My opinion based on what feels right and who can argue with that, is until idle drops a bit which is usually somewhere around 30 seconds or so in my experience. Saves some drivetrain wear. But the oil definitely does warm up at idle. Of course not to full operating temp but it does warm up and I believe whatever amount helps even if it's only like 40 degrees. I guess a correlation between temp and oil visc could prove this irrelevant but even if the oil warmed none at all, you'd be more apt to have oil pumped everywhere as opposed to just cranking and going.
Let the truck warm up?
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Originally Posted by Jimmy_Russells
Originally Posted by Elkins45
I just wonder what the need is.
To heat the cat as quickly as possible
Thanks. That makes sense.
Originally Posted by Elkins45
I just wonder what the need is.
To heat the cat as quickly as possible
Thanks. That makes sense.
Usually no more than a minute or as long as it takes to clear the windows on an average winter day. However, when the temp gets into double minus digits that's when I consider going back inside and letting it idle for a little longer. On those rare days when it's close to or over -20C then I'm definitely giving it a good 10 minutes.
Broken thread ive already asked about this and got no where. Your expected to be driving within 30 seconds of starting your car regardless of your situation. Frost? Tuff sh%& drive. Snow? Tuff sh$% drive. Inch of ice? Tuff sh$% drive. No garage? Tuff sh%# drive. Pathetic. And then they get obnoxious for an oil that wont stand up to "idling" for 10 minutes. I suppose you can fu$*en floor it the entire time you own the car i guess? Reminds me of the Valvoline saying "never idle" *just do what you have to*
Originally Posted by GaryPoe
Broken thread ive already asked about this and got no where. Your expected to be driving within 30 seconds of starting your car regardless of your situation. Frost? Tuff sh%& drive. Snow? Tuff sh$% drive. Inch of ice? Tuff sh$% drive. No garage? Tuff sh%# drive. Pathetic. And then they get obnoxious for an oil that wont stand up to "idling" for 10 minutes. I suppose you can fu$*en floor it the entire time you own the car i guess? Reminds me of the Valvoline saying "never idle" *just do what you have to*
Ha, Ha…thanks for the chuckle!
Like any forum you have to accept both the BS and the finger vanes. Let's see what they do when starting their car in Monkey Nuts Manitoba. The argument to me isn't linear with one part unnecessary equal's one part detrimental. As long as it's not habitual I don't see a problem.
Broken thread ive already asked about this and got no where. Your expected to be driving within 30 seconds of starting your car regardless of your situation. Frost? Tuff sh%& drive. Snow? Tuff sh$% drive. Inch of ice? Tuff sh$% drive. No garage? Tuff sh%# drive. Pathetic. And then they get obnoxious for an oil that wont stand up to "idling" for 10 minutes. I suppose you can fu$*en floor it the entire time you own the car i guess? Reminds me of the Valvoline saying "never idle" *just do what you have to*
Ha, Ha…thanks for the chuckle!
Like any forum you have to accept both the BS and the finger vanes. Let's see what they do when starting their car in Monkey Nuts Manitoba. The argument to me isn't linear with one part unnecessary equal's one part detrimental. As long as it's not habitual I don't see a problem.
I think some of you need to invest in ice scrapers and snow brushes and the like. It's not rocket science, they're available every fall at nearly every department store. Get in, start the car, get out with the brush and clean off the car. Get back in when all the snow is knocked off and the ice is scraped from the windows.
Originally Posted by Fawteen
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
This is what will happen if you let your car warm up for 30 seconds before driving off
![[Linked Image]](https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2019/10/full-77952-37200-frost.jpeg "[Linked Image]")
Well, not really, not if you take an extra 10 seconds to scrape the whole windshield.
heck, that frost isn't even all that thick.
I'm sure I can find an example with thicker frost or even snow and ice to make the point clearer to those who think you can let a car run for 2 minutes and go. I mean, you live in NH so you will understand this perfectly well.
Who would be foolish enough to live in an area like that without a garage?
