Engine Warm-up???
Can you type it out verbatim? I doubt it says not to let the car warm up at all. I wouldn't be surprised if it said not to let the car sit at idle in order to warmup. It would make no sense for Audi to tell its owner to romp on the engine before the engine oil has gotten to operating temps.
It would be nice to get an experts opinion on this. I let my car warm up for a few minutes sometimes, and sometimes I just get in it and drive, keeping it out of boost. It depends on how much time I have before I have to leave to where I'm going.
Think about it, cold starts are hardest on the car. If you sit there and idle say 5-10min vs. going and driving it up to temp and multiply that by the number of cold starts, you are probably running(idling) twice as long, if not more, below an ideal temp range over the life of the car. That's got to have some effect on the engine.
Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: NoVA
I believe another reason that the Euro manufacturers arent in favor of warming up the car by idling is that the engine oil temp and trans oil temp are at very different temps and people tend to drive their car hard thinking that since the water temp/ oil temp guage says its warm, its ok to tach it out...
Its not a good idea to idle your car and not get all of the other fluids up to normal operating temp and then drive your car hard... Its better to get all the temps up at the same time esp. since you can save emissions and gas also...
Its not a good idea to idle your car and not get all of the other fluids up to normal operating temp and then drive your car hard... Its better to get all the temps up at the same time esp. since you can save emissions and gas also...
Mitsu mailed me a pamphlet about recommended tips for keeping the Evo running well. I tried looking for it now, but couldn't find it. I remember specifically one item that involved engine warm up. Mitsu recommends that the driver wait for the coolant (temperature) gauge to start moving before you put the car in gear and move. Now, it doesn't take long at all to get the coolant gauge moving, maybe 15-45 seconds - depending on the outside temperature and how long the car's been sitting, of course. This tip is just for warmup before driving normally.
I called Jon at TRE (http://www.teamrip.com/index.html) one day and asked him about what gearbox oil he recommends. He was so patient and answered my question thoroughly - he's really a nice guy and was open to sharing his vast knowledge. In turn, I asked more questions. One was about engine/gearbox warmup for aggressive, in-the-boost driving. He recommended to drive normally with little to no boosting and with as much movement as possible, no stop-and-go or idling the entire time, for about 20 minutes or until the engine oil reaches 80 degrees celsius.
I've noticed that reaching 80 degrees on my engine oil temperature gauge on a cool day is quite difficult when driving normally. I'd never see 80 without getting on the boost and near redline. So, I think 70 to 80 degrees is a good benchmark.
I trust the engineers at Mitsu and Jon of TRE. I can rest easy knowing that I'm warming my Evo up right. Take these tips for what they're worth.
I called Jon at TRE (http://www.teamrip.com/index.html) one day and asked him about what gearbox oil he recommends. He was so patient and answered my question thoroughly - he's really a nice guy and was open to sharing his vast knowledge. In turn, I asked more questions. One was about engine/gearbox warmup for aggressive, in-the-boost driving. He recommended to drive normally with little to no boosting and with as much movement as possible, no stop-and-go or idling the entire time, for about 20 minutes or until the engine oil reaches 80 degrees celsius.
I've noticed that reaching 80 degrees on my engine oil temperature gauge on a cool day is quite difficult when driving normally. I'd never see 80 without getting on the boost and near redline. So, I think 70 to 80 degrees is a good benchmark.
I trust the engineers at Mitsu and Jon of TRE. I can rest easy knowing that I'm warming my Evo up right. Take these tips for what they're worth.
Last edited by EVO X Owner-2-B; Jan 21, 2007 at 03:58 PM.
For those newbies or non-mechanical types like me, I should add that a coolant gauge and oil temp. gauge are two different things. All cars have a coolant or temp. gauge. However, most cars do not have an oil temp. gauge - to include the base USDM VIII or IX, a.k.a., "GSR" Evos. USDM RSs and MRs come stock with an oil temp. gauge. It's included in the Sports Meter Kit. The volt and boost gauges round out the trio of gauges featured in the kit.
If you just let your car idle and warm up the Diffs and tranny will still be cold. It is best to let the drivetrain all warm up together. I usually sit for about 45 sec just until the engine settles down, and then take it easy for 4 or 5 miles before driving normally.
It's funny though, because when I start my car in low temperatures I always visualize all the cold metal engine components scraping against each other.
Fatigue on the seals and gaskets as one part of the engine heats up faster than the others.
It's funny though, because when I start my car in low temperatures I always visualize all the cold metal engine components scraping against each other.
Fatigue on the seals and gaskets as one part of the engine heats up faster than the others.
