Yes, warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine
- Thread starter BlueOvalFitter
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Yes, and babies aren't supposed to be in thick coats when buckled into car seats as they can slip out.“Do the roar!”
Call them spoiled, but I ain’t putting my kids into a frozen car if I don’t have too. Mostly for the benefit of the 1 year old and 2 month old. 10 minutes ain’t gonna hurt a thing.
My car works for me. Making heat is one of its jobs. I maintain it pretty well but I own it, not the other way around.
I feel with todays oils low temp oil flow isn’t an issue like it maybe used to be and so prolonged idling probably isn’t necessary. That said when it gets in the 20s and below I typically like to let them run a few minutes if completely cold and then Take it easy for a few more minutes. Been doing that for 30 years and I’ve run multiple GM and Honda vehicles over 200k even 300k and never had any engine issues so right or wrong will likely keep doing the same.
This Florida guy likes clear windows when driving in Buffalo or Burlington. That is much more important to me than immediately driving because someone "thinks" it's better for the engine. That engine is there to serve me, not the other way around. And being as I get well over 300K miles from my engines, I can't complain.
Idling a cold engine excessively ( which is what idling it in cold weather until fully warmed up sometimes may mean) cannot be good.
I expect there to be looser fits internally while cold, and therefore more gasoline leaking thru and washing off oil of cylinder walls.
Drivign a cold engine hard is just as bad.
Whats the solution?
I let my engine idle for approx 15 seconds in normal weather to make sure the oil has gotten everywhere it needs to be and is no longer stone cold and then drive gently for the first few minutes.
When very cold (which is rare since I now live in Florida) I let it idle a minute and then drive gently.
Its all about balance in some countries the so called greens have made it illegal yo idle your vehicle at all (which of course is terrible)
I once operated my Xterra in a german winter and idled the car for a few minutes since otherwise I could not see (windows all fogged up)
I expect there to be looser fits internally while cold, and therefore more gasoline leaking thru and washing off oil of cylinder walls.
Drivign a cold engine hard is just as bad.
Whats the solution?
I let my engine idle for approx 15 seconds in normal weather to make sure the oil has gotten everywhere it needs to be and is no longer stone cold and then drive gently for the first few minutes.
When very cold (which is rare since I now live in Florida) I let it idle a minute and then drive gently.
Its all about balance in some countries the so called greens have made it illegal yo idle your vehicle at all (which of course is terrible)
I once operated my Xterra in a german winter and idled the car for a few minutes since otherwise I could not see (windows all fogged up)
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LOL, [likely most] modern cars run a turbo cooldown after shut off so no additional actions by the driver are needed.
This is the first I've heard of this. Could you elaborate? What do these countries have, "Idle Police"?
I'll idle and warm up my car mainly for me. If it's below freezing, I'll light up a cigarette and wait a few minutes. The closer it is to 0, the more likely I'll idle the car in the garage while I go back inside and make my coffee. Jumping in a freezing car is horrible by itself. Combined with the 10 second drive out of my neighborhood to moderately busy streets and trying to briskly accelerate to 40-50mph traffic sucks. Yes I know the other fluids in the car may not warm up but the difference in acceleration in a moderately warm engine compared to a cold one is substantial.
New York City (as an example) outlaws it. Not sure if police will actively ticket an idling car but people can and have reported other people for it because there's a monetary reward when doing so. The ultimate "Karen" move.
EDIT: I'm also unsure if the wording "extensive idle" is on the law or if somebody sitting inside the car compared to remote start from the 5th floor apartment matters.
New York City (as an example) outlaws it. Not sure if police will actively ticket an idling car but people can and have reported other people for it because there's a monetary reward when doing so. The ultimate "Karen" move.
EDIT: I'm also unsure if the wording "extensive idle" is on the law or if somebody sitting inside the car compared to remote start from the 5th floor apartment matters.
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yes and yes.
In Germany for example it is illegal to idle your car for more than a certain time.
I was Stationed there recently.
It may be the local municipalities too.
I think it was 30 seconds in Stuttgart.
I idled while I scraped off the ice in the hope of having enough heat to have the windshield clear.
as for "idle -police" there is a culture in many European countries of denunciating neighbors for various reasons.
This is the case in eastern europe because of their collectivist mentality and recently in Germany as well, as the left has made great inroads collectivist thinking is back and they are about 20 years ahead of the US in the leftist take over.
Speech for example is criminalized there if it offends the wrong people.
Just when you think it can't get any more insane, you're proven wrong.
The fact that it’s at work and not at home?
You get home twice as fast as opposed to leaving at 3k. Four times as opposed to 1.5k!
haven't seen my car idle above 1000 rpm ever. It idles around 800 rpm in neutral, 900 rpm in drive, maybe 950 when cold or 975 when freezing.
'Instead of waiting for your car to warm up in the winter, most manufacturers recommend driving off gently after about 30 seconds because the engine warms up faster when the car is being driven, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.'
The media, manufacturers, car care experts, automotive hacks and likely the DOE has been promoting that process since the first gas crisis of the '70s. This isn't anything new.
The media, manufacturers, car care experts, automotive hacks and likely the DOE has been promoting that process since the first gas crisis of the '70s. This isn't anything new.
It seems to be new at the beginning of every winter.
Just like buying out all snow shovels before the first snow storm. What happened to all the shovels from last year?
Just like buying out all snow shovels before the first snow storm. What happened to all the shovels from last year?
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