Warming up the engine on cold days?

[Legback]

Just how important is it to warm up the engine in the cold? I usually give it 10-15 minutes in the winter but do I really have to? I tell myself I'm doing it to baby these sensitive HG's but I'm realizing I never see mention of it.

[ericem]

Definitely a good idea!! Realistically you can start it let it run for 30seconds and than drive away, just do not accelerate hard, high rpm etc atleast until the temp gauge begins to move, still don't rip on the car till it is fully warmed up.

[Ross]

10-15 mins is probably excessive, it may well cause more harm than good. Engines don't like sitting idling at low revs for long periods, often oil circulaiton is poor. Just ask anyone who has owned a buick 3.8.....

[Fairtax4me]

Letting it warm to normal operating temp shouldn't cause any harm per-se, but it will burn up more gas.

I give mine about a minute or two, but drive it easy until it reaches operating temp.

Everyone has their opinion about this, but any warm-up is 100 times better than a jackrabbit start.

[987687]

In my Legacy I use this rationale. In the summer I start my car, wait 30 seconds to let everything get flowing and drive off. Easy, of course until it's warmed up.

So in the summer after idling for 30 seconds my scangauge tells me the engine is somewhere around 80 degrees. So in the winter I warm it up till it's at 80 degrees and drive away... It takes a surprisingly short amount of time to get up to that temp.

30* out it takes maybe a minute. at 0* out it takes about 3 or 4, these little engines warm up pretty quick.

[nipper]

Headgasket issue is not caused by outside temps, but that is another thread.

 

Modern cars if you get in, start the car, put on your seatbelt, throw all the leftover McD's bags in the back seat you are good to go. If it is brutally cold you may want to give the car a minute before going. Drive nicely for the first 15 minutes to allow suspension parts and the transmission to warm up. The engine itself warms up fairly quickly.

[bstone]

I turn it on and go.

[idosubaru]

I tell myself I'm doing it to baby these sensitive HG's

would you rather quit telling yourself that or ignore yourself? engine start up routines are not going to save, or blow up, head gaskets. but sometimes having a routine or how you feel about something means more than any quantitative or statistical representation so if you like it then roll with it.

[nipper]

would you rather quit telling yourself that or ignore yourself? engine start up routines are not going to save, or blow up, head gaskets. but sometimes having a routine or how you feel about something means more than any quantitative or statistical representation so if you like it then roll with it.

 

 

so THATS why you walk around around your car three times in a counterclockwise direction under a full moon when it is below 30 degrees outsdie?

 

And where is my lump of coal

[idosubaru]

so THATS why you walk around around your car three times in a counterclockwise direction under a full moon when it is below 30 degrees outsdie

that's the procedure for pulling the AT codes right?

 

And where is my lump of coal

ah, too late, i'm in maryland until after christmas.

[Legback]

how you feel about something means more than any quantitative or statistical representation so if you like it then roll with it.

 

Even if I'm low on carbon credits?

[idosubaru]

Even if I'm low on carbon credits?

if Maine = california then you're hosed if Maine = WV then no one cares.

[nipper]

ah, too late, i'm in maryland until after christmas.

 

But then it is not the magical Christmas Coal

 

[AWDfreak]

In my Legacy I use this rationale. In the summer I start my car, wait 30 seconds to let everything get flowing and drive off. Easy, of course until it's warmed up.

So in the summer after idling for 30 seconds my scangauge tells me the engine is somewhere around 80 degrees. So in the winter I warm it up till it's at 80 degrees and drive away... It takes a surprisingly short amount of time to get up to that temp.

30* out it takes maybe a minute. at 0* out it takes about 3 or 4, these little engines warm up pretty quick.

 

This is EXACTLY what should be done. It's the bare minimum procedures for a cold engine.

 

However, I prefer to let it warm up for 2-7 minutes since my engine has piston slap. I don't like hearing piston slap while driving.

