Thoughts on engine warm-up

[Detroit_Doc]

I live in Michigan so in the winter we see single digit morning temps.

Over the years I've had varying ideas about engine warm up. I used to believe that letting the egnine warm up for 10 minutes before driving was benificial.

Now I'm leaning more towards getting the engine up to operating temp as quickly as possible. So that means driving as soon as possible. So last winter I'd let the car run for maybe 1 minute tops before I would drive.

One caveat to this is that I also began leaving for work very early in the morning last year. Which meant I could really baby it for the first few minutes until I got some heat into the engine. I know some people are in the situation where they drive 100 feet and they are forced to rev to 4,000 RPM to be able to pull out into rush hour traffic. Then they drive another 1/8th mile pull onto the freeway and drive 80 mph. I suspect in that situation a longer idle time warm up might be more beneficial.

Anyone else have any thoughts on engine warm up?

 

[javacontour]

Well, you get ZERO MPG warming up.

If it's extremely cold, I might see warming for a minute, but not 10, and driving very gently. Even if the engine is warmer, the rest of the car is still cold, so gentle is warranted.

 

[Quest]

Just fire up the engine (car) first thing in the cold morning, let the oil circulate for about a min or so, shift it in gear and then accelerate gently until it gets up to the speed you want to stay on...and let it warm up that way.

No need to fuss over the warming up time for unless your vehicle's head gasket is prone to fail (did I mentioned those darrned GM smaller V6 in the late 90s/early 00s?), otherwise, your engine is pretty much bullet-proof and can take a bit of beating.

If you are worried about carbon deposit accumulation inside the combustion chamber due to driving behaviour in the winter, just remember to take it out on a highway drive every now and then for a few hours.

Lastly, make sure that your thermostat is in proper working order, regardless of your driving behaviour.

Q.

 

[Audi Junkie]

No warm-up above freezing.

Below freezing idle 1 sec for every degree below +32f.

That is, +22f temp means a 10 sec warm-up at idle, and so-on.

At 0f, a half-minute is about right.

 

[sunfire]

I just drive slowly around my block once and be on my way. If there is a lunatic behind me that wants to do 50 mph in a residential area I just pull to the side to let them by.

 

[FrozenPilot]

Most mornings I'd start to move as soon as the idle starts to settle. The few where the car gets to warm up a little is when I have to brush snow or ice off of it. Either way, limiting RPM and acceleration til temps start coming up on the coolant temp gauge is good practice, though sometimes you just gotta get on it.

Of course now that I think about it, nothing irritates me more than when someone, like my wife for example, shifts into gear right after starting when the engine is still in the flare.

 

[lewdwig]

I start it up and drive away, except on those cold winter mornings around 20 to 30 degreees F where the windows want to frost over almost immediately after you've scraped them, or fog up right away, then I let it warm up until it starts thawing the windows. But if the weather's cold and dry I start driving right away.

 

[KeithG]

If you ever get to the bottom of the thermometer, like we do in the plains, you might need more warmup IF you don't have a smooth road. It not too hard to crack a plastic air filter box when its -25F.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: FrozenPilot
Most mornings I'd start to move as soon as the idle starts to settle. The few where the car gets to warm up a little is when I have to brush snow or ice off of it. Either way, limiting RPM and acceleration til temps start coming up on the coolant temp gauge is good practice, though sometimes you just gotta get on it.

Of course now that I think about it, nothing irritates me more than when someone, like my wife for example, shifts into gear right after starting when the engine is still in the flare.


My wife does the same thing. As soon as it starts, she is off and running. Along with her short short trips I know the Subaru will not have a long life.

The older she gets the less she cares. (good role model for my Daughters who watch how she drives

)

Comment about her driving and watch out!

Glad that gas is not $4 a gallon...

Good luck.

I start my car and wait for about a min and then get going. My car sits outside since I work graveyards and get off at 5am its the coldest part of the day. Even though the high idle is still around 1600 RPM, I still get going.

Been doing that for 30 plus years. Fuel injected cars are a lot better for how they operate when cold.


Bill

 

[Gary Allan]

Get a pan and/or block heater.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

I usually don't give my cars more than 5 seconds to warm up before moving. In my garage it rarely gets much below freezing even if it is below 0 deg F outside. I have no problem keeping the rpms below 2000 for the first 1.5 miles and even after that I can keep them below 2500 rpm for the rest of the trip (30 miles). I leave early in the morning when there is almost no traffic. On my way home I'm on the expressway fairly soon but it isn't busy enough to warrant any agressive accelation anyway.

 

[Gregory]

turn key and drive.

 

[tlmprnpg]

I start the engine then buckle up, ware my sun glass, turn on the radio, and then move the car. So, my warm up equal 20 seconds.

 

[badnews]

Anything more than thirty seconds is just a waste of gasoline

 

[TallPaul]

Warm up only long enough for the valves to stop clattering, meaning that the oil has gotten up there. Then drive gently, sidestreets or slower main streets (35 40 mph) for the first 1 to 5 minutes depending on how cold. I usually go 1/4 mile sidestreets, then about 1/2 mile of 35 mph service drive, then I am hitting the freeway and 70 mph. Hasn't hurt yet. If it is extremelly cold, I can throw in an extra 1/2 mile of the service drive to the next cross over.

Oil pan heater (stick on pad is one type) is nice for below freezing days, still allow warmup as only warms oil.

 

[FZ1]

I let it warm up for 10-15 seconds while I buckle up and check my mirrors. I drive slowly and drive to my longest stop first. If I drive thru a McDonald's,I leave the motor running when cold. Gas is cheaper than a second cold start to me.

 

[blackcherry06]

"I know some people are in the situation where they drive 100 feet and they are forced to rev to 4,000 RPM to be able to pull out into rush hour traffic. Then they drive another 1/8th mile pull onto the freeway and drive 80 mph."

This is pretty much my situation. I live about 3/10 of a mile from the frontage road where it's literally HAUL @ss or get mowed down by a line of cars exiting the highway. So, the car gets warmed up before leaving the house.

 

[ilikemypassat]

start car, turn on front/rear defroster & heated seats/mirrors, remove all snow & scrape windows, drive away.

If no snow/ice, no warmup, just drive gentle until up to temperature.

 

[Bambam]

My wife in one motion turnkey reverse brake drive gas go! One fluid motion that takes less time than one beat of a hummingbirds wing!!!!

She is punishing the SSO!

 

[Patman]

My Corvette is parked outside overnight most nights and I always just start it up and go immediately, even if it's below 0F outside. I always drive the car very gently while it's warming up, even in warm weather actually.

Based on my oil analysis results, I'm not hurting the engine at all by driving as soon as I start it up. I remember one person on here in the past mentioned to me that I should let my engine idle for at least a minute in the wintertime, otherwise I'm doing it damage. Obviously I'm not.