Short commute daily drivers

[Edward]

Wondering how bad it is for my car that I rarely get to properly warm it up on my morning drive in. My commute ends up being about 1.2 miles from my home to office. Only if I take the long way to go to my favorite coffee shop at 6 am do I register an oil temp reading of maybe one column up from the coldest reading.

On the way home I sometimes get it up to normal operating temp before I shut it down or go to the gym which is equally close. I'm not going higher than 3500 rpm on cold which some think is too high already, but will my engine suffer in the long run? I followed proper break in procedures and the car is driven fairly hard up and down the rpm range when warm.

I'd hate to have warped or scored lines inside the rod bearings.

[Doomageddon]

It is best to actually get the oil up to operating temp. it is not good to continually have "cold" drives. if its such a short commute i would ride a bike or walk or buy a cheaper vehicle for commuting.

[Edward]

Originally Posted by Doomageddon

It is best to actually get the oil up to operating temp. it is not good to continually have "cold" drives. if its such a short commute i would ride a bike or walk or buy a cheaper vehicle for commuting.

Yea, no. Fixing an engine that's under warranty for the next 46000 miles is cheaper than buying and driving a pos car to commute one mile in. Also, walking that distance through this part of LA would take me 22 mins each way.

[AdonM3]

The other option is to warm your car up 5-10 min prior to driving it or until it reaches proper operating temps.

I have a 2 mile commute and I warm my car up for 10 minutes before driving.

[JoeKixxon]

1.2 mile commute? I guess it's true: "Nobody Walks in LA"

[Doomageddon]

Originally Posted by Edward

Yea, no. Fixing an engine that's under warranty for the next 46000 miles is cheaper than buying and driving a pos car to commute one mile in. Also, walking that distance through this part of LA would take me 22 mins each way.

if you think that your warranty is going to cover all the potential damage that may happen then why ask this question?

And walking for 44 minutes a day isnt really a tough thing to do, you might actually benifit from it lol

[Doomageddon]

Originally Posted by JoeKixxon

1.2 mile commute? I guess it's true: "Nobody Walks in LA"

must be, if i could walk to work id be happy about that.

[V8FunNaturally]

Originally Posted by Doomageddon

It is best to actually get the oil up to operating temp. it is not good to continually have "cold" drives. if its such a short commute i would ride a bike or walk or buy a cheaper vehicle for commuting.

+1

I kept my POS Accord for that reason. The M3 engine takes much longer to warm up than the Accord and for that reason is not suitable for short commutes in the cold season. Also I appreciate the flexibility of having another car that I don't care about scratches when parked somewhere.

[Ezio]

this kind of stuff is why i love a warranty.

[Edward]

Originally Posted by Doomageddon

if you think that your warranty is going to cover all the potential damage that may happen then why ask this question?

And walking for 44 minutes a day isnt really a tough thing to do, you might actually benifit from it lol

Because I have a warranty intact does not mean I enjoy potentially abusing my car.
Also, walking is hardly exercise for me, as I get real exercise daily post work. I am in excellent shape and wasting the first half hour of my day half assedly walking in the dark is a poor use of my time.

...back on topic

[Edward]

Originally Posted by JoeKixxon

1.2 mile commute? I guess it's true: "Nobody Walks in LA"

Yea, it's true. Bunch of angry drivers is all there is. Some dude jay walking right in front of my house on Doheny Dr. and Beverly Blvd. if any of you guys are familiar with the area, got slammed into and killed last month. Walking in this town has its downside.

[V8FunNaturally]

Originally Posted by serg87

The other option is to warm your car up 5-10 min prior to driving it or until it reaches proper operating temps.

I have a 2 mile commute and I warm my car up for 10 minutes before driving.

Bad advice. idling your cold engine too long is detrimental as the fuel mix stays very rich which ruins the oil and you cat converter has to work much harder which reduces its lifetime.

not to mention :
Manual p.61 says "Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right away but at moderate speeds."

[Edward]

Originally Posted by sunsweet

Bad advice. idling your car too long is detrimental as the fuel mix stays very rich which ruins the oil and you cat converter has to work much harder which reduces its lifetime.

not to mention :
Manual p.61 says "Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right away but at moderate speeds."