Costs money to have a garage--it raises the taxes and all. If you rent, it might not be possible at all.
Plus some people like the snow and cold. I don't mind it. Was born up here and think it normal to have to wear a jacket in cold weather, to shovel snow when it's on the walkway, to clean off a car when I need to. Just part of life up here. I'm guessing if I was born further south I'd think it normal to mow the yard and find a car, or for my home to be on wheels while my vehicles were on cinder blocks.
Although I do look forward this year to using my garage. The rear defroster is broken in my car, and I'm finding I miss my heated mirrors. Those problems show up well above freezing though! I still wind up with one vehicle out in the cold (3 vehicles, 2 garage spots) and it'll only get worse when the kids get their own vehicles.
Edit: just realized, "you don't miss what you didn't have". My parents lived in New York and didn't have garages growing up; they didn't for the time I lived with them. I went off to college in Maine and didn't have one; the first 20 years of adult life and I still didn't have one. I didn't sit on the curb and cry over what I didn't have.
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
This is what will happen if you let your car warm up for 30 seconds before driving off
Well, not really, not if you take an extra 10 seconds to scrape the whole windshield.
heck, that frost isn't even all that thick.
I'm sure I can find an example with thicker frost or even snow and ice to make the point clearer to those who think you can let a car run for 2 minutes and go. I mean, you live in NH so you will understand this perfectly well.
Who would be foolish enough to live in an area like that without a garage?
Costs money to have a garage--it raises the taxes and all. If you rent, it might not be possible at all.
Plus some people like the snow and cold. I don't mind it. Was born up here and think it normal to have to wear a jacket in cold weather, to shovel snow when it's on the walkway, to clean off a car when I need to. Just part of life up here. I'm guessing if I was born further south I'd think it normal to mow the yard and find a car, or for my home to be on wheels while my vehicles were on cinder blocks.
Although I do look forward this year to using my garage. The rear defroster is broken in my car, and I'm finding I miss my heated mirrors. Those problems show up well above freezing though! I still wind up with one vehicle out in the cold (3 vehicles, 2 garage spots) and it'll only get worse when the kids get their own vehicles.
Edit: just realized, "you don't miss what you didn't have". My parents lived in New York and didn't have garages growing up; they didn't for the time I lived with them. I went off to college in Maine and didn't have one; the first 20 years of adult life and I still didn't have one. I didn't sit on the curb and cry over what I didn't have.
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My family is from Northern Finland, it gets to -42C ( same as F ) sometimes ( on rare occasions admittedly, but -25C or -30C is very common )
We hardly ever warmed up any of our cars, scrape the windows and snow off the windows first, then start the engine, let it run for about a minute and go.
Never had any issues...
My father simply taught me to drive gently until the temp gauge begins coming up and that method always worked perfectly, the engine warmed up much quicker than idling.
We hardly ever warmed up any of our cars, scrape the windows and snow off the windows first, then start the engine, let it run for about a minute and go.
Never had any issues...
My father simply taught me to drive gently until the temp gauge begins coming up and that method always worked perfectly, the engine warmed up much quicker than idling.
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I'm not sure if we're special here or what, but many of you make it sound like you can always clear off a windshield in 30 seconds. I've literally had a layer of ice so thick and smooth it couldn't be scrapped. Many times each winter it takes 5-10 minutes just to clear the windshield depending on weather conditions.
Originally Posted by JoelB
I'm not sure if we're special here or what, but many of you make it sound like you can always clear off a windshield in 30 seconds. I've literally had a layer of ice so thick and smooth it couldn't be scrapped. Many times each winter it takes 5-10 minutes just to clear the windshield depending on weather conditions.
I've been in that situation as well. One good thing about that is the interior is warming up by the time you finish. Having electric defrosters helps speed up the process.
I'm not sure if we're special here or what, but many of you make it sound like you can always clear off a windshield in 30 seconds. I've literally had a layer of ice so thick and smooth it couldn't be scrapped. Many times each winter it takes 5-10 minutes just to clear the windshield depending on weather conditions.
