[BMWalltheway]

Hi All,

I've been lurking around in this forum for a while now and have learnt tonnes about my car from all the experts here. Thanks for that.

I do have a question though and rather than ask my dealer, I figured you guys will know better!

Its winter here where we're currenlty experiencing below zero F temperatures. I start the car out normally in the morning, pull out of my garage and drive to work and everything seems normal. I park my car in the parking lot and leave it there all day (like always), no issues. But when I leave work and get into my car and start it to drive back home, I see a stark difference in performance/pull of the car! The engine revs to almost 4-5K before the I can even feel any pull from the engine. But once I drive for about 5 minutes, everything is back to normal. I know this is probably the engine trying to warm up but why the huge difference between starting it in the morning and starting it it back up in evening ?

Before the flame begins let me just add that I did try searching around the forum and didn't see anything related to this. I admit my search skills aren't that great. So if someone can point me to the right existing thread, that will be fine as well.

Thanks in advance for any input on this.

[txusa03]

not that this will answer your question, but at home do you park in a closed garage environment and at work do you park out in the open?

welcome aboard....

[BMWalltheway]

Thanks!

Yes, the car's garaged at home and out in the open parking lot at work. You think that's what's causing this? The garage at home is not heated by the way

[canucklion]

But it still makes a difference. Even though your garage is not heated, it still acts as a barrier against the cold temperature. While out in the open, assuming you work 9-5, the car is out in the cold for 8+ hours.

Originally Posted by BMWalltheway

Thanks!

Yes, the car's garaged at home and out in the open parking lot at work. You think that's what's causing this? The garage at home is not heated by the way

[MCS]

In subzero temps, the oil tends to coagulate a bit.

I've nver noticed a drop in power of the engine, but I have noticed that it requires a bit more effor to work the stick shift (probably gearbox oil has jellied up a bit)

Having said that, it may be that the engine computer senses the reduced oil flow and drops the engine revs until engine is sufficiently warm and oil is moving around correctly? Just my guess

[bimdaddy]

Hmmm. Mine's garaged at night and outdoors at work but runs like a beast anytime of the day. You should have the dealer run a diagnostic.

[BMWalltheway]

OK, probably the case. I work 6-4, so I do leave the car out in the open cold during the early freeeeezing hours of the morning

Maybe I should just wait until the temps go up a little this weekend and see if it changes things...

[BMWalltheway]

Originally Posted by MCS

In subzero temps, the oil tends to coagulate a bit.

I've nver noticed a drop in power of the engine, but I have noticed that it requires a bit more effor to work the stick shift (probably gearbox oil has jellied up a bit)

Having said that, it may be that the engine computer senses the reduced oil flow and drops the engine revs until engine is sufficiently warm and oil is moving around correctly? Just my guess

I don't see a drop in engine revs it goes UP to 4-5K before the car moves

[BMWalltheway]

Originally Posted by bimdaddy

Hmmm. Mine's garaged at night and outdoors at work but runs like a beast anytime of the day. You should have the dealer run a diagnostic.

Yeah, that was my next step but I figured I'll ask you guys first to see if someone's noticed this before

[txusa03]

might be

I have a different problem. It appears to me that in the morning when getting into my car to go to work, I sit there with the engine running for a while until I drive to work. Then later in the day when I get out of the office and heading back to my car, I get in the car and immediately (almost all the time) peel out of the parking lot and heading to where ever I am heading to. Does anyone here experiencing this as well (This is just a perception and I do not peel out of the parking lot so put the flame gun back in the holster guys/gals).

Now the reason why I said this could be related is because if that is the case, then you have not given your engine enough time to warm up before peeling out of the work parking lot

[BMWalltheway]

Isn't it against the BMW's 10 commandments to idle the engine to warm up?

Flame suit on!

[bemmin335]

Originally Posted by BMWalltheway

Hi All,

I've been lurking around in this forum for a while now and have learnt tonnes about my car from all the experts here. Thanks for that.

