After starting, how long before driving?

[825ltrgt]

Ford 4.6 3V with M1 5w20.

In colder weather, how long should the engine run before driving?

In the past, I've let the idle stabilize (norm idle rpm) and not shifted above 2.5k until normal temp is reached.

Is this the preferred method.

Thanks.

 

[crazyoildude]

Im a firm believer in warming up any engine especially in the cold weather
In the winter i give all my engines between 3 and 5 minutes depending on how cold others may disagree.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Im a firm believer in warming up any engine especially in the cold weather
In the winter i give all my engines between 3 and 5 minutes depending on how cold others may disagree.


^^2nd

 

[mechanicx]

I like to drive off gently right away. I figure if I have oil pressure and keep the throttle load low and rpms below 2500, I'm just going to assure better lubrication and a quicker warmup than letting it idle.

 

[DragRace]

I never leave til the idle settles down

Winter,when it's -10 degrees or colder,I'll let it idle for a longer time period.

 

[Aquaticentipede]

Same here, wait until the RPM comes down & the temp gauge goes up; the colder the longer. My wife on the other hand, starts it up & goes regardless of having explained it to her several times.

 

[CharlieJ]

I let the idle settle down to around 1000rpm before driving gentle.

 

[AlanCanada]

Plug in your block heater and you will be able to drive away sooner and reduce the wear on your engine.

 

[lewdwig]

I take off right away, I live on a country road so I can slowly accelerate to about 30mph down the hill.

 

[hr1940]

In the summer I let my car warm up for a full minute and in the winter I let it warm up for a full 2 to 3 minutes. I watch my second hand to make sure I give it enough time. When I drove the diesel trucks I let them warm longer. I drive at a reasonable speed until I get down the hill (3 1/2 mile) to the highway.

 

[joel95ex]

Originally Posted By: Aquaticentipede
Same here, wait until the RPM comes down & the temp gauge goes up; the colder the longer. My wife on the other hand, starts it up & goes regardless of having explained it to her several times.


hehe tell her to drive off immediately.....that will get her to wait.. I usually wait a few minutes, then drive very gently down the street in cold weather until temp gauge rises. in hot weather, I just go.

 

[Ken2]

As soon as it'll drive, drive it easy. The engine will warm up more quickly and more evenly if you put some load on it. Just allowing it to idle without load is the dirtiest way to run an engine. Letting it idle is not doing the engine any favors.

I totally agree with engine heaters in frigid climates. The heated engine will have less wear when starting due to the parts being closer to running dimensions, you'll save some fuel, the exhaust will be cleaner sooner, and you'll have cabin heat much sooner.

 

[dsmith41]

I'm another guy who just waits on the idle to settle down. After that, I just take it easy for a while.

 

[Gary Allan]

The first start of the day I usually wait until the pressure gauge stabilizes. That takes about 30 seconds. Then I drive normally, which is pretty conservative anyway. If there's snow or frost on the windshield I may have it running while I clear/scrape it.

 

[AlanCanada]

Is there any truth to this statement:

"Just allowing it to idle without load is the dirtiest way to run an engine."

Does anyone have any data on this?

 

[Colt45ws]

Ford says 1 hour of idling is equal to 33 miles of driving.
I also let the idle come down under 1000. Its like a built in timer.

 

[rastoma]

As long as there is no or very little traffic, I'll leave immediately but do not even touch the accelerator. Fortunately when I leave for work there's no cars on the side streets. So I let the car pull itself without giving any gas. I think it's even easier on the engine than idling sitting still because it's idling even lower when it's gear. After about 1 minute I'm close to a main road and I just barely touch the gas to get going a few MPH more and baby it for about 5 minutes then go.

If I didn't have this subdivision and no traffic, I'd sit in the drive-way 2-3 minutes and then use very little gas for another min or two.

If the oil is rated to handle the temp you are in, anything more and you're just wasting gas.

 

[Stanley Rockafeller]

Originally Posted By: Aquaticentipede
Same here, wait until the RPM comes down & the temp gauge goes up; the colder the longer. My wife on the other hand, starts it up & goes regardless of having explained it to her several times.


I'd say go with what your wife is doing, esp. if your running syn.

in really cold weather, I wait till I've cleaned off the car or scraped off the ice from the glass. Anything longer (with syn in the engine) is a waste of fuel and time (both of which are non-renewable resources btw). i keep my rpm's low, accelerate hard and shift early to get that motor up to temp and get warm air in the car

 

[ThirdeYe]

Above freezing I just start it up and drive. Below freezing, I let it warm up for a minute or two before driving.

 

[Ibrahim]

Summer - Idle for Less than Minute

Autumn/Spring - 1 to 3 Min (depending on time of the day & how cold it is)


Chilly Frigid Winters (Temp < -5*C)- 3 to 5 Min (max)


Usually I do not have to re-warm my car if I am re-starting it within 3 to 4 hours...

This has always worked well for me!