A couple more n00b-ish questions...

[Beltonius]

So maybe this is just because my MS3 is my first car I bought myself, but I can't quite tell how full of ... shall we say 'poop' the salesmen I dealt with were.

The less slimy one told me that, because it's a direct-injection engine, to keep it running well I should rev the engine a little just after ignition after it's been sitting cold overnight or longer and to let it 'sit' for a bit running before I turn it off if I've spun the turbo up much (which, of course, is basically every time I take it out ) His argument for both was to prevent carbon buildups on the injectors and spark plugs.

Anyway, does anyone else out there do this? Is this just common knowledge? If so, how much does one rev it (how high/long) right after start up and then how long should I let it idle (like...15 sec? 1 min? 5 min?) before turning it off?

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

The manual states that it is definitely a good idea to let the car run a minute or two after a hard run or freeway run, just for the sake of a longer lasting turbo.

The turbo is water/oil cooled, so there is less risk in oil coking up, compared to strictly oil cooled turbos. Water/oil setup is used in Subaru's too, and no one really ever has an issue with coking up their turbos.

I really don't know anything about the "rev the engine after first starting it". It seems to do that on it's on by runnin around 1500rpms on a cold start.

 

[imac]

The manual states that it is definitely a good idea to let the car run a minute or two after a hard run or freeway run, just for the sake of a longer lasting turbo.

The turbo is water/oil cooled, so there is less risk in oil coking up, compared to strictly oil cooled turbos. Water/oil setup is used in Subaru's too, and no one really ever has an issue with coking up their turbos.

I really don't know anything about the "rev the engine after first starting it". It seems to do that on it's on by runnin around 1500rpms on a cold start.

+1

cool down period is definitely a good idea. 30 sec should be all you need, i usually just go with 10-15 if i remember to because i usually don't boost or drive it hard just before i shut it off anyway.

as for revving the motor when it's cold, im not sold on that. never heard that before. plus, im under the impression that the last thing you want to do is rev the motor when its cold because it won't be lubricated properly until the motor has had a chance to warm up, thus warming the oil up to its proper running viscosity.

if its carbon build up that he's worried about, you can always run a can of sea foam through it once it gets up to some higher mileage.

 

[dan1101]

When I turn onto my road I can actually get up to 55mph, slip it into neutral, and drift the rest of the ~1/2 mile to my driveway. I figure that gives me enough cooldown.

 

[imac]

When I turn onto my road I can actually get up to 55mph, slip it into neutral, and drift the rest of the ~1/2 mile to my driveway. I figure that gives me enough cooldown.

now, if you could do that, but at the same time climb into the back and start unpacking your groceries or whatever cargo you may have, then i think you'd be a truly innovative multitasker.

 

[PureDrive]

+1

cool down period is definitely a good idea. 30 sec should be all you need, i usually just go with 10-15 if i remember to because i usually don't boost or drive it hard just before i shut it off anyway.

as for revving the motor when it's cold, im not sold on that. never heard that before. plus, im under the impression that the last thing you want to do is rev the motor when its cold because it won't be lubricated properly until the motor has had a chance to warm up, thus warming the oil up to its proper running viscosity.

if its carbon build up that he's worried about, you can always run a can of sea foam through it once it gets up to some higher mileage.

^What he said.

Honestly, the last you want to do is rev the engine right after starting it, as it has had no time to build oil pressure or get to anywhere near decent temp (for the oil and the engine parts). Just start the car up and let it warm up for minute on its own before driving and then drive for a few minutes before getting into the turbo much...

 

[tiagotiago]

I also agree that it's a bad idea to rev the engine as soon as it starts. Let it lubricate properly before you start reving it, and even when you do, try to give it as little revs as possible. I remember reading a book by Jackie Stewart (3times F1 world champ) and he also says you shouldn't rev the engine when cold for the reasons already stated; going as far as to say that you probably shouldn't go too far past 2500 revs for the first minutes.

And on the turbo cool down, I agree with the others that it is a good idea to let it cool down. I also usually baby it/coast on neutral when I'm close to home and can afford it after a hard drive, or I'll let it idle for some 30s if I couldn't go easy on it. Other times, when I'm just going slowly in the city, I'll just shut it off, it figuring I didn't stress the engine enough.