I've been in that situation as well. One good thing about that is the interior is warming up by the time you finish. Having electric defrosters helps speed up the process.
Originally Posted by FordCapriDriver
My family is from Northern Finland, it gets to -42C ( same as F ) sometimes ( on rare occasions admittedly, but -25C or -30C is very common )
We hardly ever warmed up any of our cars, scrape the windows and snow off the windows first, then start the engine, let it run for about a minute and go.
Never had any issues...
My father simply taught me to drive gently until the temp gauge begins coming up and that method always worked perfectly, the engine warmed up much quicker than idling.
This^
and get a block heater installed (and a cabin heater while your at it to keep from having to scrape windows), if you live in a cold climate.
My family is from Northern Finland, it gets to -42C ( same as F ) sometimes ( on rare occasions admittedly, but -25C or -30C is very common )
We hardly ever warmed up any of our cars, scrape the windows and snow off the windows first, then start the engine, let it run for about a minute and go.
Never had any issues...
My father simply taught me to drive gently until the temp gauge begins coming up and that method always worked perfectly, the engine warmed up much quicker than idling.
This^
and get a block heater installed (and a cabin heater while your at it to keep from having to scrape windows), if you live in a cold climate.
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by JoelB
I'm not sure if we're special here or what, but many of you make it sound like you can always clear off a windshield in 30 seconds. I've literally had a layer of ice so thick and smooth it couldn't be scrapped. Many times each winter it takes 5-10 minutes just to clear the windshield depending on weather conditions.
I've been in that situation as well. One good thing about that is the interior is warming up by the time you finish. Having electric defrosters helps speed up the process.
I've been lucky and that happens maybe once a winter for me. If it happened more often than that I'd probably think about covering the vehicle on nights that I was to get icing like that. But yeah, leaving it on defrost and walking away for 5 minutes can do wonders for softening ice. [Rant mode here: this is where I want to be able to turn on recirculate! No one in the vehicle, not warm enough inside to really get much moisture, so recirculate should be a valid option. But some models won't allow recirculate on defrost. Stupid!]
I used to have a TDi and that car was not capable of idling to come up to temp. It just didn't make heat at idle. I blew a coolant hose one night and drove 15 or 20 miles with only the coolant in the block. That was highway miles. It didn't care, it was winter and a cold night at that, and there was enough airflow over the engine (and through it?) that it stayed cool enough. Many a winter day was started with the window cracked as I wouldn't have a hint of heat for at least 5 miles--at that point the window has to be lowered so I don't fog up in the insides. [Was well worth the effort, that car averaged 46mpg over the 314k and 11 years I drove it, 700 miles on a tank of fuel helped. Still miss that car at times.]
Originally Posted by JoelB
I'm not sure if we're special here or what, but many of you make it sound like you can always clear off a windshield in 30 seconds. I've literally had a layer of ice so thick and smooth it couldn't be scrapped. Many times each winter it takes 5-10 minutes just to clear the windshield depending on weather conditions.
I've been in that situation as well. One good thing about that is the interior is warming up by the time you finish. Having electric defrosters helps speed up the process.
I've been lucky and that happens maybe once a winter for me. If it happened more often than that I'd probably think about covering the vehicle on nights that I was to get icing like that. But yeah, leaving it on defrost and walking away for 5 minutes can do wonders for softening ice. [Rant mode here: this is where I want to be able to turn on recirculate! No one in the vehicle, not warm enough inside to really get much moisture, so recirculate should be a valid option. But some models won't allow recirculate on defrost. Stupid!]
I used to have a TDi and that car was not capable of idling to come up to temp. It just didn't make heat at idle. I blew a coolant hose one night and drove 15 or 20 miles with only the coolant in the block. That was highway miles. It didn't care, it was winter and a cold night at that, and there was enough airflow over the engine (and through it?) that it stayed cool enough. Many a winter day was started with the window cracked as I wouldn't have a hint of heat for at least 5 miles--at that point the window has to be lowered so I don't fog up in the insides. [Was well worth the effort, that car averaged 46mpg over the 314k and 11 years I drove it, 700 miles on a tank of fuel helped. Still miss that car at times.]
