Warmup Time on N54 Engine

[tbird]

Thanks to all who posted on my thread. Good information guys.

So, bottom line sounds like I give it those two minutes until the exhaust valve closes up, and then drive it easy till oil temp hits 180. Sounds like a plan.

[SpeedballTrix]

I usually drive easy until the coolant temp moves before I get on it.
But, if I feel impatient Ill give it healthy throttle (about 60-75%) and shift at ~4500 rpms. This gets the needle moving in about 5-10 minutes and, imo, isn't loading the engine up too badly. If I'm driving at a normal take-it-easy-into-work pace (shifting at less than 2k and keeping the throttle well below 50%, usually capping at 35% or so) it takes at least 15 minutes.

One of the most important things to remember with a turbo car is not only warm up but cool down time. People say that with todays oil cooled dual 360º ball bearing ceramic and beryillium super tight tolerance thrust vectored turbos you dont need turbo timers like back in the day and to a degree they are right. But I always take the extra couple of minutes (at least) to let the engine idle a bit before I shut it down. But when you are talking about a piece of metal inside another piece of metal spinning at hundreds of thousands of rpms suddenly coming to a stop before it has any chance to shrink (which all metal does) you realize that its worth an extra couple of mintues jsut for the hell of it, even if it doesnt really do anything.
Im not saiyng I idle down every time I drive, just when I drive it hard and immediately park. I also always make sure to run a cool down lap, in addition to idling down, if I've been on it hard.

[1bonna]

Originally Posted by Citizen Z

Wait until your RPMs drop from 1100 before pulling away. During this time the engine will adjust the A/F ratio and get the catalytic converters prepped. It shouldn't take more than 20-30 seconds. BMW does not recommend running the car parked to warm it up; drive the car conservatively, keeping under 4000rpm until the temperature indicator moves off the peg. From there, you're good to go for whatever.

Where is the temperature indicator.....?

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by SpeedballTrix

I usually drive easy until the coolant temp moves before I get on it.
But, if I feel impatient Ill give it healthy throttle (about 60-75%) and shift at ~4500 rpms. This gets the needle moving in about 5-10 minutes and, imo, isn't loading the engine up too badly. If I'm driving at a normal take-it-easy-into-work pace (shifting at less than 2k and keeping the throttle well below 50%, usually capping at 35% or so) it takes at least 15 minutes.

One of the most important things to remember with a turbo car is not only warm up but cool down time. People say that with todays oil cooled dual 360º ball bearing ceramic and beryillium super tight tolerance thrust vectored turbos you dont need turbo timers like back in the day and to a degree they are right. But I always take the extra couple of minutes (at least) to let the engine idle a bit before I shut it down. But when you are talking about a piece of metal inside another piece of metal spinning at hundreds of thousands of rpms suddenly coming to a stop before it has any chance to shrink (which all metal does) you realize that its worth an extra couple of mintues jsut for the hell of it, even if it doesnt really do anything.
Im not saiyng I idle down every time I drive, just when I drive it hard and immediately park. I also always make sure to run a cool down lap, in addition to idling down, if I've been on it hard.

I do exactly the same techniques you have mentioned!!!

[xbook]

Originally Posted by SpeedballTrix

I usually drive easy until the coolant temp moves before I get on it.
But, if I feel impatient Ill give it healthy throttle (about 60-75%) and shift at ~4500 rpms. This gets the needle moving in about 5-10 minutes and, imo, isn't loading the engine up too badly. If I'm driving at a normal take-it-easy-into-work pace (shifting at less than 2k and keeping the throttle well below 50%, usually capping at 35% or so) it takes at least 15 minutes.

One of the most important things to remember with a turbo car is not only warm up but cool down time. People say that with todays oil cooled dual 360º ball bearing ceramic and beryillium super tight tolerance thrust vectored turbos you dont need turbo timers like back in the day and to a degree they are right. But I always take the extra couple of minutes (at least) to let the engine idle a bit before I shut it down. But when you are talking about a piece of metal inside another piece of metal spinning at hundreds of thousands of rpms suddenly coming to a stop before it has any chance to shrink (which all metal does) you realize that its worth an extra couple of mintues jsut for the hell of it, even if it doesnt really do anything.
Im not saiyng I idle down every time I drive, just when I drive it hard and immediately park. I also always make sure to run a cool down lap, in addition to idling down, if I've been on it hard.

I seem to recall something about how the N54 has special "post shut down cooling". a water pump is turned on after the car is shut off, specifically to cool the turbos down. Totally possible I could be wrong. Anyone else hear of this post shut down cooling the engine performs on it's own?

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by xbook

I seem to recall something about how the N54 has special "post shut down cooling". a water pump is turned on after the car is shut off, specifically to cool the turbos down. Totally possible I could be wrong. Anyone else hear of this post shut down cooling the engine performs on it's own?

You're right. The car has an electric water pump, and it runs for a few mintues after it's shut down to cool the turbos.

I personally wouldn't run the car hard and the shut it down right away, but I doubt cooking the oil will be a huge issue for us.

[SpeedballTrix]

Originally Posted by xbook

I seem to recall something about how the N54 has special "post shut down cooling". a water pump is turned on after the car is shut off, specifically to cool the turbos down.

Originally Posted by jeremyc74

You're right. The car has an electric water pump, and it runs for a few mintues after it's shut down to cool the turbos.

That's freaking awesome.

W00t for BMW

Ill still do my usual cooldown but that's a really nice piece of reassurance if I get back from break late and have to shut the engine down right away and run back into work =P

[CoolToolGuy]

Since BMW can't leave it at that, they gave us a gadget from it - the climate control system has a button in the center of the knob on the right side (marked REST), and after you shut down the car, if you press the button, the heater will start and you get heat with the car turned off!

I could have used that a couple years ago when I had to pick up my daughter at the coffee house/music club she went to, and I had to wait for her in the parking lot until it shut down for the evening.

Have Fun,
Rick