Got a 4-liter V8 now.

Wondering how much time does it take to reach the optimal temperature?

Coming from a 330d diesel, I know how painful it is for the engine in first 10 minutes of operation. Slow responses, hard sound, less power. The reason why I went for a petrol car this time. Man I miss the torque! :thumbsdown:

Anyway, how do I know the engine is hot enough to push it? It's widely believed that the last three dynamic lines on the gauge shows you how much you can push the revs at any given time, but that seems like utter BS to me. I don't believe it's safe to push 6000 RPM when you just started the car and the engine+oil has an outside temperature. Doing that constantly must result in long-term consequences, as the oil is more like a honey when not hot enough.

Thanks!

 

From a cold start, I'd let the engine idle for about 1 minute (several minutes on cold days if you park outside). This will allow for the oil to warm up and thoroughly flow throughout the engine. A good cue is to listen/watch the engine idle. It should be at about 600-700rpm when warm.

These cars don't have oil temp/pressure guages, so there is really not much else to observe.

 

You shouldn't let the engine idle to much from cold. Its far better to drive it gently and get it warm that way. That way the engine will be operating with better oil pressure, the oil will warm up quicker and the gearbox/diff oil will all be warming up nicely too.

I personally wouldn't really push the engine really hard until its done maybe 8-10 miles or so driving. The water will be fully warm by then and the oil will be near enough warm too.

 

I have also watched the tach for the adjusting red line (indicated on the outside of the tach similar to the cruise control ring around the speedo). When cold, its less than 6000 however its above 6500 when at full operating temperature.

 

From your owner's manual ... My car generally reaches operating temperature in 3-5 minutes of driving ... even at the very coldest of outside temperatures.

 

Thanks everybody. But pleas let me clarify:

Is it safe to push the revs up to 6000 RPM or even more immediately after starting the engine, no matter the season? I don't think so. See the image.

I think 4000 is already too much with cold engine, but the tachometer gauge lines are way above 6K immediately.

 

+1 (excatly as the manual recommends ) just drive off.

 

From my time with an "M" car with a real oil temp gauge, I can say with certainty that it takes a lot longer for the oil to get up to temperature than it does the engine coolant to do the same. Now, that was with an older M-car that used 15w-50 as opposed to the relatively thinner oil in our cars, so ours might get circulated and heat up a little faster, but until I have an actual oil temp gauge in the car I'm inclined to play it safe.

I typically will go easy on it for the first 10-15 minutes, gradually opening it up but rarely going all-out until after that 15 minute mark.

 

I always wait until the white stripes drop below 6k RPMs just for my own peace of mind

 

The situation is pretty amateurish to say the least. Not having an oil temperature meter in E60 is a major disadvantage, I believe. When you have 300+ horsepower, you want to use it. And you want to know when it's safe to use it. Sometimes they surprise us with the attention to the smallest detail, and then don't include an essential feature. :thumbsdown: