How to keep the engine happy?

[san]

Hi,

I have a 2006 Coupe with close to 98k miles...

I live in a small city called Columbus, IN and commute to usually work using my ZHP... The problem is my work place is only a mile away... I usually car pool with a friend and try not too use my ZHP at very low ambient temps, but some days I just have to take my car (I wish I could walk, my its freezing cold now)...

I know I am harming my engine by driving it only a mile each way, but is there something I can do to keep my engine happy? Should I try and take a longer route everyday, and if so what should be the minimum driving distance? Or should I just let it idle longer and not turn off the engine until the temp gauge hits 12 o'clock?

Thanks!!

[Hermes]

Every few days go for a long drive, at least 30min

[danewilson77]

Leave early and drive 5 Mikes put of your way. Turn around....go to work.

The friendliest forum on the planet.

[ELCID86]

I take the long way to the commuter lot sometimes just to warm her up.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[BADCLOWN]

Get a bicycle.

[Vas]

Or moped.

[SoDelBMW]

Does it really harm your engine that much? I drive about 3 miles to school everyday an now its about 20 degrees every morning. Usually my temp gauge never goes above the first tick mark after blue. Im kinda concerned now.

[Vas]

You want to have the engine to reach normal operating temps.

[NoVAphotog]

Does it really harm your engine that much? I drive about 3 miles to school everyday an now its about 20 degrees every morning. Usually my temp gauge never goes above the first tick mark after blue. Im kinda concerned now.

Mason, read through my project thread, I had a spell of "lost" oil for a while. I switched oil from BMW 5W-30 to Mobil 1 OW-40 and stopped driving back and forth to the Metro (less than 3 miles). Have not lost a drop since (knock on wood). I follow the advice here and try to avoid short trips as much as possible. Short trips are bad for any car engine, it's just with the M54, there are some components (the CCV) that just are not designed to tolerate it. These cars were built to be driven. If that commute is your day to day, so be it. Just try and get out after school or on the weekends for an Italian tune-up on some backroads, hammer on her, show her a good time, slap her around and burn off whatever build up there is as best you can.

[Hermes]

Does it really harm your engine that much? I drive about 3 miles to school everyday an now its about 20 degrees every morning. Usually my temp gauge never goes above the first tick mark after blue. Im kinda concerned now.

The 'temp gauge' is measuring coolant temp. What we are talking about is getting the motor oil up to temperature. Non-M's don't have an oil temp gauge.

[NoVAphotog]

Non-M's don't have an oil temp gauge.

:(

[gammagoblin]

I would aim to get the oil nice and hot at least once a week to burn any moisture off. I believe oil takes longer to get hot than coolant, so once your coolant gauge is sitting in normal drive some more, probably 30 min would do it. Anecdotally my dad drove a 1/2 mile commute to a park & ride station for years and never had a problem (I don't blame him for driving, very dangerous low viz/high speed road no space for bikes/peds, but he took longer weekend drives).

[LivesNearCostco]

I would have thought only 10 minutes easy driving needed to get oil up to temp once the coolant gauge is at the middle, but without an oil temp gauge, I will never really know. I plan to install some gauges in my E36, and then maybe later after that the E46.

[san]

Thanks a lot for the inputs guys, appreciate it...

[san]

:rofl
Get a bicycle.

[san]

:rofl
Or moped.

[llll1l1ll]

On a similar note to the OP, every other week I drive to the office (about 40 minutes each way). Since it's cold, my wife likes a toasty car and insists that I start the car to let it warm up. Despite my best efforts to tell her that it's bad to sit and let your car idle to warm up and that it really makes no real difference (and is actually damaging your vehicle), I've chosen to pick my battles a little more wisely. Anyway, I digress...

What I'm asking is if that once every other week idle warm up (it lasts about five minutes tops) is really going to damage the car. It'll last almost until March. Really just on the cold days is when I gotta do it. I treat my car nicely and appropriately, otherwise.

[SoDelBMW]

Interesting info, thanks for the advice!

[LivesNearCostco]

Remind me again, why is letting the car warm up bad for the car? I realize it isn't necessary with modern cars, but why is it bad?

[NoVAphotog]

Remind me again, why is letting the car warm up bad for the car? I realize it isn't necessary with modern cars, but why is it bad?
This has come up recently with articles on jalopnik and other sites. The main argument is that it is bad for things like cats and the exhaust system. It's just faster to drive the car and allows everything to warm up in a better way. So, as far as I understand, it's not necessarily bad but just letting it run for a little bit and then driving off is that much better.

I know before I used a garage and with previous cars, When it's cold as shit out and the car is covered in snow and ice, I cranked the heater and defroster and went in and had breakfast! No problems.

[slater]

On a similar note to the OP, every other week I drive to the office (about 40 minutes each way). Since it's cold, my wife likes a toasty car and insists that I start the car to let it warm up. Despite my best efforts to tell her that it's bad to sit and let your car idle to warm up and that it really makes no real difference (and is actually damaging your vehicle), I've chosen to pick my battles a little more wisely. Anyway, I digress...

What I'm asking is if that once every other week idle warm up (it lasts about five minutes tops) is really going to damage the car. It'll last almost until March. Really just on the cold days is when I gotta do it. I treat my car nicely and appropriately, otherwise.

happy wife = happy life

picking your battles is the wise choice. she will notice and remember this (women are more observant than men).

