Hi, I'm new. Just got my first Mini S "07" on Friday. LOVE IT!! CR/W. While reading my manual I noticed it said not to idle it. Just take off and go? I live in cold weather (Omaha) and have never heard that before. I was always told to warm up a car before driving. Is this right? Thanks!!

 

Omaha is cold? *wink*

BMW has a philosophy that you shouldn't let just the engine warm up during arctic conditions. The whole car needs to get rolling to warm up the transmission, differential, and wheel bearings. When you let the car sit for a while, only the engine gets warm, and then you usually have a tendency to drive it like the whole car is warm, when only the engine is. BMW says to drive off and keep the car rolling slowly to warm up all the drivetrain. It sounds reasonable; just don't floor it and jump into traffic when the engine is stone-cold!

 

The last several cars I've had weren't supposed to be warmed up. I'd believe the book--just take it easy for a while.

 

BTW, congratulations, and welcome to the pack!

 

Thank You! I love NAM.

 

Two reasons, I believe, for not warming up whilst standing still.

1. Not good for the catalytic converter.

2. The more important reason though is so as to not burn fuel without reason. This is an environmental consideratrion

 

Also, if you'll remeber, the new engine has an "on demand" water pump. It doesn't kick on until it reaches operating temps. So the engine itself should warm up VERY fast.

 

A bit off topic but yes this car warms very fast, I notice heat from the vents faster than any car I've ever driven.

 

Thanks, I'd never heard such a comprehensive explanation before.

One of the many advantages to having a smaller engine!

 

Was it? I didn't mean for it to be. I figured it might be one of the reasons the owners manual suggested just starting the car and driving away.

 

YAY! Welcome!!!!!

(Check out C.O.R.N.!)

 

Click and Clack say:
1. modern autos do not require warm up like those of past
2. drive modern auto gently after starting until it is warm

 

Welcome to the club!!!!

 

Welcome! So many cool things to learn about your MINI! For example, in the past you've probably parked as close to your destination as possible. Now, you'll find, the proper way to park a MINI is as close to another MINI as possible. Enjoy the walk and looking at faces and wondering who it is who is driving the other MINI.

 

Congrats and welcome to NAM!

 

What he said... cars have changed a lot in the past 30, even 10, years... more so under the bonnet than externally.

Your MINI is not your dad's (read "my dad's) 1972 Ford LTD. Notice that you don't have to crank the window up and down any more either.

 

Modern cars are not supposed to be warmed up. Doing so causes uneven heat build up, could damage the catalytic convert and confuse engine management computers. Plus, the car warms up quicker when it is driven.

 

Welcome to NAM!!! Warm or cold enjoy your ride.




06MCS/DS/B

 

In days of yore, when rolling iron was fitted with the arcane technology of carburetors, one generally was stuck warming up the car for a short period of time lest it backfire, stall or flood. Since the advent of modern fuel injection, this is no longer necessary. Carburetors, no matter how sophisticated, were never able to consistently meter fuel in colld conditions. In fact, the fuel itself played one of the biggest roles in cold weather driveability buy it's nature to easily evaporate. The closed-off choke led to an unevenly rich mixture that was always somewhere between too rich and too lean at any given moment. Later model carbureted cars came fitted with an intake heating system that took hot air from around the exhaust manifolds and brought that into the air cleaner in an attempt to stabilize cold temperature operation.

Engines would invariably get most of their wear during startup and warmup running as raw fuel coated the cylinders and was never burned, instead it ended up in the crankcase after washing the precious thin oil film from the cylinder walls.

Fuel injection makes all of this history, as it atomizes fuel quite well even in sub-zero operation. Driving gently at the start allows everything to reach operating temps much sooner and more evenly. In the coldest of weather, running the engine for about a minute will allow the oil to begin circulating completely and minimize any potential wear. In all cases, dont just hit the ignition and take off. Give it about ten seconds to stabilize first.

And welcome to NAM! Enjoy the ride.

 

Yeah... that's just what I said !

Well... I didn't say it quite that well.

 

I started writing my reply, got distracted, got back to writing, got distracted, in the meantime everyone got ahead of me. :impatient

I should stop babbling sometimes.

 

No, you shouldn't stop...babble away !! That was a very interesting post, GB ! My comment was purely made in jest and I'm glad you saw it that way.

Most of us knew you don't need to warm up modern cars, just didn't fully understand all the technical reasons why it's not necessary.

 

Okay, so I shouldn't goose the throttle and pump the heck out of it first? (just kidding!)
Don't accelerate quickly at first, get the engine oil back on the cylinders.

Welcome to NAM!

 

Okay . . . sometimes I feel like I shouldn't stomp on it until the oil is up to normal operating temperatures . . . and sometimes I feel like its okay to stomp on it after a few blocks. . . when is it really ready to GO?

 

As you leave the dealership right after your MA hands you the keys!