Warming up your car in winter time

[abycat]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
I believe that letting it idle to warm up causes bore wear and contaminates the oil. I say start it, put on your seat belt and drive.


Not a chance. I have 300,000 on my truck and it hasnt been opened up once and it idles for at least 15 min every time its started. Does not use a drop of oil or smoke at all. The versa also idles alot. Id rather my wife and kid be safe and warm instead of the peep hole driving.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Warm it up for your comfort, not for the car's benefit.


I personally do not 'warm up' the car by idling it - I have a Zerostart coolant heater installed in my Golf - but I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. The car is there to serve you, not the other way around.

 

[meep]

start it and go.

or start it, scrape it thoroughly, and go.

why waste fuel? For 2.5 years I spent several hours per day in various cars I owned and learned that idling burned almost 2 gallons per hour (about 1 3/4)... in a 3.3 chrysler, 2.2 subaru, and 3.0 nissan-- all very close. Compare that burn rate at 60 mph and you'll scratch your head.

I drive gently until it's warm, and continue to drive gently anyway.

AFA the transmission, It takes a long time to warm them up in winter driving. The minivan never breaks 120F in the winter and spends the first -30 minutes- below 100F.

 

[Bill in Utah]

-7 below here today.

Started it up and scraped the ice off the windshield and front sides and hopped in and left. 2 minutes max. The engine is going to warm up much better and quicker by driving it.

20 miles later it was fully at running temp of 190.

Idling to let it "warm up" does the engine no good IMO.

Bill

 

[aquariuscsm]

I always let it idle till the temp needle begins to move,then I drive.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
I believe that letting it idle to warm up causes bore wear and contaminates the oil. I say start it, put on your seat belt and drive.


Not true. I've warmed up every car I've ever owned in the winter and the engines in those cars have either lasted 250K+ miles and/or outlasted the rest of the car. If it does cause bore wear/oil contamination it's an insignificant amount...

 

[grampi]

The way around a cold auto transmission is to set the parking brake and put the transmission in neutral while the engine warms up. This will circulate the transmission fluid...

 

[Clevy]

I figure warm oil circulating at 2000 rpms is better than cold oil circulating at 2000 rpms and in the extreme temps we get here so I let my truck warm up for a while. It hasn't hurt thus far
In a warmer climate I'm sure it doesn't make much of a difference but here in the tundra of Saskatchewan I am betting it helps longevity better than just getting in and driving.
Jmo

 

[grampi]

As was said ealier, warming up the engine isn't done for the good of the engine (though I don't belive it hurts it either), it's done for the comfort of not having to scrape the windows and the convenience of having a warm car when you leave...

 

[grampi]

Unless someone can prove to me that warming up your engine causes damage I won't believe it. I have almost 40 years of vehicle owning experience with many high mileage vehicles to prove otherwise...

 

[HerrStig]

I live on top of a good size hill, just a nudge and I don't have to touch the gas again for at least a mile. Have a neighbor who drove a trendy turbo 4 for some time, cranked it and jammed it into drive before the key flipped back to "run"

even on a single digit day.... didn't seem to hurt it.

 

[stockrex]

depends on what kind of oil you use and outside temp if you're using synthetic oil just wait 30 seconds adnd just go

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Unless someone can prove to me that warming up your engine causes damage I won't believe it. I have almost 40 years of vehicle owning experience with many high mileage vehicles to prove otherwise...

No one can because it does not.

worse case you'll get some oil contamination/fuel dilution and you should shorten up your OCI.

 

[[email protected]]

In the Prius, you really dont have to warm it up... it stores hot coolant from the day before and pumps it back into the engine at a cold start

I have warm heat out of my vents by the time I reach the end of my street (1/4 mile long?).

With that being said, on my last vehicle, my 2002 GMC Envoy that I sold in September, I installed a GM block heater. That helped the warm up process right along and my mpgs too in the wintertime. All you need is a 15 amp timer and have it come on 2-3 hours before you leave in the morning.

 

[daman]

did you install it in the rad hose or where at?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I will let the Focus back off of high idle. Being a ford, it instantly shoots to 3000 RPM on a cold start. Usually once it idles down to about 1200 or so, I'll take off and just drive it slow until the temperature starts to come up. I use 0w-20 oil in it.

The Jeep doesn't idle more than 1100 when cold, so I usually let that run 3 or 4 minutes - flat tappet cam needs to let oil circulate for a minute.

 

[Hermann]

Originally Posted By: daman
Originally Posted By: grampi
Unless someone can prove to me that warming up your engine causes damage I won't believe it. I have almost 40 years of vehicle owning experience with many high mileage vehicles to prove otherwise...

No one can because it does not.

worse case you'll get some oil contamination/fuel dilution and you should shorten up your OCI.


And waste gas and pollute the air, but that is Grampi's choice. It's still a semi-free country/continent.

 

[SLCraig]

The only reason I warm my car up is so that I am not cold. On an average morning when I go to work, I start the car and drive off. If I have the time to spare and its cold out I'll let it idle for a few minutes before shoving off.

 

[another Todd]

Originally Posted By: [email protected]
In the Prius, you really dont have to warm it up... it stores hot coolant from the day before and pumps it back into the engine at a cold start

I have warm heat out of my vents by the time I reach the end of my street (1/4 mile long?).

With that being said, on my last vehicle, my 2002 GMC Envoy that I sold in September, I installed a GM block heater. That helped the warm up process right along and my mpgs too in the wintertime. All you need is a 15 amp timer and have it come on 2-3 hours before you leave in the morning.


I thought the Prius had an electric heater.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
I say start it, put on your seat belt and drive.


I dare you to try that in -40.

I prefer not to idle excessively, but there are times when it's going to take a little longer than climbing in and taking off.