it depends on how cold it is or course, and how close you are to an onramp as suggested by another poster.

Ideally you will start with good oil. Fully synthetic is best, and I don't mean the typical 'charge through the teeth for barely better' group III oils. Also the lower the first number the better. A few of us on here are using 0W-30 synthetics and that is the way to go in the winter if it's cold where you live.

If you're concerned about 'cold start' wear/damage you'd probably do well to look into a low weight diesel oil, again 0W-30. Gasoline oils have had all the zinc and phosphates pulled out (these provide the 'plating' one poster commented on) but diesel oils still have them. Diesel oils have great properties for turbos too. As long as it meets API-SG or whatever your car calls for it will work just fine in your car despite the diesel specs that it also meets.

(For reference, your manual probably says API-SG or whatever, but all new oils will say API-SJ or maybe even API-SN. The last letter is what's important - as long as it is a 'higher' letter than the one called for in your manual you're fine. So if your car calls for API-SH, than API-SJ or API-SN are fine, but API-SG would not be recommended.)

Idle the car for 10-30 sec tops. Idling creates a lot of gasoline contamination in the crankcase and can really do a number in terms of acid formation. I usually let the car idle while I scrap the windows and brush the snow off, but that's it.

Drive it easily for a few minutes while it warms up - you're right to be concerned about enough oil getting to the top end and flowing to the turbocharger, but the best way to warm the oil up is to drive the car without really laying into the throttle. When it's /really/ cold I drive in 2nd/3rd gear until it warms up, trying to keep the rpms about 2000-2500 or so. You don't want to race it because the oil isn't lubing properly yet, but you want the engine making heat and splashing the oil as much as possible.

Once the temp gauge is up and the heater is on, wait another couple of minutes or so before you really start to lay on the throttle in the high rpms, because the oil will be a bit colder than the coolant.

Than have fun!
--
1998 V70 AWD->FWD Turbo 200k+

F,

Drive it gently for the first minute or so since the air pump doesn't engage until the car is moving. This means the car is emitting more pollutants than necessary.

If your house is 50 feet from the entrance ramp to a freeway then you'd probably want to let it idle for a bit before full throttle.

Also, follow the factory recommendation for the average temperature range in your area. IIRC it is 5 W 30.

Full synthetic is best.

Enjoy,
Bryan

Interesting discussion. I would be interested in hearing why the complex Auto-
transmission with close valve tolerances and possible by-pass reliefs wouldn't be the main component of concern when discussing best warm up procedures. I acknowledge it does use a "lighter viscosity " oil. I think overall ,for the all car components, the below, "start and drive slow for awhile" makes the best overall sense.

Warm it up as you drive. It gets zero miles to the gallon out there idling. The worst thing is to run it for a tenth of a mile and then shut it off. This invites condensation to form inside the engine. You might want to consider synthetic oil. I think one of its advantages is that it leaves a coating in the engine so that you eliminate the problem of running an engine for a couple of seconds with no oil upon start-up when cold has contracted the steel and reduced the tolerances. Other bricksters will know more about this than I do

It is the type of oil you use and the weight that makes the difference. You should be using synthetic and 5 or 10W30. If you are, then start the car and wait for just 15 seconds. Do not 'floor' the pedal until you the blower starts trying to give you heat, usually less than 1 mile.

If you are using heavy oil, flush it out. Anything heavier than 10W30 is not good for your engine.

You should have butt warmers; so start the car, turn on the butt warmer, put it in gear and go.

Klaus
--
Always willing to listen, just not able to take direction.