Can someone explain the consequence of waiting five minutes in th mornin - This is what I have aways done and I believe was advised years ago for keppin the car in good order

With a petrol car the very rich fuel mixture will tend to wash oil off the bores.

Like others have said: start it, let the oil circulate a little, then drive gently until warm. This is what the owners manual says.

My morning process is.

Open garage door,

Unlock Car,

Get in and start,

Reverse out of garage.

Leave engine running whilst I get out and lock the garage door.

Drive off.

You need to get the engine warm asap. but to do this you need to drive off asap as it takes longer to warm an engine if the car is left to idle. once the engine has reached its optimum temp then you are free to drive it how you like.

It is a fact that more wear takes place when warming up the engine - than would take place in the next 12 hours driving when fully warmed up.

An old school of thought was therefore to let the engine warm up gently before driving off - however it is now recognised that the 'cold wear' still takes place no matter what you do, so save petrol, start up and drive gently till fully warmed up.

Exit bed whilst still pajama'd, following Teasmade.

Engage carpet slippers.

Travel to garage and open double door frontage.

Enter vehicle using modern 'remote' unlocking.

Turn ignition to allow 6 bleeps which should hopefully co-incide with TOG's 8am news broadcast.

Listen to said news broadcast.

Checklist check - tissue box on dashboard, rear tartan blanket, flask, umbrella.

Engage leather gloves.

Turn ignition over.

Rev engine whilst holding clutch in.

Release clutch, veeeerrry slowly.

Brake. Engage handbrake. Exit vehicle and use newspaper to dispense early morning frost.

Stamp feet.

Complain about the inclement weather to nobody in particular.

Re-enter vehicle, disengage handbrake, pull out without looking, ignore hostile honking from youths, proceed at a steady 15 miles per hour until further notice.

Exit bed whilst still pajama'd, following Teasmade.

blah blah .

Are you for real

Some info here :-

Car Bibles : The Engine Oil Bible

and here

Car Bibles : The Fuel and Engine Bible Page 1 of 3

Are you for real

You read my posts then? :P

You read my posts then? :P

Only in desperation - usually scan through them for useful content before moving off in the car, delays me for about 10 seconds

Am I missing something? I have never seen any glow plug light on my car. Before anybody say's anything, it's a vRS, so yes it is a diesel!

Am I missing something? I have never seen any glow plug light on my car. Before anybody say's anything, it's a vRS, so yes it is a diesel!

Forget where it is in the Fabia (it's been a while and Google images didn't turn up a pic ) but you should have an orange light which looks a bit like a spring on the dash. When you turn the ignition on, it lights up to show the glowplugs are on and goes out once the car is started. Your handbook should have a few more details about it....

Chris

The glowplug light just comes on with the rst of the lights in the ignition postion. Ive never had to "wait" for mine to go out. Just start and go....or you are just sat wasting fuel/time for no apparent reason. The heaters wont get any warmer until you start driving.

Intresting that recently my dodgy power steering (prob the sensor) has calmed down but now I turn the key a couple of clicks wait a second and then turn the engine on.

In the past I used to jump in engine straight on, lights on, heater on at the same time and off straight away.

Now since I have started waiting a couple of seconds before switching the engine on and then turning heaters, lights on gradually I don't seme to have had any problems.

Maybe this is complete coincidence I don't know but it seems to be working at the moment.

Turn key. Leave for 10 seconds till oil goes round. Then off we go, not going over 3,000 RPM till at normal temperature.

^^ This is right. You need to let the oil circulate, so 10-15 seconds is fine.

Then don't go full boost until the temps at 90.

Exit bed whilst still pajama'd, following Teasmade.

Engage carpet slippers.

Engage handbrake. Exit vehicle and use newspaper to dispense early morning frost.

.

So you don't bother getting dressed then? LOL! And if it's in a garage where does the frost come from? hehe!

I was told that it doesn't so cars any good to warm up by just sitting idling. I have no idea if it's true or not, nor do I care, I don't have time to be sat waiting for it to warm up!! I'm normally late for work! hehehe! I turn the key to let the fuel squirt in etc, but that only takes a second.

I was told that it doesn't so cars any good to warm up by just sitting idling.

Yeah most damage occurs when the engine is not up to temperature because the oil isn't working at it's optimum (and if the oil isn't lubricating properly wear will occur). It's particularly true on diesels where the engine is very efficient and will not generate heat even if left idling for a while, so you're better off just getting on and getting it up to temperature as soon as possible

Chris

Yeah most damage occurs when the engine is not up to temperature because the oil isn't working at it's optimum (and if the oil isn't lubricating properly wear will occur). It's particularly true on diesels where the engine is very efficient and will not generate heat even if left idling for a while, so you're better off just getting on and getting it up to temperature as soon as possible

Chris

Also, the oil will take longer to warm up than the coolant

Only time I wait in the morning is if I have to clear the windows due to dew/ice/frost.

Normally, it's get in, seatbelt, start it, check mirror positions, reset heater controls and off we go.

What causes wear on the engine is the immediate act of starting it. Once it's running, the oil pump is churning away and maintaining the bearings, cams etc.

The main thing is to drive sedately/sensibly(?) until the engine gets up to temperature. i.e. No prolonged, heavy acceleration. Don't use 100% throttle/revs etc.

I have to rev the engine a bit to pull out of my estate, turning right. Shortly afterwards, I climb a 1:6 or more hill . The engine's under load but I try for a happy medium of not bogging it down and not revving it too high.

J.

The main thing is to drive sedately/sensibly(?) until the engine gets up to temperature. i.e. No prolonged, heavy acceleration. Don't use 100% throttle/revs etc.

But surely the longer the engine is outside its optimum operating temperature, the more damage is being done?

Chris

For me it the following

1) Unlcok car

2)Jump in

3) Switch the ignition on

4)Wait till glow plug light goes off

5)Start engine

Then Move off, sometimes it has caught me if I turn key too quick the car turns over and dies.

I've always been into the habit of doing this since I started driving, something somebody taught me to leave it a min before turning the key to start the car.

David