starting engine in the cold

bb00y · 02-27-03, 02:39

when you starts your car in the cold (say in the morning of winter). is it better to leave the egine running for a couple of minutes before you take off?

Spilchy · 02-27-03, 02:47

You bet it does! How many of us have flown out of the house, late to work, on a freezing winter morning, started up our car and just drove? Sluggish, huh? You can just feel the damage being done!

I find warming my car up before I go makes a WORLD of difference, and prevents unecessary wear and tear.

I have an ungaraged, rust bucket winter queen 1986 Saab 9000S with upteen zillion miles on it! She ALWAYS gets a warm up! (Has NEVER burned a drop of oil)

Neb · 02-27-03, 02:49

this was discussed in another forum that i frequent, and the general consensus there was to let the car warm up for 1-3 minutes, and you should be good to go. I don't know about anyone else, but my oil temperature reaches normal levels faster if i'm driving around (like a granny of course, and on my torqueless monster)

TortoiseAWD · 02-28-03, 07:19

My $0.02 . . . give the oil pressure time to come up, wait about 30 seconds to allow oil to get circulating, and start driving. Fluids will come to operating temperature more quickly if you're actually driving than if you're just idling in the driveway. Just be gentle with the accelerator, and keep the RPMs low until the water temp comes up. Once the water temp is up, drive as normal.

Tort

Mindflux · 02-28-03, 08:12

According to the owners manuals for my last two VWs it says to fire her up an drive, don't wait. A lot of Audi owners can vouch their manual says this too.

I'd like to think the engineers know what they are talking about.

caddyman · 02-28-03, 08:49

THe engines of today DO NOT REQUIRE warming up. The engines are designed to be just driven. You ar basically just wasting gas to let it idle ofr long periods of time, unless you want to actually get the car warm.

I guess I should add to keep the RPMs under 3k

Aurora40 · 02-28-03, 10:53

Quote:

Originally posted by TortoiseAWD
My $0.02 . . . give the oil pressure time to come up, wait about 30 seconds to allow oil to get circulating, and start driving. Fluids will come to operating temperature more quickly if you're actually driving than if you're just idling in the driveway. Just be gentle with the accelerator, and keep the RPMs low until the water temp comes up. Once the water temp is up, drive as normal.

Tort

That's almost exactly what I do.

But I don't wait for just the water temp to come up. Since I no longer have an oil temp gauge, I wait about 5 miles or 5-10 minutes after the coolant hits operating temp (because the oil warms up more slowly than the coolant) before I would really lay into the car. But I rarely lay into the car anyway so it isn't much of an issue.

joed1228 · 03-03-03, 06:40

With the new cam springs I will be purchasing they recommend letting your motor get warm before driving to prevent them from breaking.

The tolerances of your motor when it is cold and warm are different. If my motor is used to stop and go driving when the motor is warm I don't want to shock it by driving the car when it's cold.

It's just an old habit that makes me feel more comfortable.

caddyman · 03-03-03, 06:59

I think it is more of apersonal preferrence more than anything else.

I do wait to warm up the old caddy tho.

But the ones ones just go, lol.

bizzy928 · 03-03-03, 07:25

Please note, if you warm up care engine for <5 mins each day, and you also want to warm up your transmission (assuming you have auto. I don't know how it works for manual) then you have to put your car in a gear. Most people do "R" and pull up the parking brake so your car doesn't back into something.

caddyman · 03-03-03, 10:47

When the engine is cold, the engine runs at a higher RPM. SO if you leave the car in GEAR, and let the parking brake hold the car, you are essentiall torque-braking the transmission, and causing excessive wear and heat. Tranny life..

It is YOUR car so if you feel it helps, then by all means do it.

You wouldnt hold your car on a hil for 5 mins with just the transmission would you? Thats basically the same thing.