Warming up your car

[al-ti2d]

Now that the weather is getting colder and colder I guess I should take the time to warm up my car when I first start it on those chilly mornings. How long do you guys usually let your car warm up for before driving it?

[Dayclone]

hehe he remote starter.... 15 min to complete cycle....
but usally I leave it like 5 - 10 min.

Steve

[WWJAI]

I usually leave mine for 6 minutes or so if i'm not in a rush. I let it run until the rpms drop around to the 1250rpms mark. If i'm in a hurry, I just take off right after starting the car.

Thing i hate most in winter is at public parking areas at busy places, when you start your car and want to warm it up..some bitch always expects you to leave your parking spot right away without letting it warm up..and they just sit there waiting for you to back out:whipped:

[Aleks]

Anything more than 1 minute is wasting gas. The car doesn't need it. However it's nice to have a warm car when you get out there first thing.

[Tik-Tok]

0 to -10 not much, it doesn't take oil long to heat up, just your block.
-10 to -20ish 5 minutes
-20 to -30 10 minutes
-30 and below until the cab is warm enough

[Boosted_TL]

Aleks is correct, not only a waste of fuel but is not healty for the motor. Let the car start and idle for 1min, then start driving and do not hit higher rpm's ( over 3000rpm's ) until heat register's on your temp gauge.

Thats the best way to lubricate/warm up your vehicle.

But yeah one drawback! its facking cold

[CivicTunr]

i usually sit for 1 and a half minutes, when its nice out.
and 3 to 5 minutes when its cold.

[VetteRacin]

Originally posted by Aleks
Anything more than 1 minute is wasting gas. The car doesn't need it. However it's nice to have a warm car when you get out there first thing.

that's true with all the newer cars running aroung with heated O2 sensors throwing the car into closed loop mode alot faster but older cars with a single wire non heated O2 require a little bit longer

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by VetteRacin


that's true with all the newer cars running aroung with heated O2 sensors throwing the car into closed loop mode alot faster but older cars with a single wire non heated O2 require a little bit longer

And those of us with 1974 carburetor technology... well, we're just lucky our vehicles start at -30 :rofl:

[Honda_002]

I usually let my car run for about 5 minutes. Its the wise thing to do

[robpark]

I just start the car and let the RPMS drop to just over 500....Takes 30-45 seconds... BMW stipulates that you should NOT let the car reach operating temperature while idling. Pretty much start and go. Like previously stated, wait until the engine warms up a bit before hitting over 3000RPM... Having synthetic oil also helps in the winter.

[whiskas]

I just wait for my RPM to go to normal, that tells me the ECU finished its cold start program. Plugging the block heater in before hand means you can pretty much leave it for 10 seconds to let the oil lube everything up and you're good to go.

[DC2]

i have remote start but half the time im in so much of a rush i dont even remember to start it.

as for the 1 minute thing. it takes my car about 5 mins for the heat to start coming out! and within the 5 mins. im already at work

[bmeier]

warming your car up while at idle is the worst thing you can do for wear...

The engine is best protected when fully warmed up, but to fully warm up while idleing will take way longer than easy driving till the engine is up to temp...

either way you are not going to hurt the motor but idling more than 1 minute is waste of gas.

[88CRX]

Originally posted by Aleks
Anything more than 1 minute is wasting gas. The car doesn't need it. However it's nice to have a warm car when you get out there first thing.

ding ding ding.... start it... get out and clean the windows..... go.

[Fusion]

1/2h hour

[snade831]

1 minute usually does it for me

[ZedMan]

However long it takes me to brush off the windows.

[guessboi]

<2 min or whenever I can see all of my windows. :D

[BlackArcher101]

Ditto,

I'm driving as soon as the RPM's are normal and the windows are clear of snow and don't fog up anymore.

[Cruz]

Garage FTW.