 

[Bonafide_Spd3]

I agree with everyone in here. Even when I didn't have a turbo car, I had a truck I would let it warm up every morning before work for 3-5 min. My dad was a mechanic and told me its good for all the internals in the motor to lubricate properly. Even with my quad I always let it warm up as well

 

[J-Villa]

When i start my car i tap the throttle just a little. Never goes above 2,300rpm. Sometimes when it has been sitting or cold, when i start it and don't tap the throttle it sorta studders and then idles normal.

cool down is mui importante though.

 

[EVLTSTR]

Rev at start = bad. Don't do it.

 

[aalonso]

revving at start up after its been sitting isn't a good idea the cylinder walls/pistons rings arent lubricated until you have the engine running for a few seconds so ya you wouldn't want to rev your car at start up, doing this causes short engine life :/

 

[phillyb]

^What he said.

Honestly, the last you want to do is rev the engine right after starting it, as it has had no time to build oil pressure or get to anywhere near decent temp (for the oil and the engine parts). Just start the car up and let it warm up for minute on its own before driving and then drive for a few minutes before getting into the turbo much...

pardon my n00bish question, but what is the oil pressure supposed to be? what is a good pressure?

can i monitor that with my dh?

 

[CamelFilters]

I think that if the oil pressure is low,
the CHECK OIL light will come on. My first car always did this: the check oil light will come on for about 3 seconds after the first COLD startup, but a bmw mechanic said that there was nothing wrong with it, it just took about 3 seconds for the oil to circulate around the engine and reach the proper pressure. It ran like that for years until i got rid of it and i never had any engine problems with that car. Also, i think i read somewhere in its manual, as long as the oil light doesnt stay on for longer than 10-15 sec after the first startup, there should be no cause for concern.
So to sum it up, as long as the check oil light doesnt come on, you're good to go and no need to think about it.

 

[Beltonius]

All,

Thanks for your repsonses.

I hadn't even thought about the lubrication issue in a cold engine. Now I don't feel as bad about forgetting to do that in the mornings.

 

[emessthree]

So maybe this is just because my MS3 is my first car I bought myself, but I can't quite tell how full of ... shall we say 'poop' the salesmen I dealt with were.

The less slimy one told me that, because it's a direct-injection engine, to keep it running well I should rev the engine a little just after ignition after it's been sitting cold overnight or longer and to let it 'sit' for a bit running before I turn it off if I've spun the turbo up much (which, of course, is basically every time I take it out ) His argument for both was to prevent carbon buildups on the injectors and spark plugs.

Anyway, does anyone else out there do this? Is this just common knowledge? If so, how much does one rev it (how high/long) right after start up and then how long should I let it idle (like...15 sec? 1 min? 5 min?) before turning it off?

PArt 1 of his advise is utter bullcrap.

Part 2 is partly true depending on the driving conditions for the last few minutes prior to shutting off the motor.

The reality of most modern engines with modern lubrication technology means you don't have to babysit the car as far as start up. Start the car, leave it alone for 15 seconds, then be on your way. Just take it easy for the first few minutes and you will be fine.

Do you think a car company would build a car without thinking that this car will be driven by the public who most of us don't know a damn thing about cars? They build cars with tolerances and a conservative tune to maximize longevity. Most people don't think of this stuff, but engineers design the motors to have the ability to run under conditions which aren't ideal, extreme heat, cold starts, improper octane, etc.

If todays cars weren't so tolerate of a non-informed public driving them, they would all die @ 50,000 miles.

 

[tiagotiago]

The reality of most modern engines with modern lubrication technology means you don't have to babysit the car as far as start up. Start the car, leave it alone for 15 seconds, then be on your way. Just take it easy for the first few minutes and you will be fine.

+1

I remember reading in a forum in which I used to post about engine warm up. The most logical answer for me stated something along the lines of "start the car up, see if the computer revs it, if it does, wait for the revs to drop and go, so you can warm up everything else". This makes sense, as the engine isn't the only thing you need to warm in a car, you also have the transmission, clutch, cats, ,tires, etc. It wont do a lot of good to have a nice warm engine and a cold tranny or cat. Just take it easy the first miles and let everything warm up at a similar rate.