kskane

I have '04 E60 (M54) 525i petrol (with few issues) and I was wondering if there any Guru's out there who can tell me what is the IDEAL time to let your car run everyday when you start in the morning from overnight being cold (where I am the temperature will range from 5 to 25 degrees C in the night given time of the year). Does the car needs warming up at all? If yes, how long..........

ben53

I warm it up at about 5750 rpm before I put it in drive. It takes takes about 60 seconds for it to reach there. I live in hawaii so its not very cold here. but if temp is too low, I would give it atleast 2 mins to warm up. Its always recommended to let run the engine on idle before driving if the car was parked overnight.

luigi524td

MY "cold start" [Winter time / overnight temps 10-40 degrees F] technique is simple - Assuming windows are already clear of ice, snow, frost -

1. Start engine
2. Turn on seat and steering wheel heaters
3. Fasten seat belt
4. Connect cell phone to 12v power cord (BT auto-pairs)
5. Drive off at moderate speeds

The entire start-up 'routine' takes less than a minute and afterward my e60's heater typically takes 2-3 minutes to begin to produce warm air even though it may take 3+ miles for the engine to reach operating temperatures when driven moderately (not reving to red line etc). Extended idling or aggressive driving while the engine is cold is NOT recommended.

BTW, except for Step #2 - this is my "cold start" technique when it's warm out too! And my A/C is usually cranking out cold air by the time I'm out of my driveway

TheDuke

Warming a car up at 5700 rpm seems like a pretty poor idea.
Follow the users manual that says

Driving off immediately:
Do not allow the engine to warm up by Leaving it run while the vehicle remains stationary. Instead, begin driving at moderate engine speed. This is the fastest way for the cold engine to reach it,s pirating temperature.

I start mine and let it idle for about 20-30 sec to allow oil pressure to build (which takes far less time) and the engine components to be fully coated and then just keep it under 3k rpm and driving easy. Letting it sit idling may allow your engine to warm up, but it does not warm up the transmission

KAF

A warm up whilst stationary is unnecessary. It may harm the engine as unburned fuel will wash oil off the bores.

Start up, put on seat belt, drive off, no harsh acceleration or high speeds until fully warmed up around 4-5 mins in normal driving.

luigi524td

Good point - glad you mentioned that!

SilberGrauE60

I always paid attention to the "advance warning field" on the tach--the segment with white bars at the top-end of the dial. Here's what the owner's manual says,

The white-striped advance warning field, arrow 1, changes depending on the engine temperature. The segments disappear in sequence as the engine warms to its normal operating temperature.
Avoid allowing the engine speed to rise as far as the advance warning field whenever possible.

ben53

You could be right about warming up engine but not transmission while on idle but warming upto 5700 is in like less than a minute. Oh btw, I'm confused when you say under 3k coz my car would start heating up from like 4700-4800. Look at the pic you would know what I'm talking about.
And I dont accelerate it to bring that red needle to 5700. that might blast my engine if I do it everyday. LOL
I'm talking about the red-lined bar that increases on engine heatup.

TheDuke

We were clearly talking about two different things - the misunderstanding was mine. I thought you were referring to Revving your motor to 5700 rpm and I was thinking you were out of your F'ing mind, but trying to be polite as possible. Rereading, your first post is still confusing to me, but your second post adds more clarity. My E60 does not have the same style of gauge as the one you show. I read about the lines on the tach that are supposed to indicate this, but this does not work on mine. I have 3 hash marks near the7 on my tach but they do not increase or decrease with the engine temperature nor is their any other indicator.

ben53

LOL. "Clear communications after drinking" is something I should be working on. Can you post picture of your tachometer ?
If your car does not have engine heat temp readers, how you're supposed to know if your engine is running warm or cold?