Warm up

I'm confident this has been discussed here before; however, I was unable to find any information through a search.....

The question is: how long (in hot or cold weather) do you let your F-car warm up before moving it? I generally let the oil temperature get up a bit before running it very hard (even using syn motor oil), but I just wanted to know what the general concensus is on how long to let it warm before driving off......any comments?

 

http://webpages.charter.net/aircover/348/1994Ferrari348Spider.html#Starting

 

Oil temp gauge is the key. It should be past the 1st mark, & don't go for redline until it's up to normal driving steady state temp.

 

I shift 3000 and below until it is all up to temp.

 

Ditto on the shifting thing. As soon as oil pressure is up you can get underway. 2,000 rpm is a good no. and is much better than allowing the engine to idle to warm up.

 

Your posting asked about how long you should warm up your car before 'moving' it, and frankly, letting a car sit at idle is not doing your car any good. The safest and quickest way to warm a car is to drive it GENTLY for several miles. Letting it sit at idle is not good for the catalyic converters, and essentially, it only heats up water (coolant). Gearbox and engine oil remain almost cold while it is in the driveway. A minute or two max is all that is needed after start up before moving down the road - again - gently. before moving away.

 

Unless its freezing out, I let it warm up for 2 min, then drive under 3KRPM and shift 1 -3 till the oil tem has moved to the 2nd mark.... water temp about 150. In the summer ... I get in and go, shift 1-3 till oil temp comes up ... never a problem in Atlanta.

I always check oil, and coolant level before I leave the garage, if I have not used the car for a week or more...

 

Mine is a euro-spec 308 and the first mark on my oil-temp guage is 60C. I usually let the car warm up to that mark and then for the next couple of miles, I drive pretty easy (3000K or less) to let the gearbox fluid come up to temps. After a 3-5 miles, I begin to have fun.

 

I've start the engine, open the garage, put the radio panel on. get rid of my jacket and put the seatbelt harness on. Then i drive with max 3000rpm and light trottle till oil is >70 °C then full trottle on demand.
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Samy

 

I have a 308. The owners manual says that hard driving should be avoided until the oil temp is up to 140 degrees Farenheit. I generally warm my car up until I see the water temp gauge move a little, then I drive very gently, until the oil temp is up to spec. It also helps me get second gear warmed up too. In addition to the gear box, it's good to get the wheel bearings and brakes and so forth warmed up too. Luckily, I live in an area where I can really stroke it for the first half mile by going 30 MPH or less if I feel like it. Even then I stroke it for another mile or so. Then the temps are pretty close, but since I'm still in town, I gotta be pretty cool with it or pay the traffic ticket.

Bob Wassam

 

Do what makes you comfortable ... In my opinion, as long as the engine is fully broken in, there is no right or wrong way.

In the past, I would regularly warm up to full operating temp (water and oil) so that I could enjoy the car once I got out of the driveway.

Lately, I just jump in and go, keeping revs below 3000-4000 until operating temp is reached

 

Hi,
I have seen other posts that also say that letting the car idle for long periods is not a great idea. My 308 does not have a catalytic converter. What damage could I be causing?
During the winter in the UK it's not a great idea to drive on the roads as they are 'salted' to reduce ice & snow. However, I like to turn the car over at least once a month. To this end I start it up and let it run for 5-10 minutes (at various revs) until it gets reasonably warm. I usually cover the air vents on the rear deck to trap the heat in.
Incidentally, I have followed this procedure for the last 8 years. In fact I did it yesterday - a few squirts on the throttle and she starts everytime (and always has done) You cannot beat Webers!