I start the car and let the auto choke do it's thing then drive the car when the revs on the rpm settle back down

 

No need to let the car idle at all.
Just drive off but keep the revs to a bare minimum ( below 4000 rpm) for 4-5 minutes.
Have always done this with all my cars and no problems in 25 years of motoring ( touch wood)!

 

All cars are fundamentally the same.....but with high-revving cars with fine tolerances in the engine, warm up is more important.

As far as the engine goes, as everyone else said, just keep it low in the revs until the oil temp gets to normal. On a Ferrari this takes a while!!!! I know a few people that have popped motors by redlining a cold engine.
With regards to sitting at idle....this isn't really necessary, however, it lets other fluids get up to temp, like clutch, gearbox, etc. You'll notice it in a manual transmission car.....it will shift much nicer when it's up to temp.

 

Idle warmups are totally useless. Just drive in low revs under 4k until you warmed up to go full out.

 

Not trying to start a debate about idle warmups vs slow drive warmups. There are benefits to both and disadvantages as well.

Imagine pulling onto the freeway on a short onramp. Trucks/Cars approaching at high speed and you're waiting to warm up your engine and only revs under 4k... These cars are SLOW under 4k. Happened to me and almost got run off the road by a truck.

 

After the warm up, do you prefer the 430 or the Gallardo?

 

This is very true and I prefer to anticipate the warmup by letting the car idling during 5 min at least in my garage. When I pull onto the motorway, which is quite nearby my home, and does have also a very short onramp, the engine reached already a reasonnable temperature and allows me to accelerate the car a bit harder.

 

Thanks! Sorry for getting off-track and you're lucky to have both, but only one of these will end up being my next fun car. I'll have to drive both and decide which one to get after my 355 ...

 

There's a reasonable amount of discussion around which would indicate that you should not idle you car for long periods, especially from cold and it is best for the engine is to get it up to working temperature as quickly as possible (not meaning thrash it from cold) but start driving as soon as idle has settles after startup. I would tend to give mine as long as it takes for the garage door to shut and for me to lock it, a few minutes.

Lee

 

I would ask you this, of those owners you talked to, how many of them were engineers? i would bet they were doing it, because "someone" told them to do it. I am also sure that most of the people you have talked to are great guys, i don't want you to think i am putting them down in any way, they are doing what they are comfortable with.

All internal combustion engines work pretty much the same... A few different variations today with the newer engines having direct port injection, however this is not the case with the question at hand. There is a reason motor oil has 2 different viscosities. There is no reason from an engineering point of view as to not just start the car and drive. However, with that being said, you should let the oil, and other internal components of the engine warm up before taking the motor to red-line. The engine was designed to operate at maximum performance when at normal operating temperature (NOT), also when the engine is at NOT all the metals inside the engine are at a relatively homogeneous temperature, and thermal expansion has stopped. Going on a highway run, unless your winding the engine out to redline every gear, then yes wait until its at temp.. let it idle until everything is at normal operating temp, however the motor will warm up MUCH faster with a load on it, so even driving 20-30mph around the suburbs will warm the motor up way faster than letting it warm up in the garage, depending on the distance to the free way, the motor could very well be at NOT by the time you get to the on ramp anyhow. However, if the notion that you HAD to let your car idle from an engineering point of view, then the posters that said they let their cars idle, why not let your daily driver idle every time before you go anywhere? BMW, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Chevy, Ford, they all have engines that are pretty much the same as a Ferrari, fuel, spark, pistons, connecting rods and a crank right?

The best real world depiction of the engine temp question that i have seen is the 2001 and newer BMW M Series cars, on the tachometer they have LED lights that tell the driver what RMPs are safe, as the motor temp increases, the car allows the driver higher RMPS, until NOT, then the driver has access to the full range of RMPS


At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter how you warm your car up, just don't take any of them to red-line until they are at NOT.

 

That's exactly the reason why the daily driver doesn't need to idle at cold start because it is driven daily. Our Ferraris which aren't daily driven, at least most of them, will be much happier when you let it idle for a while before driving it. It's not really a question of getting the engine at the operation temperature but of getting all the moisture out of the engine parts so that all the fluids can start doing their work. This process of moisture evacuation requires a couple of minutes idling. Well, that's my point of view and I'm an ingeneer too .

 

Turn the key and go.

No benefit to let the car warm up during idle instead of low RPM driving.

Kai