Proper engine warm-up - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

underDAWG · 01-09-2006, 08:43 PM

Well...... I guess your approach wouldn't hurt, but not sure it is neceesary. With today's engine and oil, let the engine idle for one minute is plenty. As for shutting down, I don't have any procedure other putting it in the first gear.

Tool Pants · 01-09-2006, 09:12 PM

I am in San Jose and the weather is like Fresno.

I start it up and since I live about 3 minutes from the freeway I am up to a "tad" beyond the speed limit and in the rev limiter. Then I shut it off when I arrive.

Been doing this for almost 7 years. Car has almost 60k miles. No engine or RMS issues.

Guess I will not be going to Porsche heaven.

TriGem2k · 01-09-2006, 09:52 PM

My car idles a good 10minutes every morning before i take off.....Never really done anything special on shut down except turn it off...

faterikcartman · 01-09-2006, 11:58 PM

I could have sworn the manual for my new 987 says to start the car and drive immediately without letting it sit and idle.

ohioboxster · 01-10-2006, 01:22 AM

I just start mine up and go. I dont go over like 4k rpms until warm. My car rarely sees over 5k anyway.

deliriousga · 01-10-2006, 07:13 AM

The manual says not to allow it to sit idling. It is actually dangerous to let the car sit and idle. The problem is the O2 sensors do not do anything until they are warm, ie. no adjustments at all. When the car idles cold, it has a tendancy to not burn off all of the fuel in the chamber. Since the O2 sensors are not adjusting the mixture to keep from having extra fuel, the unburned fuel rolls down the exhaust to the cats. Voila...CAT FIRE

The chances of cat fire increase the longer you let it idle since more excess fuel collects down the exhaust. If you start driving, the excess fuel is burned off because the engine is running faster. If you have to warm it up before driving, sit in it and keep the rpm up at about 2000-2500 so it burns fuel more efficiently and has no runoff into the exhaust.

Personally, I start it and go. I try to stay under 3K rpm until it reaches operating temp, then stomp it. The reason for warm up is to get the oil to operating temp so it will flow freely through the entire engine. Keeping it at lower rpms until reaching operating temp accomplishes this without the risk of a cat fire.

bhduxbury · 01-10-2006, 08:01 AM

i would like to start and then get the seat belt on, but that loud seat belt beeping drives me batty. so i seat belt, start, and go, keeping it below 3000 until the engine reaches 175.

i leave mine in neutral when shut off -- should i be leaving it in first? does it matter?

Perfectlap · 01-10-2006, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faterikcartman

I could have sworn the manual for my new 987 says to start the car and drive immediately without letting it sit and idle.

Yes it does say that and being a Porsche I thought the intstructions would be a little more detailed. EVery other car on the market has those same instructions!! yet I don't know anyone who would ever do that in freezing temps.
Cold engine starts are a cause of engine wear no debating that.
When its real cold I try to let it sit until the temp is up to at least 180 which might take at least five minutes when outside temps drop below 32.

I think they tell you to drive off because if every car manufacturer told owners to let it warm up for three minutes there would propbably be an enviromental law suit. Just think about the amount of oil is consumed everyday in this country from owners just starting up their cars, sitting in traffic, sitting at red lights, drive-thru fast food eateries....

rbennett · 01-10-2006, 07:08 AM

I think mfg's say start the car and drive immediately because they know most people garage their cars and the mfg's don't want the liability of carbon monoxide poisoning.

It was explained to me, for all internal combustion engines, the pistons are actually oval shapped at start up, they do not actually become circular until operating temps are reached.

This being the case, you have more wear concentrated along the wrist pin sides and more "blow by" contaiminating the oil.

As they say "Starting your car is a terrible thing to do"

Brucelee · 01-10-2006, 07:13 AM

Start your car, put on your seat belt, lock doors, turn on radio,

Drive away slowly and don't hammer the car till engine is at operating temp.

Turn off car.

That's all she wrote!

underDAWG · 01-10-2006, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbennett

It was explained to me, for all internal combustion engines, the pistons are actually oval shapped at start up, they do not actually become circular until operating temps are reached.

Can someone educate me, please?

Boxster used 0W oil which is extreme thin oil. Cold weather really has very little effect on the circulation of the oil. Cold weather is hard on battery and ignition. But once the engine started. There is no issue. Prolonged idling only adds more pullution and more carbon deposit on the injection system including valves. My 2 cents.