'nuff said. :)

peter

[Hermes]

Remind me again, why is letting the car warm up bad for the car? I realize it isn't necessary with modern cars, but why is it bad?

to be honest, I think the manual in my 82 says not to warm up by idling but to just drive your car. It's not just modern cars

[Hermes]

I was right

17432

[Hermes]

Honestly, the only engines I think BMW specifically said to idle for a little while before driving would have been the DOHC 100mm family

Edit: *100mm crank spacing

M12, M49, M88, S14, S38

Our engines are based off the 91mm spacing. Our engines are evolved M20s

[san]

Mason, read through my project thread, I had a spell of "lost" oil for a while. I switched oil from BMW 5W-30 to Mobil 1 OW-40 and stopped driving back and forth to the Metro (less than 3 miles). Have not lost a drop since (knock on wood). I follow the advice here and try to avoid short trips as much as possible. Short trips are bad for any car engine, it's just with the M54, there are some components (the CCV) that just are not designed to tolerate it. These cars were built to be driven. If that commute is your day to day, so be it. Just try and get out after school or on the weekends for an Italian tune-up on some backroads, hammer on her, show her a good time, slap her around and burn off whatever build up there is as best you can.

So we lose oil if we drive less??

[llll1l1ll]

to be honest, I think the manual in my 82 says not to warm up by idling but to just drive your car. It's not just modern cars

My '88 said the same thing. Our cars say the same thing.

Perhaps it's the Germans' way of saying it's harmful to the environment to sit and idle? They do have the "Beim Halten Motor Abschalten" (turn off car when stopped for long periods of time) signs everywhere...


happy wife = happy life

picking your battles is the wise choice. she will notice and remember this (women are more observant than men).

'nuff said. :)

peter

My name's Peter, too!

[NoVAphotog]

So we lose oil if we drive less??

If the car doesn't reach operating temperature than moisture and condensation builds up in the CCV system, this includes small amounts of oil as well which can then burn off or cause more serious issues (hydrolocking, etc) if left to collect. Hence, the recommendations for "Italian tune ups" in various threads on CCV issues.

[san]

If the car doesn't reach operating temperature than moisture and condensation builds up in the CCV system, this includes small amounts of oil as well which can then burn off or cause more serious issues (hydrolocking, etc) if left to collect. Hence, the recommendations for "Italian tune ups" in various threads on CCV issues.

aah, thanks for the info... My oil level light came up today when I shut off the engine, explains why... but did not come again after drove my car for about 20 miles though...

[az3579]

When you let the engine sit and idle, it is wearing faster than if you drive it to warm it up. While it's sitting, it isn't warming up as quickly as it should, so the oil doesn't get up to temp fast enough. If you start driving, the amount of time the engine is cold is significantly reduced. So, instead of spending 15 minutes idling with a cold engine, putting extra wear on it, you're only wearing it for maybe 5 minutes while you drive it and warm it up.

Obviously when you drive it, you really should keep the rpm's low. Personally I shift no later than 1500 when it's cold, but that's not a hard and fast rule.


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[NoVAphotog]

aah, thanks for the info... My oil level light came up today when I shut off the engine, explains why... but did not come again after drove my car for about 20 miles though...

I mean, the oil light is not a good indicator with these older cars. It really is a dummy light and the actual sensor can start to fail sending false-positives as it dies. Drive your car normally and when you get home, check your dipstick (be thankful we actually have one!) after about 5 min. Take a picture of where it is (should be at LEAST midway between the two notches) and then check it weekly to confirm any changes. My light was going off every so often until I shifted my commute a bit and switched oils (BMW 5W-30 to Mobil 1 OW-40). Haven't seen it since and with manual checks every week my level has stayed the same.

[OtterEffect]

If the car doesn't reach operating temperature than moisture and condensation builds up in the CCV system, this includes small amounts of oil as well which can then burn off or cause more serious issues (hydrolocking, etc) if left to collect. Hence, the recommendations for "Italian tune ups" in various threads on CCV issues.

What is an "Italian tune up"?

[NoVAphotog]

What is an "Italian tune up"?
Basically just drive the car hard. Making sure to get up to redline a few times.

[ http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_tuneup

[slater]

Basically just drive the car hard. Making sure to get up to redline a few times.

sounds like almost every drive for me! :)

peter

[san]

I mean, the oil light is not a good indicator with these older cars. It really is a dummy light and the actual sensor can start to fail sending false-positives as it dies. Drive your car normally and when you get home, check your dipstick (be thankful we actually have one!) after about 5 min. Take a picture of where it is (should be at LEAST midway between the two notches) and then check it weekly to confirm any changes. My light was going off every so often until I shifted my commute a bit and switched oils (BMW 5W-30 to Mobil 1 OW-40). Haven't seen it since and with manual checks every week my level has stayed the same.

Just did what u said... Level seems to be in between the 2 notches... But the light does come on occasionally...

[san]

When you let the engine sit and idle, it is wearing faster than if you drive it to warm it up. While it's sitting, it isn't warming up as quickly as it should, so the oil doesn't get up to temp fast enough. If you start driving, the amount of time the engine is cold is significantly reduced. So, instead of spending 15 minutes idling with a cold engine, putting extra wear on it, you're only wearing it for maybe 5 minutes while you drive it and warm it up.

Obviously when you drive it, you really should keep the rpm's low. Personally I shift no later than 1500 when it's cold, but that's not a hard and fast rule.


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Yup, I am also doing the same...

[NoVAphotog]

Just did what u said... Level seems to be in between the 2 notches... But the light does come on occasionally...
Gotcha, well, add a little oil and then check it again in a few days. If it stays the same and the light keeps coming on it's possible the sensor is on its way out.

[san]

Gotcha, well, add a little oil and then check it again in a few days. If it stays the same and the light keeps coming on it's possible the sensor is on its way out.

Will do... Thanks a lot...:)