So you guys that live in the cold that are taking off after a minute your telling us you clean off the car and scrape the windows then get in and start it up?
Originally Posted by Duffyjr
So you guys that live in the cold that are taking off after a minute your telling us you clean off the car and scrape the windows then get in and start it up?
I usually start it first, but yes, I would. Very often at work, at the end of the day, that is what I can do, as the car would be clear of snow and ice, and even frost. But even if it was -20F... end of the work day, I'm outta there! [It's usually not below +10F very often, usually in the 20's I'd say but still.]
So you guys that live in the cold that are taking off after a minute your telling us you clean off the car and scrape the windows then get in and start it up?
I usually start it first, but yes, I would. Very often at work, at the end of the day, that is what I can do, as the car would be clear of snow and ice, and even frost. But even if it was -20F... end of the work day, I'm outta there! [It's usually not below +10F very often, usually in the 20's I'd say but still.]
I clean off the snow and ice first then get in the car and start it, even though I have a remote car starter. The two things are separate events. If it is colder than -10 below zero I use the remote starter and let the car warm up so the heater works. That is for my own comfort though, not the engine.
Originally Posted by JoelB
I'm not sure if we're special here or what, but many of you make it sound like you can always clear off a windshield in 30 seconds. I've literally had a layer of ice so thick and smooth it couldn't be scrapped. Many times each winter it takes 5-10 minutes just to clear the windshield depending on weather conditions.
Every single time this topic comes up, here or anywhere else, people talk like this. I tell you, I get confused every time ! I mean, maybe it's just me, but if it's so cold out that the insides of the windows are frosted or fogged up, the car feels like there's no power steering, your teeth are chattering, and so on, I have no idea how they do it !! I mean, speaking of fogged up windows, just things like that make me think many of them are flat out lying. Or to them, 50º is "cold" !!
Originally Posted by Duffyjr
So you guys that live in the cold that are taking off after a minute your telling us you clean off the car and scrape the windows then get in and start it up?
See above
I think a bunch of people are full of it.
I'm not sure if we're special here or what, but many of you make it sound like you can always clear off a windshield in 30 seconds. I've literally had a layer of ice so thick and smooth it couldn't be scrapped. Many times each winter it takes 5-10 minutes just to clear the windshield depending on weather conditions.
Every single time this topic comes up, here or anywhere else, people talk like this. I tell you, I get confused every time ! I mean, maybe it's just me, but if it's so cold out that the insides of the windows are frosted or fogged up, the car feels like there's no power steering, your teeth are chattering, and so on, I have no idea how they do it !! I mean, speaking of fogged up windows, just things like that make me think many of them are flat out lying. Or to them, 50º is "cold" !!
Originally Posted by Duffyjr
So you guys that live in the cold that are taking off after a minute your telling us you clean off the car and scrape the windows then get in and start it up?
See above
^^^Reckon everyone can mount a bunch of back up cameras on the top of the car for a 360° view. Then there wouldnt be any subjective controversy.
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
This is what will happen if you let your car warm up for 30 seconds before driving off
I've seen idiots driving like that. There's usually a foot of snow on their roofs too. It's times like that I wish I was a Police Officer.
This is what will happen if you let your car warm up for 30 seconds before driving off
I've seen idiots driving like that. There's usually a foot of snow on their roofs too. It's times like that I wish I was a Police Officer.
Here's what I had this morning, with 36º F. I had started the car and went back in to get my phone to take these pictures so they are about 1 minute in. Admittedly, this frost was pretty thin and ~5 minutes with the car running (and defrost on), it turned mushy enough that 1-2 passes of the wiper cleared it good. I needed 5 minutes or longer anyway because the leather seats were freakin' cold !! Probably didn't help that I am wearing shorts either
![[Linked Image]](https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2019/10/full-77952-37242-img_2795.jpg "[Linked Image]")
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