'OK' to drive?

[toey]

When you start the engine, it waits a while and does its checks and if everything is good, it will display 'OK'.

Just wondering if it does the car any harm to put it in drive and start driving before the 'OK' comes up?

[D_BLOCK]

For the sake of a few more seconds is it really worth NOT waiting, I even let mine idle for a few minutes till I can hear the drop down in RPM's.

I liken it to a home PC, what happens when you try to use programs before all software etc..has loaded up? its sluggish till it catchs up with its own systems checks. I may be way off in my thinking but with an investment like you 've made why risk it.
JMO anyway.

[VYMAD]

Nah I never wait for the ok in my VY, just start and go!!

[Thomas1]

For the sake of a few more seconds is it really worth NOT waiting, I even let mine idle for a few minutes till I can hear the drop down in RPM's.

I liken it to a home PC, what happens when you try to use programs before all software etc..has loaded up? its sluggish till it catchs up with its own systems checks. I may be way off in my thinking but with an investment like you 've made why risk it.
JMO anyway.

You don't need to let modern engines idle for a few minutes before driving. Just drive them normally and don't give them a hard time for the first 10 min. Letting them idle is probably doing more harm then good...

[Lumps of cheese]

lol, i'm halfway out my street when the ok comes up.

[D_BLOCK]

You don't need to let modern engines idle for a few minutes before driving. Just drive them normally and don't give them a hard time for the first 10 min. Letting them idle is probably doing more harm then good...

Explain how its doing more harm than good when its circulating oil gently via idle revs through an otherwise dry top end, than if I was to "start and go" ?

[Thomas1]

Most engines have lower oil pressure at idle so wouldn't you want to up the oil pressure and get that oil moving around quicker?

[the_trademarc]

Yeah I'm normally off before it comes up. It eventually does, but if I'm already over 20km it just skips the menu and goes straight to the speedo.

It's still doing the check behind the scenes so to speak, and it will chuck up an error if there is one so you can just pull over.

And modern cars need only 3-4 minutes of high gear-low rev driving to warm up, generally it takes my engine about 5 minutes at the most to warm up.

[impulsive]

the owners manual also says not to let it warm up.

[PaulSV6]

Nah I never wait for the ok in my VY, just start and go!!

Exactly y wait, the engine warms up much faster moving than if ur stationary!

[wortus]

If you have a good quality oil then the top of the motor has as much oil on it after about 5 seconds as it would ever get.

[-**wHiStLe**-]

I've heard it's also better to not let it warm up as it doesn't heat up the tranny/box and it's best to let things heat up evenly.
So i've heard anyway.

[danja]

You don't have to wait.

Idling for 5min (or whatever) is just burning fuel and won't save your engine at all.

[HSVenforcer]

the owners manual also says not to let it warm up.

i got the owners manual in front of me. where does it say not to warm it up?

[Escape-The-Fate]

i start and go, 4:30 in the morning im not sitting around waiting for a car to warm up..plus its finished its checks by the time i get out and do the gate at the bottom of my driveway...and the revs drop off by the time ive closed the gate and down the end of my driveway..

[alien]

i got the owners manual in front of me. where does it say not to warm it up?

It's in there. Can't remember what section though. But i've definatly seen it.

As for the OK, yes it's alright, just make sure you dont loose traction while it's doing the checks, that can set off errors during it's checks depending on what check it's up to. If this is the case your traction and power/economy modes get stuck locked in. You must turn your car off and turn it back on to get it right. So wait the 10 or so seconds, then go?

[bigdaddycool]

It's safe to drive off......... as it's in special cold tables for the cams (restricting power). Generally I let mine warm up of a morning til it drops to the 600rpm range before I go........ still takes about another 10mins or so for the warm cam table to kick in......... so I know it'd be pointless dragging anyone til the car is properly running off the normal cam settings.

But yes.... safe to drive off. I let mine warm up purely cause it's tweaked to the hilt and I dont drive it light..... so keeps the car happy and surviving. - Never let it warm up tho when leaving from work ........ gotta get away from there

[Torquative]

each to their own

the only thin the manul says is Page 4-3

"Do not subject the engine to high load conditions such as full throttle acceleration or high speeds until it has completely warmed up otherwise you may cause premature wear or engine damage"

... but thats NOT the question here

Personally I wait those few seconds anyway, by the time I've cranked, grabbed my sunnies, connected the Ipod, chose a song and got comfortable in the seat - its all checked and OK anyway. I also believe at that time the oil pressure, especially to the timing chains, are low thus why you get that rattle on cold startup so a few seconds of letting the engine pressurerise itself wont really be hurting it.

I drive all of 3 minutes in 50kay zones with a wait at a red traffic light 9 times out of 10, then straight onto the 110Kph freeway so really my car HASN'T had adequate time to warm up completely before giving it a hammering onto the freeway.

But yeh each to their own really I think this can be a circular debate.

[Escape-The-Fate]

im the same..5 minutes drive through suburbia and then straight onto the highway..if there was a problem im sure the car would let me know

[Chickenboi999]

omg who cares, just drive the car if it has problem it will say so if not keep going, wat a silly idea of a thread

[D_BLOCK]

omg who cares, just drive the car if it has problem it will say so if not keep going, wat a silly idea of a thread

If its so silly chicken little why respond?

The OP started the thread because he wasnt sure if it would **** his car or not, legitimite question I say, as opposed to the " it will let you know if theres a problem" school you subscribe to.

By the time there is a problem, it usually costs you.

[VZ_commo91]

I normaly just wait till OK come up and then I leave, its only a couple of seconds of my life.

[Benboy]

I've heard it's also better to not let it warm up as it doesn't heat up the tranny/box and it's best to let things heat up evenly.
So i've heard anyway.

If you have an automatic, the fluid is passed throuogh the trans cooler at the base of the radiator. As the radiator warms so does the trans fluid. That's what it's always important if fitting a trans oil cooler to make sure you don't by-pass the one at the base of the radiator. Can cause problems with engine not warming correctly.
As for waiting for the check lights to go out, if you start the engine when you first get in, put your seat belt on, check there's nothing behind or in front in that time the lights are probably out. No harm to drive with them on, so long as you haven't got a problem.

[VzVzVz]

I put into 1st and drive off as soon as it fires. Not when it's cold of course.

[VzVzVz]

i got the owners manual in front of me. where does it say not to warm it up?

It says allowing the engine to idle for an extended period of time upon start up is unecessary and wastes fuel.