just think about it, when its cold your oil is hard and thick, and if you circulate something like that inside your engine it wont run real well, thats if u dont warm it up constantly, you want to lubricate it so the internals could be slippery as possible...
I warm my car up every day, but not during the spring/summer. We have a lot of mornings here that are below zero and warming the car up then may take a lil longer........at this time of the year I warm my car up 5 minutes. Warming your car up in the winter/fall is necessary unless you want some engine wear to happen...
Originally posted by CivicSiRacer Your car will warm up quicker and use less gas if you drive it below 3000-4000 rpms for a bit, than letting it warm up in your driveway.
Ummm, I think not. Driving the car and putting a load on it will burn a hell of a lot more gas than if it was just sitting idling. Yes it will warm up quicker but it's also harder on the engine.
70 to 80% of engine wear comes from cold starting.
Where I live, we have no choice but to warm our cars up before we even think about driving them. In my car I have a Block Heater and a Battery Blanket. Our temps can dip below -30*C though, that's pretty extreme compared to lots of other places in North America.
I think most of you guys are ok though. If it's just slightly below zero a few minutes is all you need.
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If you live in SoCal you don't know what cold is. Yes if it's really cold like in Canada you want to take care. In the morning here in New England, today is was 12 degress. I let the car warm up to defrost the windshield then drive below 3000 rpm for a while. After work today, high in the low 30's I'll start it up and drive below 3000rpm for a short time. I've had my 92Si since it was new, it now has 186,000 miles and still runs great and dosen't use any oil.
Originally posted by PupaScoopa In my end of the world, the typical morning temps are in the 30's around this time of year. I idle it for a minute or so and go.
You oil should not be thick and hard if you're using the correct viscosity AND synthetic.
i think he meant like, in comparison to how it gets when its heated after 10 minutes of driving. but you're right too
just like smithby said, if you live in new england its a good idea to warm up your car. I dont know what time he gets up but i leave my house at around 5-6 am and its about 3-6 degrees at that time and my car is hesitant to even start never mind get in it to just take off. I usually have to start my car up 10 minutes or so early anyways though so that the frost/ice is easier to scrape off, but yeah it always runs a lot smoother when i do start it early then when i just take off, the gears switch smoother, the engine is a little quieter etc. And it feels good knowing that your not contributing to your engines future problems.
Originally posted by ck98vteC Does a battery blanket really help? and where can i get one?
Well around here they are at pretty much at every automotive outlet and yes they help tremendously. At sub-zero temperatures your Cold Cranking Amps really start to drop off fast. At something like -20*C you are at about 50% of your CCA. So if you keep the battery warm then you have much more juice to crank it over. Ever seen the battery in the Civic? They are fricken tiny! Not much for CCA as it is, then when it turns cold it's even worse. My dealer here tries to sell a Blanket and Block Heater on every car they sell.
I actually have the Blanket, Block Heater and an Interior car warmer. The interior warmer keeps the chill off the inside of the car and keeps all the windows defrosted.
I never usually plug my car in unless it's colder than -15*C. I just start it up and let it idle longer when it's not plugged in.
I have started my car in temps as low as -30*C before without being plugged in, so any of you guys that are worried about your -10*C or whatever it's really nothing. I don't recommend starting your car in -30 without being plugged in though. It's really hard on your engine. I've been stuck in locations where I could not plug in and it turned dreadfully cold overnight.
I also have two sets of tires, my stock wheels and winter rubber on steel rims and I swap them back and forth from season to season. We have to winterize pretty good here.
After typing all of that it makes me wonder why I still live here!
Originally posted by Maniac Ummm, I think not. Driving the car and putting a load on it will burn a hell of a lot more gas than if it was just sitting idling. Yes it will warm up quicker but it's also harder on the engine.
70 to 80% of engine wear comes from cold starting.
Where I live, we have no choice but to warm our cars up before we even think about driving them. In my car I have a Block Heater and a Battery Blanket. Our temps can dip below -30*C though, that's pretty extreme compared to lots of other places in North America.
I think most of you guys are ok though. If it's just slightly below zero a few minutes is all you need.
I wished I saved the article from Consumer Reports. Unless you didn't read my post careful I'm not saying go out for about 1 minute at 3000rpms and then go crazy. I say drive around below 4000rpms until the engine warms up. Idling in the driveway is the worse way to warm up your car (works for older cars), but newer cars don't have to be warmed up (idling in the driveway).
Cold starting is when you have left your car with the ignition off for more than 2-3 hours. When all the oil has gone back to the oil pan.
But what do I care both my wife and my car is in the garage on cold snowy days
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Originally posted by CivicSiRacer I wished I saved the article from Consumer Reports. Unless you didn't read my post careful I'm not saying go out for about 1 minute at 3000rpms and then go crazy. I say drive around below 4000rpms until the engine warms up. Idling in the driveway is the worse way to warm up your car (works for older cars), but newer cars don't have to be warmed up (idling in the driveway).
Cold starting is when you have left your car with the ignition off for more than 2-3 hours. When all the oil has gone back to the oil pan.
But what do I care both my wife and my car is in the garage on cold snowy days
I don't care what any article says. You come to where I live, let your car sit over night at -25*C at my house. Then start it up for 2 to 3 minutes in the morning and go for a drive. I'd like to see how well that works out for you.
You also said your car burns less gas too, which is not true. There is no way a idling car burns more gas than one with a load on it, under 4000 RPMS or not. Simply not possible.
We first have to let our cars warm a fair degree while idling and then after about 7-10 minutes you can drive them. Once you start driving around they will come up to full operating temperature.
Cold starts are the one of the worst wearing factors on any engine. That is a fact. Why do you think we put cold starting aids on our engines?
Imagine putting a load on an engine that is cold. Do you honestly think it's going to get less wear on it while it sits and idles and all the parts slowly warm up and come up to temperature or while you are loading the engine up driving it around? It doesn't matter if you are doing 4000RPM or less, a load is a load and when metal things are cold they don't appreciate having to work.
None of what I said above it written in stone. It's all based on the Ambient Temperature. If it's slightly below zero then fine, a couple of minutes warm up and away you go, keep the RPM's low for awhile. But trust me man, a -25 or -30*C cold start and even you car is making noises you didn't know were possible. You will be sitting their idling for a little while before you can pull out of the driveway without a guilty conscience.
Well, here's my 2 cents. I don't warm up my car. I start her up, buckle up, and take off.....making sure I stay under 3k RPM til she warms up. Still running strong
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