[zieg]

I let it run until it wont stall if I take my foot off the gas pedal. :D

[Chester]

Originally posted by ZedMan
However long it takes me to brush off the windows.
:werd:

[al-ti2d]

haha i usually let it sit for about a minute or two before i start driving but damn, those first 10-15 minutes of driving sure are cold :(

[soupey]

i plan on letting my card idle enough so that there is a smooth exchange between when i get out of teh shower and step into the car:poosie:

haha

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

after i'm showered, i throw on tshirt/pants, run outside in bare feet, start it, lock it with spare, run back inside, finish getting ready (takes like 3 mins) run outside, brush windows, get in warm car and leave. That's about the time it takes to get to low rpms, plus a lil extra to start blowing warm.

[sh0ko]

now i have a question i saw this dumbass revving his engine in this weather just now so about little lower than 0 and that car was obviously out for a while cuz it had a layer of snow on it anyways this guy starts it and immediatly revs it high for about 4 minutes and then keeps it at at least 3k rpm....is that the stupidist thing to do?! or is it smart.. i thought it was stupid

[silver_gs-R]

I usually leave it for 10-15 mins.

Depending on the temperature outside.

[Boosted_TL]

Originally posted by sh0ko
now i have a question i saw this dumbass revving his engine in this weather just now so about little lower than 0 and that car was obviously out for a while cuz it had a layer of snow on it anyways this guy starts it and immediatly revs it high for about 4 minutes and then keeps it at at least 3k rpm....is that the stupidist thing to do?! or is it smart.. i thought it was stupid



You're damn right it's stupid! I know a tool who does that also.
:rofl:

[Hoey]

the trick is getting your friends to drive you everywhere...

JK, cant drive with a broken axle. im forced to carpool.

[A2VR6]

Hell... I dont even let it warm up at all... 10 sec tops? One things for sure, I dont even go near 3000 rpm if theres no temp on the gauge.

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by A2VR6
Hell... I dont even let it warm up at all... 10 sec tops? One things for sure, I dont even go near 3000 rpm if theres no temp on the gauge.


pfffft I try to engage V-TAK right after start-up...:burnout:

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Originally posted by sh0ko
now i have a question i saw this dumbass revving his engine in this weather just now so about little lower than 0 and that car was obviously out for a while cuz it had a layer of snow on it anyways this guy starts it and immediatly revs it high for about 4 minutes and then keeps it at at least 3k rpm....is that the stupidist thing to do?! or is it smart.. i thought it was stupid

He's a retard... I know a guy who raced pretty much after his car sat outside for most of the winter, started it up for the first time, left, came up on a mustang, started racing, and then cracked the block... More parts for the DSM guys, but no so great for him. :whipped:

[bonjoey]

back in winnipeg on -40C i let my hino fb1817 diesel idle for 45mins

[djayz]

does cardboard in front of the radiator really do anything?

[nonsane]

typically a few minutes is good. But what no one mentioned here is that there are a few vehicles with sludge problems

The ones at the top of my head are 1999+ dodge/jeeps
and most volkswagens.

If you pop the oil cap and there's a white/brown sludge in there, you should let it run a bit longer in the morning

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by djayz
does cardboard in front of the radiator really do anything?

The cardboard is really more for driving highway speeds, and for your own comfort (more heat to the heater core), I put some in my truck because I drive deerfoot everyday, and the temp. in the cab goes up at least 5* because of it.

[Pee_Sack]

Go outside
Start car
Turn on full heat
Turn on mirror heater/rear window defogger
Turn seat heater on high
Grab Brush
Brush off car/scrape windows
Get in car
Buckle up
Go

[Lo)2enz0]

Originally posted by Pee_Sack
Go outside
Start car
Turn on full heat
Turn on mirror heater/rear window defogger
Turn seat heater on high
Grab Brush
Brush off car/scrape windows
Get in car
Buckle up
Go

ecaxtly what i was going to say, those heated mirrors and seats are awsome in this weather

[ashee]

Usually at least 5 mins; the length of time it takes for my windows to clear.

[soupey]

Originally posted by nonsane
typically a few minutes is good. But what no one mentioned here is that there are a few vehicles with sludge problems

The ones at the top of my head are 1999+ dodge/jeeps
and most volkswagens.

If you pop the oil cap and there's a white/brown sludge in there, you should let it run a bit longer in the morning

what does the presence of "sludge" indicate?

