Originally Posted By: finmile
Originally Posted By: philipp10
Your list shows me you feel NOT warming up your car is a big deal. I live in Minnesota, few if anyone warms up before driving but I rarely see a smoker. It would be interesting if we could see some real data nationwide that could actually prove this one way or another.
Well, to be precise I didn't say anything about warming up the car (which sounds to me something like minutes). I did say that driving away immediately at sub freezing temperatures could be (a little bit) bad for the engine.
I think that at really cold weather one should not start and go instantly, but wait a few seconds at idle first.
I like that rule Audi Junkie wrote at the thread below: “My rule is one second at idle for every degree below freezing. +22F = 10 sec at idle, +12f = 20 sec at idle and so on.”
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/657343/1
I’d like to enhance the rule by saying that you should always wait at least five seconds before you drive. I have made a habit of starting the engine always first and after that fasten the seat belt, tune the radio etc => and then go. Not the other way around. I think that idling more than this is a waste of time and fuel.
The only exception when I idle more is when I have snow and ice on top of the car. In those situations I first start the engine then remove ice and snow and then drive. I tried once the other way around and ended up having fog inside of the windshield. Didn’t like that to happen and since then have always started the engine first.
I do something very similar in the winter here, I will get in and start the car first thing, then put on my seatbelt, tune to the AM news, then drive slowly and accelerate easily, at least until the temp gauge starts to move. I figure I give maybe about 20-30 seconds max idling, and this is just enough to let the RPMs come down a bit from where the car first starts.
Some of the coldest mornings (10F or less), I can hear the starter run slowly, and the engine makes a bit of a unique sound for the first half mile or so, hard to describe, it just sounds "louder".
I do admit I make the car work for me on days with snow and ice. I fire it up and let it idle to get heat & defrosters go as I clean the snow off of it. That could be 3-5 minutes, but after cleaning it off, the last thing I want is to get into a freezing cold car.
Originally Posted By: philipp10
Your list shows me you feel NOT warming up your car is a big deal. I live in Minnesota, few if anyone warms up before driving but I rarely see a smoker. It would be interesting if we could see some real data nationwide that could actually prove this one way or another.
Well, to be precise I didn't say anything about warming up the car (which sounds to me something like minutes). I did say that driving away immediately at sub freezing temperatures could be (a little bit) bad for the engine.
I think that at really cold weather one should not start and go instantly, but wait a few seconds at idle first.
I like that rule Audi Junkie wrote at the thread below: “My rule is one second at idle for every degree below freezing. +22F = 10 sec at idle, +12f = 20 sec at idle and so on.”
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/657343/1
I’d like to enhance the rule by saying that you should always wait at least five seconds before you drive. I have made a habit of starting the engine always first and after that fasten the seat belt, tune the radio etc => and then go. Not the other way around. I think that idling more than this is a waste of time and fuel.
The only exception when I idle more is when I have snow and ice on top of the car. In those situations I first start the engine then remove ice and snow and then drive. I tried once the other way around and ended up having fog inside of the windshield. Didn’t like that to happen and since then have always started the engine first.
I do something very similar in the winter here, I will get in and start the car first thing, then put on my seatbelt, tune to the AM news, then drive slowly and accelerate easily, at least until the temp gauge starts to move. I figure I give maybe about 20-30 seconds max idling, and this is just enough to let the RPMs come down a bit from where the car first starts.
Some of the coldest mornings (10F or less), I can hear the starter run slowly, and the engine makes a bit of a unique sound for the first half mile or so, hard to describe, it just sounds "louder".
I do admit I make the car work for me on days with snow and ice. I fire it up and let it idle to get heat & defrosters go as I clean the snow off of it. That could be 3-5 minutes, but after cleaning it off, the last thing I want is to get into a freezing cold car.