What's your daily driver warm-up routine?

[CamasM3e93]

It's reasonably well established that the S65 needs to be at operating temperature in order for the oil to provide adequate lubrication of the low clearance bearings at high loads. I've had BPM make a software change to lower my red-line to 4500 RPMs when cold and the red line increases linearly as the oil temperature comes up to goal, but I also eliminated the cold start routine. I'm 6 months into M3 ownership and still learning.

Mine is a daily driver, including short trips to the store, and has modest mods (stage 1 tune, test pipes, cold air intake, power pulley). For folks who daily drive their M3, how long do you sit there idling in the driveway on a morning cold start before taking off? To the end of the cold start routine? Until the oil temperature is visibly rising on the gauge? Until you shift it into gear?

Currently I let it idle for about 30 seconds and start my drive, keeping RPMs low until the oil temperature is around 180F.

[Will_L]

I had the factory bearings replaced with BE and ARP bolts. I then drive the car shifting under 4K until temp gets up to 210, then it's game on.

[DRLane]

The lower cold start RPM redline is always a welcomed tune. At least for visual kicks!

I idle 30 seconds and go. Generally I keep rpm under 3-3.5k until oil hits 200. Which in the cold months with a larger oil cooler and radiator can take a long long time...

[Ajolives]

On average I'll let idle for 3 minutes or so. I'll start my car, walk back inside and grab my stuff and then head out. If im not at home I'll give it 30 seconds or when the cold start cycles through and my idle settles.

I always keep it under 3k and the throttle light until the oil temp needle starts moving. I'll typically give it 4-5k after the first hash mark, but still drive nicely until it hits temp.

I actually drive it nicely 75% of the time, driving fast car slow type deal. I do make sure to get it up near redline at least once per drive.

[Davisca455]

Northern California, so the overnight low temperatures aren't super extreme (36f last night).
Always garaged and the garage is very well sealed and insulated.
And if the pellet stove gets the house too warm, I'll open the door from the house into the garage, "to cool the house down" is what I tell my wife, but really, it's to keep the car warm.
Typically I'll try to get into the car at least 5 minutes before I need to leave, open the garage door, fire up the car, wait for the initial high idle to drop and stabilize before I select reverse to back into the driveway and shut the garage door.
I'll sit in the driveway for as long as time permits, but usually 5 minutes when the weather has been cold.
When I start driving, I concentrate on minimizing the load that is being applied to the engine, and the rest of the drivetrain, as well as keeping the RPMs below 2500 if at all possible.
Think, egg between the shoe and the throttle pedal. Real grandpa stuff.
I won't get on it until I know the car is fully warmed up.

[Scrippy]

I usually allow a 3 minute warm up minimally. Then I keep things under 3k RPM until temp reached. I have done this for 7 years and 224,000 miles without any issues. Done RB's twice over this time. Car is as jumpy as it can be still.

[SCREAM3R]

Cold start deleted with tune and car is garaged. But I start it let it run for 30-60 seconds before taking off and don’t go above 3500rpm until I get to the freeway. I’m about 10 minutes away from the freeway so it’s usually just under the 210 mark by the time I’m there then let her rip.

[SCREAM3R]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

I usually allow a 3 minute warm up minimally. Then I keep things under 3k RPM until temp reached. I have done this for 7 years and 224,000 miles without any issues. Done RB's twice over this time. Car is as jumpy as it can be still.

224k nice! Have both swaps been OEM bearings?

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by SCREAM3R

224k nice! Have both swaps been OEM bearings?

1st WPC w/ARP bolts @EAS in SoCal.
2nd all OEM @BMW dealer

[SAMM3Y]

I try not to do idle warmups. I start let cold start die down as I'm backing out then go easy until I start seeing the temps come up and gradually build up revs.. my dad when I was young would always say "don't let condensation build up in the cylinders!" Which may or may not be true but it got drilled into me... he's from ye olde country though where winters are wet and cold.. most of summers too.

[akkando]

Wait for cold start to finish then get moving. I try to keep revs 3k or under until I get an oil reading. Once I have an oil reading I'll raise rpm to 4K if needed. Generally car settles at 200 degrees on the highway unless it's hot out or I'm beating on it. It's been cold lately at 45 and the car settles at 190 on the highway.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by Davisca455

And if the pellet stove gets the house too warm, I'll open door from the house into the garage, "too cool the house down" is what I tell my wife, but really, it's to keep the car warm.

Hahaha!! ......... I simply love this forum and the way we look after our old beauties! Thanks Davisca, this one I had to show to my wife just to let her know Im far from the only one treating a car like a baby!

On the warm up routine; I get going right after cold start and then keep well under 3k till warm.

[drrust]

Start it up, slowly pull out of the garage, make a three point turn to be able to drive down my driveway. Keep revs low as I drive through a residential area. Takes about 5 minutes to get to the highway. Still take it easy on the revs until the oil temp has reached about 200.

[acarr6]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

1st WPC w/ARP bolts @EAS in SoCal.
2nd all OEM @BMW dealer

How'd the WPC look after you replaced.

[Manettino]

I usually wait for the cold start to finish (~30s) and then drive off, keeping revs below 3k and judiciously not using too much throttle (don't want to lug the engine) until temps come up to around 200, and then drive the car normally.

[serranot]

Start and wait for 30 seconds to 1 minute just to let things thermally stabilize and then 3k or under until warmish.

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by acarr6

How'd the WPC look after you replaced.

Amazing! I am not being sarcastic either. I will use WPC again for sure. I can't find my first removed set of OE but these were my WPC's. There is scotch tape holding them together. Believe it or not these have over 100,000 and they looked waaaay better than originals removed from factory and those only had 40,000. I cannot find my original factory ones to add a pic. I'll try and find them.

[Scharbag]

Start car. Drive. Don't bash on it until it has some heat.

Repeat.

[Eja144]

If the car is cold, I wait until the cold start cycle finishes and the idle settles, then keep the revs under 3k until the needle reaches close to 210. It usually only takes 7 or 8 minutes to get to 180-ish, and from there I'll go up to 4K if needed. 180-210 takes longer - sometimes 15-20 minutes if it's cold out. I never go full throttle or over 6k until full operating temp.

[redline9001]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

Amazing! I am not being sarcastic either. I will use WPC again for sure. I can't find my first removed set of OE but these were my WPC's. There is scotch tape holding them together. Believe it or not these have over 100,000 and they looked waaaay better than originals removed from factory and those only had 40,000. I cannot find my original factory ones to add a pic. I'll try and find them.

Those are really bad... I would not use oem or Wpc.

[redline9001]

Originally Posted by Scharbag

Start car. Drive. Don't bash on it until it has some heat.

Repeat.

Same expect it has to be fully warm before beating on it ...

[911r]

I'll share my regiment. Seems like a few others do the same thing.

1) Start car, if cold start wait until RPMs drop to idle
2) Drive car under 3,000-3,500rpm until oil temp reaches 210 degrees
3) When oil temp reaches 210 degrees, I am free to rev above 3,000-3,500rpm.