During moderate temps (45 degrees to 80 degree f), let motor run for at least 60 seconds upon start-up, before driving, and then keep revs to under 3k for first 3 minutes of driving.

In extreme cold temps (28 degrees f approx or below), let motor run for 4 minutes (if under 5degree f, make it 6 minutes) upon start-up, before driving, and then keep revs to under 3k for the first 6 minutes.

Any merit?

 

Mazda seems to think so, I think I read something like that in the manual, but I could be wrong. I have noticed that the engine will be a bit rough if I try to rev it before it's good and warmed up.

The new 8 has a variable red line to show you when the engine is warm enough to rev. Anyone know what it sits at when the engine is cold?

 

Sounds like a great plan.

Over 4k on a cold engine will hit the ignition cutoff.

For the first thirty or forty seconds the air injection pump runs, and the mixture is very rich to light-off the catalyst. Stalling while this is in progress is asking for trouble - I don't move until the 'vacuum cleaner' noise stops, wouldn't want to stall.

Never flooded, in over five years of ownership.


S

 

Sounds good, letting it sit for a minute will give you that little extra bit of warm up, though I'd say it's not required, a good way to save your butt from a flood.

 

No floods here in 3 years, either.

I think that making sure oil is flowing throughout and has thinned appropriately, in theory, would help dramatically reduce friction-induced wear, and specific to the rotary, help the oil metering pump do its job more easily.

 

Bad idea. Idling is not good for an engine. The best way to warm an engine is to drive it at low rpm and modest throttle.

It's got to idle briefly before driving, for oil pressure to come up and things to stabilize. The owner's manual says 10 seconds. You might let it go a little longer in very cold weather if it doesn't smooth out in the first 10 seconds. But avoid prolonged idling.

Ken

 

Ken has turned this into one of those "here say" things. No offense at all, man.

Just saying, there is no real evidence that says "let your car idle for more than XXX seconds means it's detrimental to the engine. That's the last thing we want any sort of newbie to see and think. I, honestly, can't see any issue with it, and nobody EVER has said it's bad. You're the first one.

If you can show/tell me why it's bad, props. I'll have also learned something new. I just don't see why we need to say idling is bad for an engine when..well, lets face it, idling is what it does MOST of the time in cities. I don't really see a lot of dying cars in towns.

 

I happen to think that in addition to keeping the RPMs low, you also need to keep loading low while the engine gets to normal operating temps. Isn't it possible to fully load (stress) a motor even while under 4k RPM, by flooring the throttle or going up a hill?

My warmup routine is similar to StealthTL's. I turn the ignition key ON for 5 seconds to prime the fuel system, then I crank. I idle until I hear the vacuum noise turning off, at which point RPM drops a bit. That's my signal to pull out using low load and low RPM until the engine reaches normal temp.

 

Idling is bad for a motor when it involves lengthy periods of time, such as police cars and taxi cabs.

We're talking anywhere from 90 seconds to 4 minutes (in extreme weather) given what I'm proposing.

This allows the oil to circulate throughout and coat every surface of the motor internals before moving parts are subject to a lot of load, and also allows the oil a chance to thin a little (especially important in cold climates).

The other thing I left out of the prescription for good mechanical health is driving a minimum of 8 to 10 miles each way - obviously not possible for those working closer to their home. But that interval of distance allows the motor to fully warm and the cat to more ably do its job.

 

I dont think we mind driving 8-10 miles a day

 

Idling is bad for gas mileage and good for seals and lubrication.

 

No offense at the disagreement, but I've posted the same rant before and I'm deeply hurt that you haven't been studying my posts.

Running cold is not good for an engine. Fuel air mixture is off, oil isn't circulating that well. Idling cold will tend to foul plugs. Ever notice that Mada's "rev to 3K before shutting down" applies when you've warmed the engine by idling, not by driving?

Don't know if this is the case with rotaries, but with piston engines most of the fuel dilution of oil happens when the engine is cold.

Running under load will warm an engine up faster than letting it idle - get it out of that dirty cold zone sooner. Also, don't forget that the transmission and rear end need to warm up. That takes gentle driving.

Yeah, it's not an absolute, and the engine isn't going to explode if you idle it. And warming by idling is certainly better than running hard when cold. Piston aircraft engines are warmed by idling, since there's no such thing as flying gently til warm - you need full power right away. But those things get better maintenance and frequent rebuilds.

Ken