so does anybody have any UOA's on oil that has been regularly "warmed up"? I can understand how an older carb. engine would get extra fuel into the oil, but I wouldn't have thought a modern EFI engine would do that. About every other week I take an 80 mile highway drive. I guess that should be enough to burn off that moisture, does it get rid of the gas too?
Why is warming up your car bad?
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My 305 idles for about 10 seconds after startup while I put on my seatbelt and set the stereo up and then i head down the 1000ft driveway. By the time I get down there it's been running almost a minute and I head out onto the road. I baby it getting up to 60mph and thats the most I worry about. I figure it'll get warmed up faster this way and spend less time running rich resulting in fuel dilution. Even if step on the gas hard when its cold I never hear any bad noises from it.
"-40F = 72 seconds?
That won't work for me when its that cold."
It sounds about right to me. Do you actually see those temps very often? It's only like -10f at the North Pole right now. -20f I could believe. I only see -10f, but a minute of idle is sufficient.
That won't work for me when its that cold."
It sounds about right to me. Do you actually see those temps very often? It's only like -10f at the North Pole right now. -20f I could believe. I only see -10f, but a minute of idle is sufficient.
I got a coworker that idles his 2000 4cyl Camry for about 15 min+ before he leaves for home. He does the same before he leaves for work.
I checked his exhaust pipe and all I see is BLACK.
His EGR went out at 30,000 miles. He does about 7K per year. If it's was a factory defect I don't know.
I think he IDLES too much...seems like a waste!
I checked his exhaust pipe and all I see is BLACK.
His EGR went out at 30,000 miles. He does about 7K per year. If it's was a factory defect I don't know.
I think he IDLES too much...seems like a waste!
In Hawaii??? lol.
There are mornings that I don't want to sit in an ice cold car, so I let 'er warm up for 10-15 minutes prior to leaving the driveway. This goes against what I practice most of the time...no idling for warming up.
If you're in doubt about too much fuel or water in the oil, change your oil more often.
If you're in doubt about too much fuel or water in the oil, change your oil more often.
Good lord! How cold can it get in Hawaii that any warm up is needed? It sounds like this guy deserves to ride a bicycle to warm himself up.
Hawaii? I think I just crapped myself. How much is fuel there? Doesn't matter. What a silly waste. You best, in fact, you have an obligation to straighten that guy out!
On all my cars and my now 05 Crown Vic i just let the idle go down a little then pull off slowly.Usally about 30 seconds.I put over 200k on my last car [a 88 Town Car] doing it that way.
My onboard trip computer tells my 5.3 V8 comsumes .4 gallons per hour at idle. A few minutes of warming up won't cost very much and I don't like placing my tranny in drive at high idle RPM.
i let my 5.6 v8 idle only about 30 sec. or less. I believe all cars should only about a minute or less during startup. If it were really really gosh darn freezing, maybe 2-3 min. thats about it.
I wonder if idling for too long during warmup can cause a car's emission system to fail.
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Wouldn't block heaters be a favorable alternative to idling for warm up purposes?
long engine low idle periods are inefficient, and destroying! Also in Hawaii
. Mack Trucks recommend to warm up engines at 1000-1200 rpm. And how do you think excavators are warmed up? (OK, the hydraulic oil is important too).
However, many truckers still like to warm up at 650 - 700 rpm. From farm tractors, I can tell you there is a huge difference between warming up at low cold idle (850 rpm) and 1100 rpm. Also remember that if your are trying to heat your cab, while you are warming up, it will be impossible for the coolant to reach its normal temperatur (>175 F).
Try to imagen that you had a defective thermostat.
And yes, the coolant temp is not the only thing to be aware of, but the damaging phenomenon of condensation depends strongly on low sleeve/coolant temperatures. I read that Cummins wrote that coolant temps below 140F are damaging.
There is no question about that unnecessary idle should be avoided, but it makes sence if you have to enter harsh traffic environments, such as up-hill driving, high speed, urban stop and go, etc.
