Cold starts vs lugging

[Kurtatron]

I’m in an aggravating living situation where I have to climb a hill with 5 speed bumps every morning.

My commuter, 1.8L Scion needs quite a bit of gas to avoid lugging. I need to rev it to 3k rpm’s to avoid lugging the thing. Will this be an issue on cold mornings? Should I wait for it to warm up before moving?

 

[joegreen]

I would not think its an issue. Higher rom but less load should be better.

 

[supton]

After what, a couple seconds, all the important bearings are getting lubed. Just leaves cylinder walls that are out of shape. But they too are getting splash lubed. I'd run it, plenty of cars all but went WOT at cold start and seemed to do ok, here it sounds like it's relatively unloaded. Let it spin, versus lug, it's actually less force internally on the engine.

 

[KrisZ]

Never drove a car that would lug at 2k rpm, never mind 3k. Most wouldn’t lug at 1.5krpm.

Your car has issues.

 

[IndyIan]

In florida? at 50F with 5W30, I think 2500-3000 rpm after 10-20 seconds is fine. If I'm late for something, my car has seen 3000 rpm after 10 seconds at 5-10F... These aren't tight tolerance race engines, and the main worry is oil not returning to the pan fast enough if you rev it too high with cold oil.

 

[Fordiesel69]

1980's chevette. I knew a women that had her son start the car and hold the pedal to the floor to warm it up. It rotted out, the 2.5L sounded like marbles and rocks clanging around inside but it ran.

You will be fine.

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

I’m in an aggravating living situation where I have to climb a hill with 5 speed bumps every morning.

My commuter, 1.8L Scion needs quite a bit of gas to avoid lugging. I need to rev it to 3k rpm’s to avoid lugging the thing. Will this be an issue on cold mornings? Should I wait for it to warm up before moving?

Revving is better than lugging. I might use a high quality 0w-30 oil like HPL P+.

 

[Kurtatron]

Never drove a car that would lug at 2k rpm, never mind 3k. Most wouldn’t lug at 1.5krpm.

Your car has issues.

Same here. But it has no symptoms of running poorly. Full power at wot. Idles as smooth as a baby’s butt. No issues at all.

 

[KrisZ]

Same here. But it has no symptoms of running poorly. Full power at wot. Idles as smooth as a baby’s butt. No issues at all.

Then you have nothing to worry about IMO, especially in Florida temperatures.

 

[JohnnyG]

Wait Whhat! There's a hill in Florida?

 

[4WD]

Wait Whhat! There's a hill in Florida?

Probably a sand dune …

 

[JohnnyG]

Parking garage might qualify.

 

[ATex7239]

Warm it up for 30 seconds and then give it the beans…

 

[Kurtatron]

I’m in Georgia

 

[vavavroom]

You are lugging the engine only if the RPM and/or available torque is insufficient to locomote your vehicle efficiently regardless of a level or uphill road. The available gearing should allow you to avoid lugging the engine under all remotely normal driving conditions. I'm not saying it's ideal if you live at the foot of a mountain and have to drive up to the summit pass after a cold start every morning.

 

[bobdoo]

I drove 1 block, before getting on the highway (65 mph), where I drove for 45 minutes.

In the coldest winter in my 60+ years of memory. With 1976 tech.

Car ran great when I sold it, 12 years after purchase.

 

[tmorris1]

I’m in an aggravating living situation where I have to climb a hill with 5 speed bumps every morning.

My commuter, 1.8L Scion needs quite a bit of gas to avoid lugging. I need to rev it to 3k rpm’s to avoid lugging the thing. Will this be an issue on cold mornings? Should I wait for it to warm up before moving?

You are in Atlanta and you are worried about cold mornings? Your car is a machine and it will be fine no matter what you do. If you were in MN in January then maybe you would have something to worry about.

 

[nickaluch]

Atlanta doesn't have cold mornings just rev it up get to your destination on time

 

[XB_Fan]

Sounds like OP has the same car as me, a Scion XD.

 

[ATex7239]

Vehicles are designed more for the non enthusiast types. Most people don’t worry about warming up or babying engines.

Ex: it is 60F this morning and my wife hops in the van, situates herself, then cranks it up and immediately drives off. She spent more time getting herself situated than she did letting the vehicle warm up. I know 60F isn’t actual cold but this is how most people are going to treat vehicles. They are more worried about the human. Not the machine.