Do you warm up your car on cold mornings?

[Feathers]

Used to have to in my old XD with the manual choke.
The BA gets the time it takes for me to put my seatbelt on, and wait for the garage door to close behind us.


Having a bunch of friends overseas, in places where it gets to -25c in winter, I really don't think we have much to worry about, as it doesn't get cold enough in most of the country to be too much of a problem.

This cold start (-26c) of a 1983 KE70 Corolla in Finland rather puts things in perspective. Usually they have block heaters to help in winter. Not on this.
It was bought to be thrashed on ice tracks anyway.
https://youtu.be/zevQZzRZ2ts

[BENT_8]

Depends on the car, i wont put a car into reverse until the tacho is below 1k so in my BF its almost immediately, the lads Commodore takes about 30 seconds and the wifes Camry takes a good minute.
Once the're below 1k and wont thump into gear im off.

[Ensis]

For me about 3 to 5 min. Thats about how long it takes for me to be able to see out of it anyway (no carport or garage)

[castellan]

I know of a few idiots around my place that let their engine idle for 10 min or more one is a old VR and the other dude some clapped out noisy diesel Toyota, both are not worth $500.

Old cars with a choke you let warm up on a cold morning, so you could drive it without it running like a dog down the road.

I know people who held it flat when it was cold to get the heater to start working quicker, never seamed to do any damage to the engine, one dude I know lives right next to the highway, he would hold it flat directly every time straight out to 185KM/H and this XD falcon alloy head 4.1L he only did the valve guides as when he backed off smoke came out the exhaust at about 130,000km and that's the only problem he has come across in all his cars and never cracked a piston.

Pistons are the only major thing one could crack by thrashing a cold engine.

[OzriderXR8]

I used to warm mine up when I lived in Scotland, never bothered here.



I have a neighbour with a hot SS that would let it idle for 5 minutes plus at 5am, it would rattle the windows. I'm guessing someone told him he had to warm it up.

[BOSS302]

start the car, and almost immediately ride it out of the garage then sit it for a few minutes (2-3 absolute max) then drive off sensibly for however long it is until things feel warm and smooth and or the temp gauge tells me so.

[CyberWasp]

I tried to once, but it didn't fit in the microwave.

[Ben73]

On the other hand in our work Prados people will often put their foot to the floor or close to it with a cold engine. Our depot is on an 80 zone road and we pull out going slightly up hill. So in morning or arvo peak times the cars often get thrashed with a cold engine.

Pretty sure all 12 cars lasted between 500,000-550,000kms before they were sold. Never had any engine problems as far as I am aware.
We still have one that has 545,000kms on it and drives like new. TBH it is only a 2013 model.

[Gypzy]

I sort of do! Start up, and roll out of carport. First gear for 200mtrs until i have to stop and open front gate. Get out and open gate, get in drive forward, get out and close gate, get back in. Buckel up and coast down the road at 60 to 80 kmh watching out for roos and critters! By the time i get to the Highway (10 minutes) she's good to go. 140klms a day at Hwy speeds then reverse order when i get home.
I did the same with the AU ute from near new, sold it to a young fella at work, and he just did a 450000 k service on it. Head never been off it, original radiator, same box and diff. Hope to get the same sort of k's out of the FG.
There would have to be alot of good things to say about servicing when it comes to getting good klms out of any vehicle!

[TUF_302]

I let the big old Patrol warm up for minimum 5 minutes, the old diesel block is very tight on a cold tas morn and she is happier after a few minutes idling in the backyard, dont bother as much with the missuses Magna as it get up to temp nice and fast, i just tell her to start it and drive easy until its warmed up

[SYZ]

Me? Fire it up in the garage. By the time I get the garage doors opened, plus the gate to the laneway opened, she's ready to go. Another minute while I close gate and doors, and buckle in, and we're off.

[Sprint]

This idle glazing sounds like BS to me, does anyone have any proof of such a thing?, I know excessive wouldn't be good but I'm talking 30min plus like a taxi or police car or something. Why raw fuel cylinder wash at idle? its efi and it atomised?, are we talking oversized carby's on old engine days?. This is one for myth busters.

Often I don't drive my cars for years and they only get a warm up every now and again,

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

New/modern cars, get in car start and drive off, no need to waste time warming them up, there are no benefits to it and a huge list of negatives, so not sure why anyone would do it.

Benefits of warming up: Can't think of a single one.

Negatives: Excessive fuel consumption, annoying neighbours and family members, excessive engine wear, risk of vehicle theft by opportunists, glazing bores, waste of time and probably illegal depending on how you do it, and probably more if I keep thinking about it.

A neighbour had his car stolen years ago, used to be in the driveway warming up while he had coffee inside, junkie walked past and thought 'free car', jumped in and took off down the street plus it is illegal to leave your car running whilst unattended, if that's how you warm it up, if you sit in it while idling away, well they are just minutes of your life you never get back.

My old XB Coupe had 3" dual system, but was not a daily driver, but I remember leaving home to swap meets and shows at 5am, I would actually roll the car down the driveway, start it and slowly drive off straight away to not annoy my neighbours. Another neighbour in another place used to have a Clubsport Commodore with a big exhaust and he used to let it idle for 5 minteson a Sunday morning to go play golf at 5:30am, outside my bedroom window

On a classic my XB Ute has a 650DP Holley and manual choke, start car, wait a few seconds and slowly 'idle off' at slow speed whilst adjusting choke.

Obviously don't flog any car till it's warmed up properly to prevent engine damage, drive sensibly, which you should be doing anyway.

