Warm up car in cold weather?

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Originally Posted By: Clevy
Honestly. -10c to -15c I don't need much of a warm up however -30 is cold. Cold enough that I'm not sitting in it and that's all there is to it.
If I lived down south and all I experienced was -10c cold I might put a jacket on because that isn't cold.
When it's cold enough to freeze the tires out of round and they need a few mikes to roll right well then I'm letting it get warm.
I'm not interested in wearing my insulated overalls and dress for -35 in my car just so I can sweat and drench myself just so I can freeze once I get to work.
I don't understand what the excitement is all about. If it's cold let it run. It's not like anyone is asking obamacare to comp the gas for warm up.
If the bitog police are so concerned about warm up times in these brutal cold temps that they aren't living in I suggest trying out this type of cold then comment.

Negative 10C is brutal cold for us in So Cal, the coldest night we had the last 25-30 years was 28F or about -2C, the yearly normal cold nights, abut 4-5 nights a year, were around 36-40F or about 2-4C.

I like Hawaii weather better, almost never get below 60-65F all year.
 
Yesterday morning, we had -2F.
This morning, we had -12F.
The cars that my wife and I used both days got a fifteen minute warmup.
Not for the cars' benefit, but for ours.
 
Yes perhaps bad for the vehicle but good for the driver.
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It was 5F yesterday and 4F this morning. The two warm ups did lower the gas gauge however.
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Not really cold here compared to some. I let the Tacoma run for 30 sec and drive slowly. Once the water temp climbs I turn the heater on.
 
I remember a seeing or hearing a car experts recommendation for this
question that made sense to me. At temps of 32 F and above: no warm up.
At temps 0 F to 32 F: a two minute warm up. Temps below 0 F: a five minute warm up
 
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I don't have any concerns with the engine oil when it is cold. I just wish the other fluids would catch up quicker, and sitting around idling won't help.
 
In the summer I wait until it idles down then take off. In the winter I will start it 5 minutes or so before leaving. Just for my comfort.
 
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While in DE a week ago I let the suburban warm up for.heat and heated seats, not for the engine itself. Although.I.did hear.some severe piston slap for about.30sec
 
Originally Posted By: Lex94
Do modern cars somehow defy physics?
No, they are simply designed for normal drivers who are not going to wait for a warm-up period. That is why we have engines that are able to by-pass coolant for quicker heating, more advanced low viscosity oil, etc.
 
some of us need to read up a bit.

For example FORD does an engine test that runs the engine to hot and then pumps sub zero coolant directly into it! It is then given 3 minutes and they run it to redline DEAD COLD and repeat. This is done many many times without failure.

Most other mfgrs have similar brutalities they inflict on their engines.

Fer Gawd's sake quit worrying about warm up and DRIVE it!
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Fer Gawd's sake quit worrying about warm up and DRIVE it!

That's easy for you to say.
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In fairness to the other posters, I know, you've all gotten a bad batch of weather. It'll pass. Heck, it'll pass here, too, in May maybe!
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I always wait until the temp needle begins to move before I drive off.


My Focus would be idling until spring if I waited for the gauge to move.


Originally Posted By: kschachn
I always start my car with the gas pedal flat against the floor, so that when it does start it will immediately rev to maximum and warm up fastest. Keeping my foot on the gas I drop it into reverse, this helps the transmission fluid warm up quicker. Out of the garage and into the street, I drop it into drive and keep moving. I found that if you push the brake pedal very hard it will stop even at WOT, this helps the brakes to warm up quickest.

By the time I get to work even at yesterday's -18, I can assure you it is well warmed up.


Doesn't work on Fords. That cuts the injectors.
 
Originally Posted By: 2KBMW
I remember a seeing or hearing a car experts recommendation for this
question that made sense to me. At temps of 32 F and above: no warm up.
At temps 0 F to 32 F: a two minute warm up. Temps below 0 F: a five minute warm up


Same here!


________________________

03 Corolla- 5-30 Quaker State Ultimate Durability and Wix filter
2004 Toyota Rav4 Valvoline MaxLife 5w30 and Wix filter
 
Originally Posted By: 2KBMW
I remember a seeing or hearing a car experts recommendation for this
question that made sense to me. At temps of 32 F and above: no warm up.
At temps 0 F to 32 F: a two minute warm up. Temps below 0 F: a five minute warm up


Makes sense to me; my only modification would be, if the engine idles high after cold start, then perhaps waiting for it come down a hair. My Jetta rarely idles high, or if does it's a very small bump; but as a stickshift I could care less. I can let out the clutch slowly. My Tundra always idles high for at least a few seconds, and I'm not crazy about driveline shock from dropping it into Drive (but I bet it's designed to handle that).

I can always kill a few seconds by buckling up, adjusting radio, etc right after starting. Plus if I have kids in tow then it takes at least a minute for them to get settled it seems.

Funny though: when I'm home and it's say 20F I contemplate running back inside to say goodby to the family. At 0F I just go inside and finish my coffee, and give it a good five minutes to warm up a hair. If I'm at work and it's -10F though I just drive off, no way I'm walking back inside the building--it's a 100 yard plus walk!
 
How dare some of you warm up your cars so you can be warm while you drive! There is no need! You must be cold and your car must drive off immediately, for a multitude of silly reasons!

Freeze!
 
In Scotland, my old Nissan Sunny wasn't drivable in winter until it'd warmed up for a minute or two, so it wasn't a choice I had to agonise over.

Eventually I disabled the automatic choke and replaced it with a manually controlled butane bleed into the air intake. That fixed it, but I still usually warmed it up a bit if it was covered in ice.

I suppose the butane bleed also addresses any fuel dilution issues, though with perhaps a slightly increased risk of blowing yourself up.
 
Originally Posted By: hardcore302
How dare some of you warm up your cars so you can be warm while you drive! There is no need! You must be cold and your car must drive off immediately, for a multitude of silly reasons!

Freeze!

Real men just get in and drive.
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Originally Posted By: Ducked
Eventually I disabled the automatic choke and replaced it with a manually controlled butane bleed into the air intake.

That was the final straw with my F-150 and the feedback carb. The automatic choke just started getting worse and worse and worse....
 
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