Vehicle warm up question

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Messages
1,995
Location
South Dakota
I know that some people are in favor of warming up a vehicle. Some are in favor of just driving gently for the first few miles.

My Driver Information Center displays oil temperature, among other things. Would you be more likely to let a vehicle warm up, particularly in Sub-Zero temps, if you knew the oil temperature? Secondly, at what oil temperature would you consider the vehicle "warmed up"?
 
I would consider 100 degrees warmed up enough to drive normally in sub zero temps. I believe in my 4 cyl car the oil cools off quickly when the car goes back to just putting around after being on the interstate ect...

I wish I had an oil temp gauge.
 
During warmer weather, 10 seconds; freezing 30 seconds. I use synthetic oil, but any oil is at the top of the engine lubricating within seconds.

The highway is 1 mile from my house so in the colder weather I drive around 2 blocks before I pull out as the revs are too high if I don't.
 
It was 16 degrees here this AM, running 5w30 conventional,,just start up and put in drive,,my ancient 2005 Lasabre,, runs well.
 
When it's down below freezing, I always wait until I feel SOMETHING other than ice-cold air blowing out of the heater vents.
 
My 4runners have auxillery electric heat, my bmw does to. I just drive normally(gentle like an adult )until the temperature is up. In the bmw the oil temp gauge starts moving at 160, which is an indication that the engine had warmed sufficiently to accelerate more aggressively if I want to.
The f150does not have auxillery heat and it sits outside. I start it up and idle with the defrost and heat on for 15-20mi utes wheni it is really cold for both visibility and personal comfort..that machine serves me.
They all run fine.
 
When the vehicle will move forward is when I think it's ok. But I don't have to merge onto a highway or deal with awful traffic either--so I can hop in and go (gently). Which I have been doing in this current cold snap, where it's been negative temps at night and maybe +5F during the day. Most days I start, get out and clean off the car, and then go. Been eons since I had a car that truly needed to warm up (back in the bad old carb days).

Now I usually wait to turn on the heat until coolant is 100F or better (if I have the luxury of a readout). Otherwise it's just too cold to run the "heat".

I do like getting into a warm car, but it's not that often that I let it run for 10 minutes.
 
When its this cold out, I usually try to give them at least 30 seconds of idling just to get the oil moving before taking off. I gave the TDi about 5 minutes this morning while I helped my wife with something quick, 0 degrees out. Gave it 3 glows and it fired up, a bit smoky but no problems. I usually never let the gassers go longer than 2-3 minutes, no matter the weather.
 
-4F this AM and I decided to take the 99 Grand Marquis that sits outside, and has been sitting about a week. It started right up. I put on my seatbelt, plugged in my phone and drove off slowly. The best way to get a car to operating temp is to drive it. In a couple of miles at 30-40 mph I was getting heat from the heater.

FWIW, I am using a 1 year old $49 Value Power (or whatever the name is of the WalMart value battery) and the car started just fine.
 
I look at it more from the safety factor. I like to at least get enough heat to make sure the defroster is working and I can clear the windshield.

It was -32f here last week, car started up fine with 0w40 but took 25 minutes before I got the windows thawed out so I could see safely.
 
I know some posters may disagree but if you are living in a cold weather state like South Dakota and have electric access, I would have a oil pan heater running in sub-zero weather. It might not be feasible for every parking situation but at home when it’s likely to be parked the longest I would. Anything that helps the engine is a plus. 0w-xx oils are another suggestion.
 
Originally Posted By: javacontour
-4F this AM and I decided to take the 99 Grand Marquis that sits outside, and has been sitting about a week. It started right up. I put on my seatbelt, plugged in my phone and drove off slowly. The best way to get a car to operating temp is to drive it. In a couple of miles at 30-40 mph I was getting heat from the heater.

FWIW, I am using a 1 year old $49 Value Power (or whatever the name is of the WalMart value battery) and the car started just fine.


I agree, start engine let it run for 7-8 seconds and then drive.

I used to live in Charlotte, NC and it never got very cold but no need to run engine for 5 minutes.
 
Start car, put on seatbelt, drive off.

Hold the revs around 2,500RPM for faster oil heating.

But I'm in a very temperate area...if there's frost on the windshield, I keep it running while I clear that.
 
Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
I remote start my Ram, so it always gets at least 10 mins or so warm up time before I go.


Same, and my wife's car too. Depending on how cold it is will also depend on how long I idle it?

Tomorrow, when my wife returns to work, I will start her car for her easily 10 minutes before she leaves as it is supposed to be -26C the last time I looked.

When I'm at work with my Ram, and if the temp was the same, I'd idle longer there as once I leave I am on the hwy in just over a km, km and a half.
Getting up to hwy speed while traveling up hill to do so, has always bothered me in the winter so that is why I stay a little longer in the parking lot waiting for things to warm up even more.
I also, (and have for many years now), place my transmission in neutral while warming up. We had an old work van that would not shift in the cold until it was warmed up. Another worker there told me put it in neutral in the winter/cold as it gets the pump working which helps warm up and get the tranny fluid flowing.
Anyone else do this? It worked on that work van and my current Ram also shifts a lot better than if I just started off from park rather than neutral.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top