[Tengocity]

I know it's best to let the engine get up to temperature before giving it a bit of welly, just curious as to when people decide this has been reached? Is it time since you started driving, or oil temp? Would it be different in a petrol to a diesel?

I know the M cars have lights that go out as engine warms up to let you know maximum recommended revs, but never had an M car to know how long it takes them.

Keen to hear people's views! Thanks

[mactrack]

Oil temp.

[NISFAN]

For me, oil temp above 80c

[Waitey]

Depends on application and oil viscosity. Also depends on oil manufacturer, some reach max viscosity at 30deg's these days.

For road applications, once the engine has cranked over you have oil pressure and no metal on metal contact, you can go nuts so to speak.

Combustion is helped by higher block temps and you'll get a cleaner burn, hence why closed loop fuelling will be controlled from coolant temp.

[Steve C]

Min 75c which occurs about half a mile before the end of my commute.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

I know it's best to let the engine get up to temperature before giving it a bit of welly, just curious as to when people decide this has been reached? Is it time since you started driving, or oil temp? Would it be different in a petrol to a diesel?

Has to be temperature for me, as time/distance is so dependant on ambient temperature and loads in light driving conditions from cold.

Just this morning at ~0C, I was almost 9 miles before my oil was reading 80C, even after 11 miles was still only about 87C. In the 535i by that distance oil and coolant are very similar temperatures.

So not much "use" of my engine on my typical local trips, they are over before the engine is really ready for some action.

HighlandPete

[Proftinkerpot]

Oil temp for me too.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

For me, oil temp above 80c

Any reason why 80c?

The E90 330d that I had before didn't have an oil temp readout which was quite annoying, so just had to guess based on time.. i have 5-10 mins of steady driving in my head as a reasonable amount of time.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Waitey

Depends on application and oil viscosity. Also depends on oil manufacturer, some reach max viscosity at 30deg's these days.

For road applications, once the engine has cranked over you have oil pressure and no metal on metal contact, you can go nuts so to speak.

Combustion is helped by higher block temps and you'll get a cleaner burn, hence why closed loop fuelling will be controlled from coolant temp.

But are we talking the oil's abilities, or oil temperature as an indication of enough heat soak to prevent thermal shock if we load the engine components? I'm using engine temperature oil and/or ECT to gauge the latter.

HighlandPete

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Any reason why 80c?

The E90 330d that I had before didn't have an oil temp readout which was quite annoying, so just had to guess based on time.. i have 5-10 mins of steady driving in my head as a reasonable amount of time.

Unscientific, but if you have no oil temp gauge I would say 5 mins in the summer and 10 mins in the winter

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Any reason why 80c?

The E90 330d that I had before didn't have an oil temp readout which was quite annoying, so just had to guess based on time.. i have 5-10 mins of steady driving in my head as a reasonable amount of time.

60c is a good temperature (oil pressure reads normal, not high due to the lower viscosity), but for me that extra 20 means it has soaked a little better.

If you only have a water temp gauge, then wait for 'normal' temp and then a few extra miles. Water temp is normally taken at the engine, so rad could be closed off still at this point. Oil temp lags Water of course.

[Spacer]

I wouldn't worry, as long as the oil temp has moved off the bottom stop. I fly helicopters for a living, and you quite often give them almost max power when the oil (gearbox and engine) hasn't reached normal operating temp. I know it's not the same, but in it we have a normal operating range for oil temp (and no power limits within). So, in the car, I just wait for mine to be somewhere off the stop.


I have noticed the 2.0D can take an absolute age to get to 100C, so if I was waiting for it to be exactly in the middle, I may be waiting a long time. Sometimes it can take 15 or more miles.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Spacer

I wouldn't worry, as long as the oil temp has moved off the bottom stop. I fly helicopters for a living, and you quite often give them almost max power when the oil (gearbox and engine) hasn't reached normal operating temp. I know it's not the same, but in it we have a normal operating range for oil temp (and no power limits within). So, in the car, I just wait for mine to be somewhere off the stop.


I have noticed the 2.0D can take an absolute age to get to 100C, so if I was waiting for it to be exactly in the middle, I may be waiting a long time. Sometimes it can take 15 or more miles.

What heli's do you fly?

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

If you only have a water temp gauge, then wait for 'normal' temp and then a few extra miles. Water temp is normally taken at the engine, so rad could be closed off still at this point. Oil temp lags Water of course.

We've run diesels for years and often the oil temperature can run way behind coolant. I've seen oil taking almost twice the mileage of coolant to get to the normal range, over 16 miles of driving around 55 - 60mph.

I'm surprised the N55 is so close during warm up, even from low ambient temps. First 5 or so miles the ECT is about 5C below oil, but by about 10 miles is on par. I know the N55 engine has added oil spray under the pistons for cooling, so that must contribute to the oil heating faster than expected against coolant.

HighlandPete

[Spacer]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

What heli's do you fly?

I fly SAR Sea Kings at the moment :-)

[Spacer]

One other thing has struck me.... We don't worry (or even know) about the transmission oil temp in our cars (unless you have an OBD connector), but we will still ask almost max torque out of it happily regardless of its temp! I wouldn't be too worried about either. Just don't whip the car when it's properly cold :-)

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Spacer

I fly SAR Sea Kings at the moment :-)

Oh, just little ones then

A friend if mine owned a Bell jet ranger. I just love the sound of its start sequence

[Steve C]

I think you'll know when this oil is getting hot

[Spacer]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

Oh, just little ones then

A friend if mine owned a Bell jet ranger. I just love the sound of its start sequence

Indeed, a fantastic noise!

[RobUK]

What's full performance?

[pete18]

Just wish BMW offered a FBH option, would reduce the time to heat the water and make the cabin a much better place first thing on a cold day.
Pete

[SGLL66]

20 seconds as its a lease company car