If you are able to drive and accelerate slowly, then you will be fine with 2-3 minutes of idle. At extreme low temperaturs it might be a good idea to idle a little more even before that gently driving.
However, many truckers still like to warm up at 650 - 700 rpm. From farm tractors, I can tell you there is a huge difference between warming up at low cold idle (850 rpm) and 1100 rpm. Also remember that if your are trying to heat your cab, while you are warming up, it will be impossible for the coolant to reach its normal temperatur (>175 F).
Try to imagen that you had a defective thermostat.
And yes, the coolant temp is not the only thing to be aware of, but the damaging phenomenon of condensation depends strongly on low sleeve/coolant temperatures. I read that Cummins wrote that coolant temps below 140F are damaging.
There is no question about that unnecessary idle should be avoided, but it makes sence if you have to enter harsh traffic environments, such as up-hill driving, high speed, urban stop and go, etc.
If you are able to drive and accelerate slowly, then you will be fine with 2-3 minutes of idle. At extreme low temperaturs it might be a good idea to idle a little more even before that gently driving.
They help a lot.
Anytime the overnight temps are forecast below minus 15c I use the block heater.
No need to waste electricity having it cook all night, set it on a timer to turn on 3 hours before you expect to start the car.
With the block heater my neons are ready to go within 2 minutes of starting even in brutal cold weather.
The heater blows warm air much faster.
Last winter we had some severe cold in the -35c range. I used a remote indoor/outdoor thermometer to check the engine block temps.
With an overnight temp of below minus 25c and using a block heater, the block was sitting around +5c in the morning.
That made a huge difference in starting/warmup times.
Of course if you have overnight freezing rain and 1/2 inch of ice to scape off the windows...you still will be idling a while.
Nice to hear the many practices going around, and that the common theme is to give anywhere from 30 sec to 2 minutes, or just to allow the idle to settle before going light about your travels. More or less depending upon ambient temps. and conditions of environment - ice, extreme cold, etc.
Extreme-Duty...Any chance you can further elaborate on big rig recommendations? Things might be extreme for most of use "consumer" units, but I'd be interested to see what practices might be shared as well as knowing what IS different with these boys.
Interesting stuff.
Extreme-Duty...Any chance you can further elaborate on big rig recommendations? Things might be extreme for most of use "consumer" units, but I'd be interested to see what practices might be shared as well as knowing what IS different with these boys.
Interesting stuff.
Horse hocky! I've driven more than several cars to over the 200K mile mark (and one over 300K). All of these cars experienced long warm-up periods during the winter months (15-20 minutes). Saying that warming up the car is somehow detrimental is a bunch of malarky! IMO, the benefits (i.e., getting into a warm vehicle with clear windows) far outweighs any of the negatives.
There are too many variables at issue here to say one way or the other if extended warm up or immediate driving will have any adverse effects. It ultimately depends on the particular circumstances.
My primary concern with start up in cold climates is in getting enough lube to the top end before getting the revs up. With a good full synthetic, that shouldn't take more than 30 seconds. After that, I don't think it makes too much difference with a modern engine if driven normally for the first several miles.
But a long warm up followed by a longer distance drive shouldn't harm any engine. On the other hand, I'd be less comfortable in regularly doing that for a two or three mile trip. Or in starting an engine in subzero temperatures and immediately running up the tach too high.
My primary concern with start up in cold climates is in getting enough lube to the top end before getting the revs up. With a good full synthetic, that shouldn't take more than 30 seconds. After that, I don't think it makes too much difference with a modern engine if driven normally for the first several miles.
But a long warm up followed by a longer distance drive shouldn't harm any engine. On the other hand, I'd be less comfortable in regularly doing that for a two or three mile trip. Or in starting an engine in subzero temperatures and immediately running up the tach too high.
Best practice is somewhere between:
Let car idle for 1 hour to warm up
Start cold engine and immediately take off at 5k rpm<--very bad
Let car idle for 1 hour to warm up
Start cold engine and immediately take off at 5k rpm<--very bad
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