How long did it take you to warm up your car today?

[typhoonk]

Took me about 10minutes of idle till I could shift (shifter was frozen solid and wouldn't move) - then the car warmed up the inside pretty fast :D

went out a first but the door was frozen so I remote started it - remote starters kick a**!!!!

[Keegz]

Took me no time at all.... bc my car's away for the winter lol.

I got in my truck and it didn't go in to gears nicely until I got to the edge of town (7min drive) then it was fine.

[distr0]

sounds like you need some decent gear oil!

[dead_cactus]

I let my car warm up for about a minute this morning. I find everything warms up much faster while the car is being driven vs the car idling.

[Junior]

30 seconds before I started driving. Shifter was like it was any other time of the year. And it was warm within 5 minutes of driving.

[Keegz]

30 seconds before I started driving. Shifter was like it was any other time of the year. And it was warm within 5 minutes of driving.

You must garage your car. It was something like -23 in Stratford this morning.

[cav420]

block heaters FTMFW!!! heat right away no wait time:)

[SKY]

I remote start my car when I'm 30 steps away from my car, then I get in, put my seat belt. Then go....so from the car being started til I drive...it takes about 45 seconds to a minute and yes I parked indoor, but not heated.

Car warm up faster when you actually driving it, just don't rev it.

[sumrandomguy]

my car is garaged overnight so every morning i start the car, let it run for about 30 seconds and then take off

after work today, i started the car and then proceeded to brush off all the snow. probably about 2 minutes max

[ProBoy]

Im on nights. Last night/this morning we had wind chills of upto - 40 in Toronto. My V8 Crown Vic only blew warm air the whole night, it never really warmed up.

It was bloody cold, even in the car. I kept my wool collar on and my toque the whole night inside the car.

[kevcol74]

Wow, you guys are harsh on your engines! This kind of weather, atleast 2 minutes to get your oil to high enough temp to properly flow... Your oils going to be pretty black next oil change! Even if you don't rev it, you are putting it under load, which isn't good for the engine. I'll personally spend an extra couple minutes and know I'll be fine down the road!

[Tw1tCh]

About 5 - 10 minutes, i'm generally still in bed when I remote start my car lol so I get dressed wash up and roll out. I dunno what I would do without a remote starter :| our temp down here was about -16 C

[tiwing]

30 seconds. But shift low and accelerate really slow for the first few minutes. No need to idle it. I'd rather have a little more oil pressure to actually get cold oil flowing around than letting it idle with very cold, thick oil not making it to the vital spots. I don't by the let it warm up crap. It was a hard start in the diesel this morning though, and the 'stat is stuck open so it never warmed up on the way to work. sucks.

[CrazyCaker]

30 secs.

[Cool_Steve]

I find that if you don't let the cabin warm up enough it will start to fog up again while driving because not all the cold air has been pushed out and the heaters aren't fully blowing hot, and you're body/breath is giving off heat. My idle today was about 7 mins. Also I think my timing is slighty off after my new distributor so it ran like shit for the first min and a half.

Also, sometimes I need high revs due to the amount of snow on the ground trying to get out of the driveway...and I'll admit my tires aren't the best, so that's another reason I let it warm up longer than a minute.

[1MAZDA]

30 seconds. But shift low and accelerate really slow for the first few minutes. No need to idle it. I'd rather have a little more oil pressure to actually get cold oil flowing around than letting it idle with very cold, thick oil not making it to the vital spots. I don't by the let it warm up crap. It was a hard start in the diesel this morning though, and the 'stat is stuck open so it never warmed up on the way to work. sucks.

^
I do the exact same, and I find that is what works best.

[tiwing]

I find that if you don't let the cabin warm up enough it will start to fog up again while driving because not all the cold air has been pushed out and the heaters aren't fully blowing hotI put the AC on with the heat on. helps with fog. Or, crack a window for the first little bit and breath out the window. ... I've never had a fogging issue...

[thekid]

about 2 minutes, had to brush off my car since it was parked outside and i didn't drive it the day before... otherwise i would have waited 30 seconds, it was up to temp within 3 mins of leaving my driveway.

[NuclearWinter]

Idle, enough to clean off the car, and go easy until the car 'tells me' she's ready...