Yea, what you said is what I've always read is the right way to do it. I only wait for the cold start cat cycle to stop and drop the rpms below 500 before moving out.

[V8FunNaturally]

Originally Posted by Edward

Yea, what you said is what I've always read is the right way to do it. I only wait for the cold start cat cycle to stop and drop the rpms below 500 before moving out.

I read somewhere that the cold start cat cycle is for environmental regulations only as the cat converters only filter efficiently when warm and the cycle is just for burning extra rich mix to quickly heat it up. It probably is not even good for the engine. I would disable it if it could be done without requiring a third party ECU flash like MB.

[Edward]

Originally Posted by sunsweet

I read somewhere that the cold start cat cycle is for environmental regulations only as the cat converters only filter efficiently when warm and the cycle is just for burning extra rich mix to quickly heat it up. It probably is not even good for the engine. I would disable it if it could be done without requiring a third party ECU flash like MB.

Do you know what is actually happening during that cycle? I just know the car is a lot louder or restrained sounding in a weird way. I'm convinced that most EPA/govt imposed regulations such as any performance robbing exhaust systems and ethanol requirements are all bad for our engines/enjoyment.

[JoeKixxon]

Well, reading through this thread it looks like your first answer is the best. COFFEE !!! And really... how can you go wrong with that?

I'd love to push bicycling on you (that's my preferred daily commute), but one of the most important things about riding a bike is picking a route. And I am NOT one of those spandex wearing, traffic interfering, Lance wannabees. I stay out of people's way by having a good route.

So. Yes. Coffee.

[V8FunNaturally]

Originally Posted by Edward

Do you know what is actually happening during that cycle? I just know the car is a lot louder or restrained sounding in a weird way. I'm convinced that most EPA/govt imposed regulations such as any performance robbing exhaust systems and ethanol requirements are all bad for our engines/enjoyment.

I don't know. it sounds almost as if the exhaust gases are not going through the same exhaust during the cat cycle. I wonder if some mechanical part in the exhaust is thermally activated, changing the flow after the cycle ends or is it just an engine sound difference.

[Doomageddon]

Originally Posted by Edward

Do you know what is actually happening during that cycle? I just know the car is a lot louder or restrained sounding in a weird way. I'm convinced that most EPA/govt imposed regulations such as any performance robbing exhaust systems and ethanol requirements are all bad for our engines/enjoyment.

i believe it is to heat the cats up quicker. so i think it runs richer at this stage, cant remember if there was more to it than that

[cbems]

i dont think itll matter. if your commute was 30 minutes the first 5 would still be cold driving anyways. your engine will still be subjected to the same amount of cold driving regardless of your commute basically.

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by JoeKixxon

1.2 mile commute? I guess it's true: "Nobody Walks in LA"

Sad.

[Rambler]

Originally Posted by cbems

i dont think itll matter. if your commute was 30 minutes the first 5 would still be cold driving anyways. your engine will still be subjected to the same amount of cold driving regardless of your commute basically.

One key difference is that the warmed up part of the drive evaporates any water condensation that may not fully evaporate while the engine is still cold. Not sure if this has any long term effects on modern day cars but something to think about. I also have a short commute, about 4.5 miles one way. My temp meter is just about at fully warm by the time I reach the office but I don't get a lot of running time with it there. I try to make up for it with a couple of highway runs or back road jaunts during the week.

[///MPekker]

Originally Posted by Edward

Yea, it's true. Bunch of angry drivers is all there is. Some dude jay walking right in front of my house on Doheny Dr. and Beverly Blvd. if any of you guys are familiar with the area, got slammed into and killed last month. Walking in this town has its downside.

When did this happen? I live on Oakhurst and Beverly. We should grab coffee and meet. I need to hang out with more ///Mazing people.(im going to hell for that one)

BTW, to actually respond to post, how about a nice bicycle? I have a BMC bike at home and if my commute was a little bit shorter, I would gladly take it instead and save my car from these LA hooligans. OR maybe a bus?