I am fortunate to be able to garage my brand new G35 during really bad winter weather here in Indiana. We are in a big stretch right now so the car will sit for a week or two.

Any suggestions on warming it up? Do I need to do anything? I am presently starting it up every couple of days and letting it idle for about 15 minutes and keeping my eyes on the tire pressure to make sure they don't go flat. Only about 400 miles on it so far.

Car. Blue/willow AT

 

That's probably the worst thing you can do. When you start an engine, no matter what kind, there are impurities that are in the oil. They burn off after a properly warmed engine but you can't do that by idling. Mine is in the garage and I haven't started it since Dec 10. It's gonna stay there until the salt is off the roads.

 

I hate you guys, I wish I had use of the G-arage. Stupid S2000 is in there. Grrrrrrrr!

 

According to the owners manual, during the break-in period you shouldn't drive for long periods at a constant speed. That is essentially what you are doing by letting the car idle.

Once you get done with the break in period, the CarTalk guys say it's ok. Here is some info from them including info on how it does not do anything to the oil.

http://cartalk.com/content/columns/A...03/May/03.html

http://cartalk.com/content/columns/A...anuary/01.html

Hope this helps,
Dave

2004 DG/G 5AT Coupe with all options except Satellite Radio

 

Thanks for the links Dave! Unless I hear otherwise I think I will continue to run it every couple of days but stay in it to vary the revs during warmup. This should be the best of both worlds. Boy, -2 on the outside today but a cool 40 in the garage!

 

Please send me the keys to said S2000

 

Idling a car is bad for it. You should start the car, let it idle for around 10-15 seconds to make sure the valve train has gotten some oil, and then begin driving. The engine will warm up very quickly and it will appreciate the higher oil pressure under load. Just keep the revs under 3000 until it's fully warmed. This method will also improve the life of the cats.

 

OK. Trying to decide what to do here. Seems like idling it is out. So how about this question. Does it hurt to just let it sit for a couple of weeks? As long as the battery doesn't go dead it should be cool, right? Granted if I was out of town it might sit anyway. Just never been in this situation during a break in period.

 

You use more battery power to start the car and it does not get enough charging in 15 minutes. As I said, mine has been sitting since Dec 12 and I'm not worried about the battery. If you are, then get a Deltran Battery Tender. It's a trickle charger/maintainer that will not overcharge a battery. I use one on my classic and on my motorcycle. They are about $59-69.

 

Where are you at in Indiana?!! I'm up by Michigan City

2003 BLK/BLK 6-spd Injen clear corners

 

Thanks gto2050! Think I'm gonna let her sit. It kills me not to drive it but I look at the salt and ice on my winter beater and the shine on the G....need I say more!

XCELR8
I'm down here in Indy. Colder 'n crap here. -9 tonight

 

was told that condensation builds up in exhaust. when driving it for a while, it burns off, brief idle or just brief drive doesn't. leads to premature rusting of exhaust

04 6mtC, DG - possibly most babied G on the board.

 

I herd that too but, theres not much you can do about it. As its cooling after a long drive the same thing happens. Unless you wipe it down.

"What if there is no tomorrow....There wasn't one today!!!" Bill Murry

 

I'm not sure I agree with everything I have read here on this thread. I got my G new in November up here in Vermont, and it is COLD up here, so proper warm up was a procedure I was very interested in.

The most compelling information I ran across was that the vast majority of engine wear occurs during the first few seconds or minutes that a cold engine is run after it has been sitting. This is because the oil temperature lags behind the coolant temp slightly, and cold oil doesn't flow as well as warm oil.

The idea was that, especially in very cold conditions, you should NEVER rev the engine until it was fully warm, that putting the engine under load prematurely was NOT a good idea, and that idling the motor for a minute or two or even ten was the BEST thing you could do.

The idea was that driving your car, and thereby putting it under load and stressing the bearings, etc, without having warm, free-flowing oil was a great way to shorten its life.

Idling the car was the least stressful way of warming up the engine, and did absolutely no harm. This idea of running your engine at a constant speed being bad - that has to do with a car under load, at highway speeds, for HOURS at a time, and is theoretical at best.

Running a car without proper lubrication in a very cold climate is a SURE way to screw it up, supposedly, not a theoretical one.

I guess it comes down to how long one is willing to idle one's car before driving off slowly and gently.

Hugely powerful yet with a liquid cat-like elegance. The car has it too.

DG/G 5ATc /LSD/Prem.

180546-My G35 Cool Shot small.JPG

 

Whoa ginger..... we don't disagree with you at all. You are absolutely correct. Unless I missed the point of the original post which was that he was worried about the battery dying in a cold garage without running the G35. He has been starting it for brief (15 mins) periods and then turning it off without driving it. That was the issue. In that particular case, the engine and its components do not get sufficiently warm to boil off any impurities as the result of cold weather. I have watched a 2000 Jaguar XJ8 go dead with the battery by doing this exact same thing. It's better to either let the car sit without starting it or get a trickle charger than to start it up and idle. That's all. If you drive it then the problems are much less exagerated. Dat's all. []