LiveBlues

I've been hanging here for nearly 10 months now (I bought my 8 last July). I thought that the conventional wisdom then was to let the engine reach operating temp, then go. While my mileage has suffered, I still mostly do that in the mornings. When I head out to work , I drive about 3 blocks, to the highway. At that point, I usually need to wind out 1st & 2nd gear to enter the highway, which is not a limited access highway. The traffic is not very cooperative, and sometimes you have to take advantage of a small opening. I don't want to redline it with the engine cold, so I let it warm up for 10 minutes or so before I leave. Is my logic flawed? Is is ok to run up the RPM's while the engine is moderately cold? I keep it in the garage, so it is rarely below 45 degrees at first startup.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

i think warming up for 10 minutes is a bit overkill in non-freezing temperatures, it takes a heck lot longer to warm up the car if you just let it idle, than driving it *very* easily to bring the temp up quickly. However, you should keep the revs down before the temp gauge reach normal operating temperature.

old_s13

Everyone knows cold oil doesn't protect as well as warm oil. To each their own.

Actually, its having NO OIL doesnt protect as well as OIL. :-)

Turn on car, let the motor internals rotate so that the oil lubricates the engine and wallah, you should be ready to go within no more than 20-30 seconds.

Now, this doesnt mean rev your peaks.. just drive. I push the car a tiny bit, but I dont keep the rev's high. As the car starts to warm up, I increase how hard I drive. I've taken motors over 200k this way, and an original auto transmission as well (previous car).