Now, for fogging. A tid-bit of info for those willing to try something a little out there, but works great in my opinion.

Shaving cream! Yes, that's what I said. It's so simple, costs almost nothing, and works in the washroom as well on the mirrors!!!

1 - Go to the local dollar store, and purchase some shaving cream
2 - Spread a thin layer on the window
3 - Let sit for atleast 30 seconds
4 - Wipe off until clear, DO NOT use cleaners
5 - Test using your breath!

Oh yeah, and I find that the gel that turns in to cream is not as efficient as the plain old cream...

[distr0]

my remote entry and blower fan both crapped out today from the cold

[Evil Homer P5]

i let the car sit for about 2 mins then started driving, but nice and easy.

[MS MSP]

My idle today was about 7 mins.

That's about 6 minutes too long.

Your car won't "warm up" while idling, you're better off driving the car

[Xerox]

About 5 - 10 minutes, i'm generally still in bed when I remote start my car lol so I get dressed wash up and roll out. I dunno what I would do without a remote starter :| our temp down here was about -16 C

I do. You'll waste less gas and produce less emissions.

Ideally I let it idle for 30 seconds (even in the summer). If the revs remain pretty high (like 2k) then I let it idle for maybe another 30 seconds, tops. I just drive off slowly and double clutch until the gears feel okay.

[Cool_Steve]

That's about 6 minutes too long.

Your car won't "warm up" while idling, you're better off driving the car

my drive to work isn't far, and (cold) short trips on a car are already bad enough. By the time I get to work the car is finally really warm, and that's pointless. I want a warm car when I leave the house.

I put the AC on with the heat on. helps with fog. Or, crack a window for the first little bit and breath out the window. ... I've never had a fogging issue...

Its an old car with a small motor and automatic; a/c drag is the last thing I need.:p Besides, I don't use the a/c often, and maybe that's why is still works well in the summer (knock on wood). Crackin the window is the last thing I'd do in this deep freeze, moreover when the cabin isn't even warmed up yet.

[Azi]

remote start the car, put on the jacket and shoes, get to the car and scrape it and then I am off. perhaps 2 mins max. under a min if I didnt ahve to scrape the ice.

[RoMeO_Mp5]

i pulled up to Tim Hortons this morning for a tea, and tried to roll down my window but it was frozen! So embarassing.. ended up opening the door.

reminded me of when i first got my tint, and had to go through a green P parking.. haha

[dead_cactus]

i pulled up to Tim Hortons this morning for a tea, and tried to roll down my window but it was frozen! So embarassing.. ended up opening the door.



At least I'm not the only one. This happens to me about 2-3 times a week including this morning.

[chronos]

I haven't started my car since Sunday...cause it's in the garage, and I'm in Florida! :p

[midnitehour]

Florida was down to 0 yesterday


I let my water temp to hit 130 ish and go,

Oil temp doesn't get to normal temps for 15 to 20 mins of highway driving.

Oil pressure was wired today, never went below 100psi sender must be too cold lol

[Charlie S]

I find the remote starter a blessing during these cold mornings.

Aim towards the car from the kitchen window and listen to the engine fire up !
I leave the rear defroster switch on the night before for any ice or snow on the rear window there.

Not more than five minutes and I am out. It would help having heated seats too I guess.

[e2wJunglist]

my drive to work isn't far, and (cold) short trips on a car are already bad enough. By the time I get to work the car is finally really warm, and that's pointless. I want a warm car when I leave the house.


Buy a block heater?



I let mine idle for 30 seconds then go this moring. 3 layers of shirts, wool scarf and leather gloves ftw. I dont turn on my fans until the engine warms up unless i get fogging. Still air inside the cabin i dont even feel the cold.

[Cocco]

havent started mine since sunday :p its nice and warm in the garage :D

[joghia]

At least I'm not the only one. This happens to me about 2-3 times a week including this morning.

Same Timmies situation yesterday too! I realize that the window was stuck just before entering the drive thru, so I reversed and parked and ate inside :). Oh and I mostly let it idle 3-4 minutes, but yesterday incredible how cold it was...I got to work (16KM) and it had just reached the optimal water temp!

[Junior]

You don't need more than 30 seconds to a minute MAX. (as already noted) Anything else is just a waste of time.