[Sabantien]

No, the closest I come is on a hot day, turning the engine over so I can open all the windows and let the aircon blow some of the hot air out before I hop in. Generally doesn't idle longer than it takes to pull the sunscreen off and fold it up and pop it in the back window.

I do have 'fond' memories of living in a reasonably cold place, and the morning ritual in winter was me pushing the old Corolla station wagon down the driveway so Mum could clutch start it because it wouldn't turn over. If I was lucky it would start in the driveway and I wouldn't have to keep pushing down the road.

[Olbucko]

Another reason for not warming an engine up by idling it slowly for a long period is that when it is cold and idling slowly the oil pressure can be low and very little oil would be pumped out from the oil hole on the big end of each conrod that sprays oil into the bores, causing the pistons to run without lubrication.
I read once that some V8s can seize if they are idled for long periods at very low revs.

[mechanic]

I thought warm ups and " running in " went out in the late 60's.
I was told when picking up new cars from Ford and BMC and Toyota in the late 60's that the days of running in were over and vehicles were fitted with a choke overide operated by the accelerator so that once the engine was started on manual or auto choke the vehicle was to be driven as normal.
I can understand trucks having to idle untill air pressure is up to release brakes but can't for the life of me see what benefit there is in idling little petrol engines.

[Jess1992]

I warm up mine as the ZF needs to run at a certain temp. If I start car and drive straight the ZF doesn't like it and is very clunky

[castellan]

Originally Posted by Sprint

This idle glazing sounds like BS to me, does anyone have any proof of such a thing?, I know excessive wouldn't be good but I'm talking 30min plus like a taxi or police car or something. Why raw fuel cylinder wash at idle? its efi and it atomised?, are we talking oversized carby's on old engine days?. This is one for myth busters.

Often I don't drive my cars for years and they only get a warm up every now and again,

The only glazing of the bore that I have seen is only due to old people who only plod around town taking it real easy all the time mainly and never make the engine work.

And new engines where people believe that you have to take it easy is a major one where they glaze the bores.
Fact is no one will destroy a new engine by driving it to hard and it's a fact that driving to easy it can bugger it up due to glazing the bore.

Cop cars I have seen sitting for hours idling with the aircon on at road works, and such have never glazed a bore. because they get driven hard they don't glaze up. if you did hours of idling and then only pussy foot it sure it will eventually glaze up.

The car that is driven by a little old lady to church once a week is the worst type of engine that most likely will be glazed.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Jess1992

I warm up mine as the ZF needs to run at a certain temp. If I start car and drive straight the ZF doesn't like it and is very clunky

I assume you have bypassed the cooler. It shouldnt be doing that.

[red_hotxr6]

On cold mornings at least 1 minute, to warm up then drive it very sensibly till it comes up to normal temp..

[wicksy]

i use my remote start to get the heater going for me so when i get down stairs the inside is warm already, vise versa for summer haha

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Sprint

This idle glazing sounds like BS to me, does anyone have any proof of such a thing?,

Don't know about petrol engines, but if a Diesel engine isn't worked hard they can glaze up.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by Jess1992

I warm up mine as the ZF needs to run at a certain temp. If I start car and drive straight the ZF doesn't like it and is very clunky

My Ranger is similar. Although it's only clunky if it changes gears above 2500rpm. Changing up around 2000 is fine.
No idea if this is normal or not. Never had it in any other car.

[jpblue1000]

Just need to hang around an older car on startup to convince me not to idle it up to warm. That burning fume of unburnt choke rich exhaust. Unburnt fuel in the exhaust to me is an indicator that unburnt fuel is most likely also washing the bores of precious oil film. This is bad!
Get in start drive sensibly, get it warm them give it hell!
JP

[Qwerty321]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

I can't think of a quicker way to glaze up the bores than to let it idle up to temp.

I drive straight away but no hard acceleration, etc.

A few years ago I used to keep my engine revved up at stop lights cause it made it heat up quickly so the bloody heater would start working. Looking back on it now I was a bit of an idiot.

Which brings me onto another thing, why the hell don't manufacturers put electric heater coils in the vents for the cold mornings. Waiting for the car to warm up takes bloody forever!

[Itsme]

Always warmed my vehicles for a few minutes from cold start, never caused any issues to engine performance.

[Olbucko]

Originally Posted by Jess1992

I warm up mine as the ZF needs to run at a certain temp. If I start car and drive straight the ZF doesn't like it and is very clunky

Must be something wrong with it, needs servicing or low on fluid, I have a Falcon and a Territory, both with ZFs, they have never clunked, even at -6 start ups, and the Territory has had an air cooler for years.

[Carrion]

I used to warm up the old DF LTD, mainly just to have a smoke before getting in the car. Such a lovely leather interior in that car.

My new cars owners manual says not to warm it up (turbo).


Lucky I gave up smoking before buying this car.

[Qwerty321]

Originally Posted by Carrion

I used to warm up the old DF LTD, mainly just to have a smoke before getting in the car. Such a lovely leather interior in that car.

My new cars owners manual says not to warm it up (turbo).


Lucky I gave up smoking before buying this car.

One thing I've noticed is my BA tends to prefer running cold. All other cars I've driven warm up till the needle is at the middle, then maintain it there. My BA however seems to aim to keep the needle just above 1/4, and the cooling fans (which sound like jet engines btw - the airflow is phenomenal. There's enough suction to hold cardboard to the front grill, I've never seen anything like it on a car before) kick in when it nears the mid point and turn off when it's back down to around 1/4.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Qwerty321

Which brings me onto another thing, why the hell don't manufacturers put electric heater coils in the vents for the cold mornings. Waiting for the car to warm up takes bloody forever!

Australia isnt even remotely cold enough to require that.