Warm Up

[n8wvi]

I plug mine in, but then I don't live in LA

Serously though, in our summers, I just start it and drive away, only idling long enough to put the seatbelt on.

Dave

 

[rpn453]

Just start it and go easy on it until it gets into normal operating temperature range.

 

[Patman]

I like to start my engine and immediately pull away, even on the coldest winter day, but no matter what the temperature, I always drive extremely gentle for the first few minutes. I live in a townhouse complex, so I simply put the trans in drive and let the engine pull the car without touching the gas until I get out of the complex. Then I keep the pressure on the gas light enough that the rpms do not exceed 1500 for another half mile or so. Only once the coolant is up to full operating temp do I exceed 2000rpm. And I try not to go full throttle until I know the oil is up to full temperature.

This is in a 1995 Firebird Formula, and since it's an LT1 350, it makes enough low end torque that I can drive it this gently and still be able to keep up with traffic very easily.

One more thing, in the winter, I use a block heater, so the engine has some warmth in it before I even start it, so that helps a lot.

 

[jeremiah2360]

No matter what(hot or cold start up) I always wait at least 15 seconds for the oil pressure to come up.

 

[labman]

If you are running the usually recommended 5W- or a good 0W- synthetic, likely there is no problem with just driving away. No WOT stuff until the engine is completely warmed up. Use moderate revs, lugging the engine is not gentle driving. If you are into 15W-, yeah, maybe you had better let it warm up.

 

[Blue636]

Forgive me if this is a repeat but I had a hard time finding it in the search. This is basically a maintenance tip question I'm asking here - how do you warm up your car? Do you warm up longer or shorter in certain conditions? How do you drive for your first few miles?

 

[Blue636]

I currently have (and plan on staying with) Mobil 1 10w-30 in my 2003 Toyota Matrix (base model). Summers get really hot here in L.A. so I might go up to 15w-50 once the weather gets back up to the 95-98 degree range. I'm not sure, though.

With my motorcycles I have to let my EX500 really warm up or it will die - it's carbureted. My 2003 ZX6R is fuel injected so it takes little time to warm up. Once the temp guage hits 125 degrees Fahrenheit I ride off and I keep the revs under 5,000rpm. Once it's at operating temp (about 175F) I can let it rev up to 8-9k rpm. Any higher than that and I'm risking major speeding tickets (although I have gotten it to about 13k once).

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by labman:
If you are running the usually recommended 5W- or a good 0W- synthetic, likely there is no problem with just driving away. No WOT stuff until the engine is completely warmed up. Use moderate revs, lugging the engine is not gentle driving.

---

That is a good point to raise. In my case, even though my revs are low, I'm never lugging my engine. In fact, it's impossible for me to lug my engine because of the fact that it makes so much torque and is automatic. About the only way you'd be able to lug an LT1 engine would be in a six speed car, such as if you tried accelerating in sixth gear at 25mph.

 

[cousincletus]

I just get in it and drive. I have about 3/4 mile of subdivision to go through and a red light to wait at before I get on the main road. Then it's a couple more miles @ 45 mph. before I get to I-95. The temp gauge is usually in the middle before I have to merge onto I-95. This is good, because I have to stomp on it to merge onto that insane highway.

 

[Schmoe]

If you have a temperature guage, I'd let it idle until it barely reaches in the "normal" temperature range. Patman and I don't see eye to eye on this but, I'm a firm believer in letting it warm up. Metal expands. Things just work better together when they have had a chance to expand to their engineered expansion points. Also, a oil filter study on flow was done here recently and it showed that 70F oil barely flows out of ANY filter, so when its cold out, you can bet that filter is on bypass mode until the oil warms up, in which case it will flow better and kick the filter out of bypass mode.

 

[DavoNF]

I agree with Schmoe, summer or winter I always let it warm up until there is signs of life in the water temp. gauge.


Dave

 

[acranox]

quote:

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Originally posted by DavoNF:
I agree with Schmoe, summer or winter I always let it warm up until there is signs of life in the water temp. gauge.


Dave

---

How long is that?

It takes my Honda about 5 minutes driving before the needle starts to move...probably longer at idle.


labman: : you completely ignored 10W oils?!

What am I supposed to do? j/k

 

[therion]

quote:

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Originally posted by DavoNF:
I agree with Schmoe, summer or winter I always let it warm up until there is signs of life in the water temp. gauge.


Dave

---

Me too. I noticed turbocharged cars warm up quicker. My audi takes only about 3 min before the temp guage moves, and it will warm up completly within 5 min (with a 25*F ambient temp). I keep it at or under 2k rpms until it warms up though. Interesting note: My owners manual in my audi says "Do not let the vehicle warm up completly by idling"... i wonder why

 

[DavoNF]

I can only speak from my experience in a warm climate. If I lived in a area of sub-zero temperatures, it may be different. I would still give it a couple of minutes, at least.

I remember an old tractor we had at the farm, it had a "radiator blind" which you used to wind down to block the air-flow across the radiator to assist warm-up in cold weather. Maybe there is a market for a radiator blind for cars in sub zero temps.

Dave

 

[therion]

quote:

---

Originally posted by DavoNF:
I can only speak from my experience in a warm climate. If I lived in a area of sub-zero temperatures, it may be different. I would still give it a couple of minutes, at least.

I remember an old tractor we had at the farm, it had a "radiator blind" which you used to wind down to block the air-flow across the radiator to assist warm-up in cold weather. Maybe there is a market for a radiator blind for cars in sub zero temps.

Dave

---

I nicely cut peice of cardboard does the truck

I have one on my truck cus it runs cold all the time if its under 30*F.

 

[Schmoe]

Maybe DavoNF's response was more accurate for me...signs of life is about right. I mean, I'd like to see it move a little, might not be in the lower "normal" temperature range, but I know it's getting warmer.

 

[Kestas]

One caveat with using cardboard in front of the radiator is that some people forget to remove them when warm weather arrives.