This question is just out of curiosity...

It's starting to get cold out, and I was wondering, (to all the folks who live where it regularly gets under 25 degrees F) when you start your car in the morning, if you let it warm up before you take off, and if so how long? (I'm not talking about turning on the heat inside your car when I say "warm up", I'm referring to the engine)

Does warming it up for a small period of time provide anything beneficial?
I'm just sort of curious if or why this helps the engine, instead of just starting it and taking off right away.

 

I let it sit for a few mins and then start driving. I Pretty much just let the fluids start to move around a little.

 

I wait until the Coolant Temp thing says 100 degrees, then I drive off. Even with that, I take it easy for the first few miles.

 

if its been sitting for more then 6-8hrs i warm it to 100*, and let the cabin & my heated seats get warm.

 

But is it actually better for the car? It is right.

 

yes it is a good practice to get in to, it is hard on the enging just starting it up an going, i let it run for maby 5-10min befor i drive it

 

I warm mine up for about five mins,to 70 celcius,dont know what that is in American standard

 

Some engines, such as the notorious Quad Four, would develop head gasket leaks and the blame was usually on the aluminum head and the iron block expanding at different rates as they warmed up. So owners of Quad Fours are usually advised to let the engine warm up and even then, take it easy for awhile until its FULLY warmed up. Now I realize the Ecotec is all-aluminum and is a much better design than the Quad Four, but I still feel its a good practice to let it warm up at least a little. Better safe than sorry.

 

Technically, there is no real benefit to warming your car up. Many experts will tell you to turn it on and drive your car gently for the first 5 or 10 minutes so that you do not waste gas. It's not good to go WOT seconds after the car turns on, but there is no benefit to letting it sit running.

Personally, I turn my heat on every night right before I get out of the car and in the AM when it gets cold I get that autostart going and the rear defroster so that the car is nice and toasty when I get in. my MPG goes to crap, but I would rather be warm.

 

I totally agree, I think "warming up the car" is a carryover from older engines. Any wear you would get you are going to get right at cranking anyways because right after that oil is circulating throughout the engine. I don't go WOT either right after I start up but I don't sit there wasting gas either. I don't think newer engines need to "warm up."

 

one thing i know about warming up our is that our oil life meeter is calculating our oil life based on engine temperature and RPM's, so basicly, you oil % is going down faster if you run your car without warming it....so i asume that running an engine colder is harder on the oil? maybe? i dont know.

 

When the weather gets colder, your oil "coagualtes" and becomes thicker. Even synthetics when it gets really cold (-20C and lower) will start to do the same thing. So when you go to start your car in the cold it is sitting in the bottom of the oil pan and is thicker, so it is harder to circulate.

I have seen many cars and trucks in which the owner gets in, starts it, and tries to be "gentle" with it until it warms up and they end up wrecking the engine.

When you start your car and the engine is cold, your RPM's are usually a little higher (I think around 1200 to 1300rpm) so that it can circulate the oil and other fluids to warm the engine. I have always started the car when it is cold and let the car go into its "high idle" mode and I don't move the car until it has come out of that mode before I move it.

 

I let it warm up on really cold morning for 5 minutes tops.

 

Man that is exactly what I do. 100 degrees seems to be the magic number.
The car runs better warming up to 100 degrees.

At least let your car warm up for a minimum of 45 seconds before driving.

It takes about 45 seconds for oil to reach the top of our motors.

 

like many of you said before me i wait til the coolant gets up to 100-120^ before taking off, higher on colder days. i also wait til the heat kicks in to defrost the windshield if nec.

 

exactly^^^ if you are into knocking life off your engine,then by all means ,just jump in and go,the oil does indeed need to circulate,with me having the cams this is even more important.

 

the fact that you guys "technically" think theres no benefit to warming up your car is scary.
who "technically" told you that one?

go get a bottle of mobil 1, cool it down to a nice chilly early morning winter temperature, and pour some out of the bottle, then compare it to some nice heated oil.


no benefit. BAH. what are dads teaching their kids about engines these days.

 

I usually let my car warm to about 80 - 100 F before I start driving. Reason = so the oil gets circulating good. Oil needs to warm up so it flows correctly. Technically speaking, motor oil does not reach its best protection until it is at around 150 F which is why you shouldn't get on your car hard until it has warmed up. You don't need to let your car sit until it warms up to 150, just drive it easy till then.

 

obviously it's going to be more viscous under cooler temperatures, but long gone are the days where you could destroy your car by not warming it up. synthetics hold up better to cooler temperatures and will not need nearly as long to warm up.

The olden days had, as stated before, engine blocks made from two different materials and old fashioned oil that became like molasses in the winter.

my point exactly

 

how can that be your point exactly, when you said this a few posts ago...

 

i turn on my car, put on my seatbelt, find a good song on xm and take off. no need to let it warm up since i live in cali anyway.

many experts will say that you're just wasting gas letting newer cars now-a-days warm up. but i don't think they mean cars that have been sitting for hours in 20F or below.

 

thats why i have remote start

 

exactly!!

Its always interesting to hear the reasoning behind people who don't believe in warming up their cars.. Prob the same people rebuilding their engines before 100K.

 

i did some research and it takes average 30 second to make the oils circulate everywhere.....after that its useless...



here some facts from the government of canada.

•An idling engine releases twice as many exhaust fumes than a vehicle in motion.
•If every driver in Canada avoided idling for 5 minutes a day, we could prevent 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted.
•No more than 30 seconds of idling is needed for oil to circulate through your engine. Many components, such as the wheel bearings, tires and suspension system will only warm up once the vehicle is moving.
•Restarting your car many times has little impact on engine components, adding only around $10 per year to the cost of driving, money that is recovered in fuel savings.
•Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.
•Idling can damage your engine since it is not operating at its peak temperature where fuel is completely burned. Fuel residue from incomplete burning can damage engine parts.
•Idling a vehicle for 10 minutes a day uses an average of 100 litres of gas a year. If gas costs 70 cents a litre, you will save $70 per year, just by turning your key.
•During the winter, Canadians idle their vehicles for a combined total of 75 million minutes/day. This is equal to a vehicle idling for 144 years. Although we idle our vehicles about 40% less in summer, we still waste an enormous amount of fuel and money.
•A block heater warms the oil and engine coolant, making it easier to start your vehicle and improving winter fuel economy by as much as 10%.

 

no question a block heater is a huge help for canadians!