Warming up the car

[eriemoto.]

just wondering how long most of you take to warm up the car on a cold engine? i think i'm letting it warm up too long in the morning, therefore hurting my gas mileage in the long run.

[NorcoAccord]

I don't really let my car warm up I live like 5 mins from the freeway I just turn on and let her go by the time i get 1/2 way there my temp gaug read 1/4 way to 1/2. It depends on how cold. If I lived were it snows I would let it warm up till my gauge got warm so i could turn on the heater and feel the sweet heat. Most people from what I read down shift over 3 grand tills it warm you could try that if you want to avoid warming up. BTW how long do you let it warm up.

[T3aM 83rD]

5-10 min when it really cold.

[The G-Man]

1 minute 2 minutes tops. I always make sure the controls are set on cold so I don't waste time running cold water through the heater core, and I don't switch it over to hot until the temp gage rises to the middle. That way the car heats up faster. I pretty much wear some leather gloves for the drive to school in the morning. Mostly because of the metal shifter knob, but the wheel can be pretty cold too.

[eriemoto.]

I don't really let my car warm up I live like 5 mins from the freeway I just turn on and let her go by the time i get 1/2 way there my temp gaug read 1/4 way to 1/2. It depends on how cold. If I lived were it snows I would let it warm up till my gauge got warm so i could turn on the heater and feel the sweet heat. Most people from what I read down shift over 3 grand tills it warm you could try that if you want to avoid warming up. BTW how long do you let it warm up.

during the winter, i let it warm up until the needle just starts to move

[Ralphie]

i never do(its never that cold) but when it is that cold i let it warm up till idle drops to normal(which is the optimum operating temp)

[asleepz]

It's been said that it's just a waste of time to actually warm up an engine, just for comfort would be the only logical reason to do it. I crank it let it go for 30 seconds to make sure oil is everywhere and go for it, but I only reccomend going >45 until it's near running temperature.

[NAiL05]

On colder days yes I do let it run longer like 2-3 min max or if I have a lot of time 5min. But most of the time I will let it sit for like 2 min then I will drive it around slow without dogging it or anything and let the temp makes its way to the warm mark.

[cp[mike]]

i let it idle for a minute, maybe 2 max. i drive very moderately while its still warming up, i shift at like 3k, drive slow, etc.

i have a block heater, i just have to get around to putting the power cable in...

[93_EXR.]

i never let it warm up. it was -19c this morning and I just jumped in and drove to school.

Cheers

[DraZtiK]

you got to be kidding me.. theres a post about how long do you warm up your car?! lol.. well depends how cold.. here in Minnesota it can get really cold... if you want it kinda warm when you get in 4-5 mins... nice and toasty then 12-15 mins.. last winter i used my remote start and its preset to 15mins to turn off when the 15 comes its nice and warm in there.. but if you can handle cold for 2-3 mins of driving then do it!

[90exaccord]

my temp guage goes all the way to H before the car is even warm

[Granite CB7]

During the winter and cold weather 5-10 minutes. Yes, gas mileage goes way down for me, but I really don't care. Gas mileage in the winter will never be as good. I just can't believe how people will start their car on a 0* morning and leave immediately

[xtremeskier97]

It's been said that it's just a waste of time to actually warm up an engine, just for comfort would be the only logical reason to do it. I crank it let it go for 30 seconds to make sure oil is everywhere and go for it, but I only reccomend going >45 until it's near running temperature.

You know you just said that you recommend going OVER 45 until it's near running temp, right?

The practice of actually 'warming up' the car is only needed if you want hot air right away. The main point in letting the car run for a bit before driving off is to get the oil where it needs to go to be fully lubricated. I rarely ever let my car 'warm up'. I let it idle for about 10-15 minutes to get oil everywhere, but that's it. I keep my car in the garage so it's not cold to where it needs to be 'warmed up'.

[timmy0tool]

this is a topic that i've been wanting to see!

you can just jump right in and drive and the needle will move 1/4 mile down the street. that's because you are putting a load on the motor and it will heat up faster than if you are just sitting there.

also that's why there is a thermostat that remains closed (as to not let the water into the radiator to cool) so that helps warm the car up to operating temperature. as the water heats up the thermostat opens slowly. the temp sensor on the gauge cluster is located after the thermostat housing.

my main concern for warming the engine before driving is the OIL. you see it takes longer for the oil to get warmed up. start up is where the motor can exhibit the most wear and tear b/c the oil isn't protecting the motor as it would if it was at operating temperature. this is why i would warm up the car at least 5 mins then drive BELOW 2k rpms to let the oil heat up!

if you read a manual for a scion xb they actually tell you to drive the car at start up but keep the car below 2k rpms. this may be b/c they don't have a temp gauge (just a dummy light) but this is just to show you guys. note that scion/toyota motors are newer too so take that into consideration.