[Preludegirl]

havent started mine since sunday :p its nice and warm in the garage :D

LOL yes you did - you drove to Aurora yesterday :D

[y2jay]

You don't need more than 30 seconds to a minute MAX. (as already noted) Anything else is just a waste of time.

What he said

Most efficient way to "warm up" your vehicle is to do very light driving until temperature rises and then continue on driving normally. Even in the coldest weather, I drive lightly until i see the temp gauge go above the cold mark (1/4 way) which is only about 5 mins, and then drive normally and the air is hot.

The most wear happens on start up, but all this talk about idling for 10 mins to warm up the oil, etc is not necessary.

[dead_cactus]

You don't need more than 30 seconds to a minute MAX. (as already noted) Anything else is just a waste of time.

Agreed, been doing this for years any never had an issue. Idling for longer than that is a waste of time and gas.

[kevcol74]

Found this article about engine warming up in the cold... from a Canadian Mechanic:

"I get a kick out of all those so called experts who claim that you shouldn’t warm up your engine. Just get into your car and go. Thats ok for three seasons, but totally not for most North American area’s. Frozen windshields (inside and out) prevent most commuters from doing that. Sure,jump into your car and go, and probably get into an accident. thats what likely to happen where I live (Northern BC, Canada). I am a certified Auto Mechanic and I know that you get marginal engine lubricate in cold weather. Most of the time, the oil is so thick that oil filter operates in bypass. So basically you have no oil filtration until the engine warms up. Does that sound like a good condition for the engine to be operating in full load? I don’t think so. At 20 to 30 below (C) every lubricant will cause excessive drag, which will increase engine load. Start and go may sound like a great idea for the environmental banana’s, but not for us who acually have winter.
John Rinaldi
Terrace, BC
Canada "
AND
"
Atleast there are some people that know what they are talking about on here. I work in the service dept for a Honda dealer here in the state I live in It is very hard on the engine to drive it cold You can and will do severe damage in the long run to a engine driving it cold compared to letting it reach what certain motor’s specify as a proper engine temp
Honda makes very good motor’s but they are only as good as how the owner takes care of them for example the h22 motor honda uses in alot of there cars in the 90s some of them blew out at 30,000 miles and some are over 500,000 miles running like spec says it should
I have personaly watched tech’s blow motors up for customers that are having issues to help with insurance and warrentys (I do not support fraud) and everytime i seen it done they just start the engine cold and put it in neutral and floor it
-Blows the motor every time
I think some people are willing to set aside their own common sense for the lets save the planet movement infact george carlin put it best look at this youtube link of one his performances
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbFD4NC60EA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbFD4NC60EA) "


But, there are alot more opinions here both ways:
http://autorepair.about.com/b/2008/12/01/warm-your-toes-warm-up-pie-but-dont-warm-up-your-engine.htm

I guess you'll have to make your own call on this subject! Personally, a couple minutes, or until I have clear enough windows to go!!

[Myk]

I have a remote start and give the car at least a minute to make sure all the fluids are moving around, but no more than 2-3 minutes.

People that have remote starts, in fact anyone, that leaves their cars running for 10 minutes should get a ticket.

[red-i]

I leave my car running for up to 9 minutes, but not 10. therefore I should not get a ticket.

[thekid]

I guess you'll have to make your own call on this subject! Personally, a couple minutes, or until I have clear enough windows to go!!

Northern BC is significantly different than Southern Ontario.

We're also not saying to drive at full load, most have said drive lightly until the engine is up to temperature.

Again, this morning I warmed up for about a minute because I quickly dusted off my windows, within about 3 minutes, it was up to temp, and I was driving at 3000rpm or lower that entire time.

[00bluees]

most mornings i just start the car and clear off any snow. if no snow then its 30 seconds to a minute to let all the fluids get moving. last couple days in the super cold its up to 5 minutes so the frost and fog clears from my windshield. not a fan of scraping off frost from the inside of the windshield unless its really thick, beacause when i do the windshield is a mess and its annoying at night.

my neon in this weather needs to run for a good 5-10 minutes or you can't get it in gear to get out of the driveway. then its exhausting to drive since the clutch is so stiff (cable not hydro) and the tranny is stiff as hell.

