Thread: Engine cold starting and warm up.

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I have a new neighbour who I believe is a trained mechanic. He is employed as a workshop mechanic and part time towie using a 5 tonne sliding deck recovery truck. What my question is, is it normal practice to start a vehicle engine and leave it idling for upto 5 minutes before driving away ? Now this guy and his family live in the house directly behind mine and shares the driveway. When he first moved in he rode a Honda 1400 GSC motor bike which I can understand needed to warm the engine before riding off but that,gladly, has been sold as it was so loud even at idle with it's 4 into 1 racing exhaust and fancy muffler. But is it normal practice to need to run these late model Jappa diesel 4 cylinder or Mitzy 4 cylinder petrol engines for 5 minutes or more every time one starts it from cold. I would understand if we lived where the temps were down to 0 degrees but we live in a warmer area of NZ. Heck I getting to the stage of looking forward to haing the Roadster going again so I can start that up and leave it idling for a long time and see if he likes the noise.
Now some of you make think I am just a moaner but the fumes fill our bathroom and my bedroom so now keep the windows closed .
The workshop/owners manual that came with my BMW says that no warm up is necessary but to just gently drive the car until the engine warms. All the late model trucks have never liked idling for long periods of time and again it is recommended to drive gently until warm. So is this young fella been taught the wrong thing about engine warm up etc. ?
I will be interested to read what you guys think of this... Thanks.

Different strokes for different folks, I'd say. I had a friend back many years, when we were in the Navy, and he drove a nice little MGB. He insisted that it was mandatory to start the engine, and let it warm until the oil temperature gauge was moving off minimum, showing that the crank case was starting to warm before he would pull away. Even then he would "baby" it until the oil temperature was up to "normal".

I'd say that it's more a matter of convenience and driveability, being able to drive away without the engine bucking and snorting because it's cold, and not enough choke to richen the mixture. Bottom line it sounds like you're just being a moaner..... Take a six pack of nice ale over to welcome them to the neighborhood, and chat about starting/warming needs.

Hope you know that I'm not serious about the moaner status....... unless you're too cheap to spring for a sixer.....

Agree, a talk is in order. He may not know the ill he's causing you.

All good with you Roger about the humour. Seriously though, I wonder if the modern engine and these different oils etc needs or benefits from long warm ups. I always thought that when the oil light went out on the dash the engine was good for 8000 rpm but maybe I was taught wrong.. I know when I was driving the Mercedes Actros V8 tractor units we were told by the company training officer that we didn't need to leave the truck idling for long periods of time etc. An old MG with it's primitive engine,yes, warm it up gently before putting the jandal in.

Seriously, I don't believe that any relatively new engine needs any significant warm-up time, especially in your mild climate. Start it, drop it in gear and go.

It's his, if he wants to warm it, it's his business. If the exhaust is getting into your house, it's your business.

A polite talk should find a solution.

He's most probably building his air up after it drained overnight.