Wow, I could not disagree with you more strongly. Are you saying that I should start my car in sub-zero weather and immediately start to drive it???!!! NO fluids will have had a chance to circulate through their respective systems. The oil will have not generated the temperature needed to attain the viscosity that you mention. Same of every other fluid in the car (vice maybe the windshield washer fluid!) I am sure that there is some wear involved in running an engine at idle in an attempt to warm up the engine as the lubrication has not reached its ultimate level. But I am very interested to see what you suggestion is????.....

 

This debate has been going on for years.

The modern car really does not need to be "Warmed up" for an extended period of time.

My car is garaged so this is no big deal on cold days. But I like to start it up and let it run 2-3 minutes. Enough to get the juices going. Then drive it easy after. Kinda go easy on the acceleration at first. After just a mile, its just fine.


If I need to go right away I also just go easy.

 

Just got my 2004 545i with 48k miles on it. It's been between -20 and -10 degrees F every morning the last 5 days and I don't have either of the symptoms you described.

 

I knew I would sting into a hornets nest here....
If you look at Mobil 1, for example, it is a liquid at temperatures as low as -53?F.
The oil pressure in cars is usually up in ~ 1s or so, from what I know. I had a rallye car with an oil pressure gauge and it came up even on cold days immediately.
I'll search for more info.

 

drjochen,
here comes a hornet!!

Pressure, yes. The liquid in any form of viscosity (I wonder what sort of protection Mobil 1 would offer at -53) would provide pressure to the system. When I start my helicopter for instance, the pressure in the can is immediate and usually HIGHER than normal due to the low temperature (there are a few more reasons as well, but particular to jet turbine engines). Once the engine is run at IDLE to warm up the oil, I can then increase throttle and both temp and press remain within normal parameters. We have specific cold weather start procedures for just that reason. Though a jet turbine works differently than a normally aspirated car motor, the theory remains the same (suck, squeeze, bang, blow). I would have to think and theorize that therefore the cold weather start procedures have a corollary as well.

Back atcha!