BMW: heat is goot!
 

According to BMW's research, starting and running a vehicle's engine while cold is not only tough on internal components, it's also tough on your wallet. BMW says that during the first 20 minutes of driving, a cold-started engine requires 10% more fuel to operate than a warm-started engine because of higher internal friction and oil viscosity. Further, the automaker claims that every single degree Celsius that the engine is warmed prior to being started results in a 0.2% fuel economy savings (again, during the first 20 minutes of driving).

Why is this? Two-thirds of the energy from fuel becomes heat, and it takes a lot of heat to get a vehicle up to proper operating temperature. In fact, BMW says that the amount of energy required to warm up a cold engine to normal temperature is equivalent to 8kW - that's about one-third of the daily energy required by a two-person household. BMW's solution? Eliminate cold starts.

Using thermal padding around the engine compartment, a lift-up hatch that seals in heat above the engine cover, and air flaps behind the front grille that open when driving and shut closed when the vehicle is turned off, BMW says it can retain a large amount of the heat the engine has generated while running, keeping the engine warm for the next time it is started. BMW claims that overheating is not an issue with the extra insulation - in fact, components that once needed extra cooling are now separated by the engine's heat by the insulation, staying at optimal temperature in the process.

How effective is the technology? BMW's tests show that an engine running at 176 degrees Fahrenheit will retain a temperature of roughly 104 degrees after 12 hours of inactivity, versus a complete return to ambient temperature without insulation. Further studies show that BMW drivers rarely park their cars for more than 16 hours at a time, leading engineers to believe that the technology could be highly useful in practical, real-world applications.

BMW says that this technology is close to being production-ready, needing only minor tweaking to provide greater engine access for mechanics while vehicles are being serviced.

Source: BMW


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BMW and their gadgetry, wonder how much it would add to the sticker price??

Just give me a 4 barrel carb, a solid lift cam, and some manual roll up windows!

:trip: :trip: :trip: :trip: :trip:
:trip: But how would the gov track you and know your speed/location? :trip:
:trip: :trip: :trip: :trip: :trip:

Great, make the underhood area even more boring than it already is.

Makes complete sense. Not sure why anyone hasn't been doing something like this already. Everyone has known for years that a warm engine is more efficient and less damaging than a cold engine. Sure it's boring to look at but do you really pop the hood and admire your (modern) engine anyway? I mean, engines of today don't have the sex appeal of a late 60's V8. Exotic cars of course being exempt from this statement.

Well, BMW is part true. The main point isn't to get the engine up to operating temperature, the point is to get to the cat lit off as fast as possible. This is accomplished by timing retardation and a low A/F ratio.

Now, holding in engine heat will allow less fuel over a drive cycle which means better economy, lower toxic emissions as well as lower C02.

I'm all for it. Good job BMW.

IMO the only thing sexy about a 60's V8 was if the air cleaner was chrome......Everything else was usually boring-looking unless you spent a lot of time & money prettying it up. The hoses and wires back then had no organization whatsoever (because the excess room under the hood made the manufacturers lazy), and the manifolds were blocky and not shaped as exotically as today's are.

The is a bear in the air!

translation: Oil changes will now require 3 hours of removing panels. Spark plug changes will require 3 days. Changing an accessory belt will require dismantling the car down.
Water pump change will require complete replacement of car

I agree. I don't care about admiring an engine, but I do care about maintaining it. I keep vehicles for a long time, a lot longer than BMW's "included" maintenance period. I'm not paying a dealer $300 in labor to remove, and later replace, a ton of crap around the engine before they even start working on the car.

As for the earlier question about why no one has done this before I can think of a few reasons. A warm engine is best, but once it gets warm a lot of effort goes in to keeping it from getting hot.

One thing that helps is airflow around the engine. Wrapping the engine in heat blankets kind of kills that option. Now you need a larger radiator (weight), more coolant (weight), and a larger cooling fan that needs to run more (more draw on the alternator). Lugging around that extra weight, plus the additional weight of the system, as well as heavier draw from the alternator all contribute to more fuel consumption.

That extra fuel consumption is not particularly significant, but it is always happening. The fuel savings of this system are not particularly significant either, it only occurs for the first 20 minutes, and its effect is diminishing over that time. This system may result in a net benefit, but it will be smaller than even the minuscule numbers claimed in the article. I would trade that benefit for slightly easier maintenance in a heartbeat.