I do have a question though and rather than ask my dealer, I figured you guys will know better!

Its winter here where we're currenlty experiencing below zero F temperatures. I start the car out normally in the morning, pull out of my garage and drive to work and everything seems normal. I park my car in the parking lot and leave it there all day (like always), no issues. But when I leave work and get into my car and start it to drive back home, I see a stark difference in performance/pull of the car! The engine revs to almost 4-5K before the I can even feel any pull from the engine. But once I drive for about 5 minutes, everything is back to normal. I know this is probably the engine trying to warm up but why the huge difference between starting it in the morning and starting it it back up in evening ?

Before the flame begins let me just add that I did try searching around the forum and didn't see anything related to this. I admit my search skills aren't that great. So if someone can point me to the right existing thread, that will be fine as well.

Thanks in advance for any input on this.

Are you driving an automatic or manual? If it's an automatic it could be that the transmission fluid needs a few minutes to warm up after sitting in the cold all day...that is why you would see an increase in RPM to get the car to move.

[BMWalltheway]

Yes, I drive an automatic. But like I said, the difference is huge between starting it up in the morning and evening. But prolly the garage makes a difference.

[TahoeOG]

Originally Posted by BMWalltheway

Isn't it against the BMW's 10 commandments to idle the engine to warm up?

Flame suit on!

Yes idling your car is not good. I find this commen with MANY cars who get their cars used to "warming up". They start there car, sit there like idiots for 10 minutes waiting for their cars to warm up. LOL

Then one day they turn on there car and if in a rush put it into drive, the car will rev to 4000rpm and then they will obviously let go of the acceleration since it's not going anywhere, and then their car would JUMP out. LOL. i DON'T know why but everyone who warmes up their car gets this problem that i know.

First thing i would tell you, yes keeping it in garage is different then keeping it outside.

second, don't warm up your car. You get in. Turn on your car, put your seatbelt on. If it's Under Zero degrees wait an additional 5-8 seconds and put that sucker in drive(automatic transmission). Then begin driving in calm past. Meaning don't push the pedal to the metal.

Good Luck

Last night actually it happend to my cousin. WE were going to the mall in a hurry. He turned on his car and after 20 seconds i said. "wtf are you doing? let's go bro!" he puts it into drive, it reves and jumps out of parking.. lol... Then he said car isn't warmed up.

[txusa03]

Originally Posted by BMWalltheway

Isn't it against the BMW's 10 commandments to idle the engine to warm up?

Flame suit on!

You might have missed my point on this one. The point is as human we tend to procrastinate in the morning about going to work (hence the delay) and in the end of the day we are eager to get the heck out of the office.

But based on your 10 commendments reply, you are not guilty of engine warm up. I thought maybe you were one of those people who sit and let your engine idle to warm it up.

[BMWalltheway]

ah! good one my friend. As you can see, I have to work on my sense of humour

[Lodaka]

I suggest that you try to leave the car outside your garage at home for one night and see if you feel the similar sensation. And when you use the car in the morning, try to replicate all the things that you do when you leave your work. If the temperature is the issue, this should at least confirm it.

[BMWalltheway]

Good idea Now, why didn't I think of this before?

I'll try it out tomorrow morning before the temp creeps up over the weekend.

[Grumpa72]

Originally Posted by BMWalltheway

Good idea Now, why didn't I think of this before?

I'll try it out tomorrow morning before the temp creeps up over the weekend.

Let us know how this turns out. However, I will bet a beer that the ATF is cold and this transmission has a warm up feature that doesn't give normal, smooth shifting until a certain internal temperature is reached. My wife's Lexus does this and the shift pattern is markedly different when cold versus hot.

[BMWalltheway]

Guys, I tried the experiment this morning. Left my car out on the driveway all night and it started up and drove just fine this morning. And I had the same problem of too much rev'ing when leaving work last evening.

This is driving me crazy

Time to take it in to the dealership for diagnostics I guess