[doublepostwhore]

Usually enough to see my rpm's drop from 1500 to 800, that takes circa 5 minutes.

if its a cold day I always plug the block heater in.

Another thing is when people plug their cars in all night long and they waste SO MUCH electricity... it takes 30 minutes tops for the block heater to warm up the oil. Buy a timer, saves on your elec bill.

in winter I try to stay left of 4K all the time, I open my waste gate and run low boost.

[stevieo]

start car
turn on heat defrost/defogger/heated mirrors/heated seats (pending on which car i take)
brush of snow/scrape ice
go

whereas in my old car...

start it 2 minutes before i come out
(i already set it to heat, defog and full blast)
brush/scrape windows
wait a bit
then i go

my old car doesn't warm up as quickly as my parents car or my new car.

[Mitsu3000gt]

As other have said, its not good to let your car idle for a long time. Other things need to warm up too, not just the engine. The best possible way to warm up a car is to drive it gently. Never giver until there is engine temperature, and in a turbocharged car you should never be boosting more than you have to to drive gently until you have oil temperature as well.

I personally stay below ~3000 RPM until the engine is warm, and on top of that I stay out of boost until there is oil temperature. That is the best for your turbos.

I also have noticed huge differences between cars for warm up times. My dads 540i is at full operating temperature within 2 minutes, and after 30 seconds of idling you have heat. My car takes about 5 min of driving for heat, 10 min or so for full engine temp (depending how cold it is outside), and ~10 min for oil temperature to budge.

[topmade]

Usually no wait, but it's dangerous sometimes because if it's really cold the windows will fog right up and you can't see anything even with the heat on full blast.

[codepoet101]

when i start up my oil pressure is hella high over 100psi i just wait untill it drops a little and my idle returs to 1000 it hops up to about 1300 when i cold start then just dont race the engine till its fully warm hense the gauge

[sputnik]

Usually just a couple of minutes.

Enough to get the iVTEC to stop ticking.

[nonsane]

Originally posted by soupey


what does the presence of &quot;sludge&quot; indicate?


When the air condenses in the engine you get water droplets, in the summer less condenses, and the water that does condense, the oil gets warm enough to evaporate it and send it out the PCV System. not so much in winter.

So if it's building up you are not letting the engine get warm enough to burn it off, or you are making alot of short trips.

take some motor oil and mix it with water. It will make the white/brownish sludge. Makes 1-2 servings :P

[Warthog]

I get in, start it, and turn on the electric seat warmer. Turn on the defrost (it uses the A/C), and back slowly out of the driveway. I live in a residential area so never get up much speed until the car has time to warm up anyway. Tach stays below 3000 for at least 10 minutes.

But then this is Toronto & thanks to Lake Ontario it never really gets cold here except maybe once or twice a winter we might get down to -20C for 2-3 days. Otherwise the worst we get is "slush".

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Aleks
Anything more than 1 minute is wasting gas. The car doesn't need it. However it's nice to have a warm car when you get out there first thing.

Actually in the summer 30 seconds will suffice and 1 minute in freezing temps will totally suffice. Idling for long periods of time is one of the worst things you can do for your engine as you run rich A/F mixtures, oil pressure is at it's lowest, and as some have said you are simply wasting gas. The people that are saying 5 minutes or more are getting no benefit and can actually be doing long term harm.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by soupey


what does the presence of &quot;sludge&quot; indicate?

In turbocharged engines that run hot especially, sludge usually is an indication of oil not being changed enough. Audi/VW had to extend warranties of their 1.8T engines as they originally perscribed too long an interval for oil changes and many owners were getting premature engine failure due to sludge build up even though many were dealer serviced at manufacturer recommended intervals.

[HRD2PLZ]

Originally posted by Cruz
Garage FTW.

:werd: When I am at work though, I use my remote start. Let the truck idle anywhere from 5 - 10 minutes. As long as the seats are warm I am okay :rofl:

[RandomAnything]

Lately about 20 mins thats just cause i roll out of bed go outside and start the car and it takes me 20 min to get the kid up and get us both ready to go to school and work.