[Sioux-baru]

Personally, it depends on the temperature.

I wait until the oil pressure gauge climbs out of the bottom of the gauge and at max press before I take off.

 

35F+ 30sec.

25-35F 2-3 minutes,

15-25F 3-5 min

0-15F 5-8 min or when warm air is being blown out of the vents.

below 0F, 5-10 min, but start slowly to get the GL5 tranny fluid moving.

[forester2002s]

My understanding is that you should NOT warm up an engine by letting it idle.

 

Admittedly, my experience has mostly been with carburetted engines. The driver's manual used to say that prolonged idling causes harm to the engine; I assume that this was because the cold-start 'choke' produced an overly excessively rich mixture for starting, and the mixture stayed rich until the engine warmed up.

Now, with computerized fuel-injection, that mixture goes leaner as soon as the engine starts, and so idling may not cause so much damage.

 

My practice has always been to start the car, wait a few seconds (10-sec minimum, 30-sec maximum), and then drive away. As others have said, don't overload the engine until it is warm.

[nickb21]

Personally, it depends on the temperature.

below 0F, 5-10 min, but start slowly to get the GL5 tranny fluid moving.

 

+1 on this. especially when the engine makes those awful sounding noises at -10/-20F and if you let the clutch out too quick in neutral it stalls!

[rverdoold]

Now driving in Latvia in the middle of the winter hitting easily -20 C at night.

Warming up for 1 minute or so. I have a carton board covering about 70% of the radiator to reduce the overcooling at 100 km/h. Have not any scientific info if it is worth it. However the needle stays werever it was so it is not overheating.

[vic/se]

Letting it warm to normal operating temp shouldn't cause any harm per-se, but it will burn up more gas.

I give mine about a minute or two, but drive it easy until it reaches operating temp.

Everyone has their opinion about this, but any warm-up is 100 times better than a jackrabbit start.

 

I agree....I go up to 3 and somtimes 4 min. but when it's -20 or -25 up here it's no joke even the seat seems hard the first few minutes you seated on

[nipper]

Turn key and drive is generally a bad idea at 30, very bad at 20, very very bad at 10, and dont complain to us your car has rod knock at zero.

[Scoobywagon]

My EJ cars, I get in, start the car and wait for the computer to bring the idle down, then off we go. In my EA car, I wait until the temp gage starts to move.

[Fairtax4me]

My understanding is that you should NOT warm up an engine by letting it idle.

 

Admittedly, my experience has mostly been with carburetted engines. The driver's manual used to say that prolonged idling causes harm to the engine; I assume that this was because the cold-start 'choke' produced an overly excessively rich mixture for starting, and the mixture stayed rich until the engine warmed up.

Now, with computerized fuel-injection, that mixture goes leaner as soon as the engine starts, and so idling may not cause so much damage.

 

 

Exactly. The key word though: "Idle". Idle (throttle plates fully closed) fuel mixture in a carbed engine is rich, regardless of engine or air temp. More-so when the choke is closed. But idling at the fast idle setting opens the throttle plates, allowing more air to enter the carb. And once the choke opens the mixture will be the same at fast idle as it would be if driving. The only difference is what is holding the throttle plates open; Your foot, or the fast idle cam.

[nipper]

It wasnt too much of an issue in pre-cat cars, as pre-cat cars were not expected to have engines that lasted too long anyway (60,000 miles was a milestone). Carbs and cats and winter startups with prolonged idle made for a nice warm car.... from the fire of the melting cat.

[Fuzpile]

:banana:I disagree with a later post. Many engines went beyond 60k . A fellow was saluted a year ago with his orig Volvo P1800. It went 1,000,000 with the same engine. Toyo's and various diesels go a long time and many V-8 has 200k+ so maybe u should rethink that.

[987687]

Now that it's wicked cold out this is how I warm up my GL. Go start it, come back in and make a cup of tea. Then go out and drive it.