The whole point of the blanket is to reduce toxic emisison output, which during a drive cycle, is mostly (80%) from the warmup period. The "added" fuel economy is actually pretty negligable, but you have to spin something if you want more coin, right?

This would reduce wear in the engine.

That's the greatest benefit I can see.

Less expansion and contraction of components is always good.

But when was the last time you actually did any of that yourself? Oil change can be had for $14.95, no reason to do it yourself. Spark plugs? once every 60K. Big deal. Waterpump? have you ever had a water pump go out? I never have. Serpentine Belt? Once every 90 K. Not often enough to be a big deal.

The only time my truck has been at a dealer was when I bought it. The only time it has been to a shop of any kind has been to replace the tires. It is a 2004 with 90k miles. I do all my own maintenance.

yep so do a lot of us.... I don't go to the dealer for anything.... It also helps that I've been turning wrenches since I was 7 yrs old in my dad's shop.

I do all the maintenance on my daily driver and bike and most of the maintenance on the family car (I haven't picked up the manual for it yet)

Oil change for $14.95?
Not for synthetic...

What about my time? I can change the oil in any of my vehicles in less time than it takes to drive somewhere and have someone else do it.

What about coolant flush? Should I pay some jerkoff $100-$150...and sit and wait in the waiting room?

Same goes for belts.

Yes I have had water pumps go. I also have had cars where I replaced the water pump when swapping out the timing belt.

Now you can write me off as some odd-ball, since it is rare that people actually keep cars for the life of the vehicle. Even rarer that someone does actually know how to unlatch the hood or change a tire.

I understand many have a laundry list of reasons why they don't do anything but put gas in the car.

I simply do not subscribe to that mindset.

I do my own maintenance too except for oil changes on the cages. I can't do it myself for any cheaper. This year alone, I've installed a new starter, complete set of brake pads and rotors, and drive axles. Next is the springs and struts.

My point was is that they maintenance he is talking about is so infrequent or in the case of oil changes, not worth worrying about all the engine shrouds and "blankets" BMW is now installing.

I don't think they just seal it off. I believe they said that they have flaps that open and close based on whether the engine is running or not.

Sealing off the bay and actually controlling airflow through the engine bay should result in more efficient cooling vs traditional methods.

This is BMW we are talking about. Most owners have never cracked the hood.
Toss in the free maintenance and loaner cars, it becomes a non issue until that BMW goes out into the world second hand ownership.

Even then, the stereotypical BMW owner wont do any of maintenance even if it's out of warranty.

You may be right, but I find it hard to believe that an engine surrounded by heat retaining insulation with some flaps that open for airflow results in an improvement. I guess we will see how effective the system is if or when it is introduced.

True. The BMWs I would own now are the E46 M3, the Z4 based M Roadster/Coupe, or the E39 M5. I don't think the M5 is as bad but the 3.2 liter six from the M3 and M Roadster/Coupe (S54) is a maintenance hog. It requires a special Castrol full synthetic 10W-60 oil designed specifically for that engine. You aren't going to find it at the local Jiffy Lube. The engine also requires valve adjustments every 30k miles. From what I have read on owners forums that service costs $2,500 or more. If I were to buy one it would be maintained by me only.

The main benefit is the reduction of emission gases.

Components are designed to expand and contract, so if you want to reduce wear, use a full syn. oil. The oil will stick to metal much better using full syn. then natural dino oil.

The only reason they say Castrol is "required" is because Castrol did something for BMW that will never be disclosed. And 10W-60? That's going to result in a lot of deposit-causing additives being used in the formula, because additives are the only way they can achieve such a big spread between the 10W and the 60.

That oil wasn't originally spec'd for the engine. If I remember correctly BMW had some VANOS system failures due to oiling issues. They asked Castrol to develop the oil to meet the specific requirements of that engine. The VANOS system operates partially off oil pressure. I'm guessing the lower viscosity oil didn't create enough oil pressure to properly actuate the VANOS system which resulted in failures.

There are two M BMW's I'd consider. The newer M3's are nice but not my cup o tea

But how will it work when it is parked outside for 12 hours in -30 temps?

It will probably work the same as any other..

But, reduced wear 50% of the time is better than not at all.

That was my thought as well