[00bluees]

Northern BC is significantly different than Southern Ontario.


-30 here is the same as -30 there. so are you saying its ok to run your car for more than 2 minutes in BC but over here you should only run it for a minute or less? :confused:

[kevcol74]

-30 here is the same as -30 there. so are you saying its ok to run your car for more than 2 minutes in BC but over here you should only run it for a minute or less? :confused:

Thanks, I was thinking that too... if anything, BC is usually known to be more mild than even here...

[Junior]

Don't know about speculation. I've been doing my 'tested and true' method for the past 5 winters with all my cars, even the older winter beaters and the results have always been the same.

No issues related to a 30-second warm up. Try it and report back if anything 'bad' happens.

[e2wJunglist]

... im waiting for the time someone reports leaving their car idling for 10 mins. then returning to the car and its dead because something happened while they left it unattended and couldn't monitor its vitals in these cold conditions.

I know my car does crazy things sometimes idling under extreme cold.. I'd rather be sitting in the car watching / listening then just trusting it to be 'warm' when i get in it later.

[00bluees]

... im waiting for the time someone reports leaving their car idling for 10 mins. then returning to the car and its dead because something happened while they left it unattended and couldn't monitor its vitals in these cold conditions.

I know my car does crazy things sometimes idling under extreme cold.. I'd rather be sitting in the car watching / listening then just trusting it to be 'warm' when i get in it later.

my neon caught fire last year when i started it in the cold. :lol: the alternator was froze and the friction of the belt on the pulley caused alot of smoke and a small fire that extinguished itself as soon as i opened the hood. this was after a night of freezing rain then -10 temps.

i would have let it burn but the tenants upstairs wouldn't have been impressed when their car caught fire too. and the P5 was in front of the neon. no damage in the end, just a new belt needed, the alt thawed out by itself.

[prot3g3]

i've been up at my cottage in Burk's Falls all week, yesterday i started my car after the -30 night, and it was slow cranking but it went, let it warm up then shut it off....this morning i had to leave at 7 am, it was ***king -37 on the thermometer, the compustar works well in cold starts, cranks for a few seconds, then reset's and cranks again...car fired up again this morning but it was hard again.
also my clutch was frozen (happens sometimes) and im glad the roads were dry cause the wipers/washerfluid freeze instantly!!

[superdave]

-30 here is the same as -30 there. so are you saying its ok to run your car for more than 2 minutes in BC but over here you should only run it for a minute or less? :confused:

Its not -30 here.... We haven't seen a -30 day/night yet this winter. According to the weather network, the coldest we've seen is -22.1 all winter.


Thanks, I was thinking that too... if anything, BC is usually known to be more mild than even here...

Southern coastal BC for sure, northern inland BC though? Don't think so.

[kevcol74]

Southern coastal BC for sure, northern inland BC though? Don't think so.

It just said "Northern BC"...lol ;) no "inland or coastal" mentioned...

Anyways, it comes down to what you want to believe, and how you want to look at it. We obviously all have access to the internet, do your research and make you own educated decisions! Better yet, as a certified mechanic what they personally do!

[991.8l]

2-3 minutes here with the remote start.... my transmission is also very sensitive to cold weather and shifts very poorly without allowing the tranny fluid at least some time to warm up. My neighbour idles ALL of his cars for like 10-15 mins no joke.... he has like 6 one for each family member.... so imagine how many cars are idling in the morning.

[Xerox]

Honda makes very good motor’s but they are only as good as how the owner takes care of them for example the h22 motor honda uses in alot of there cars in the 90s some of them blew out at 30,000 miles


I'm double that mileage on a Ford/Mazda motor so I guess I'm doing something right.


I have personaly watched tech’s blow motors up for customers that are having issues to help with insurance and warrentys (I do not support fraud) and everytime i seen it done they just start the engine cold and put it in neutral and floor it
-Blows the motor every time


No one said to floor it when the engine is cold. Quite the opposite actually.

For ME it's a trade off.
I'm sure that there is increased wear due to reduced lubrication and all that stuff and could very well reduce the life of the engine and other moving parts.
But my time (if I were to wait for engine to reach operating temp could take 10+ minutes at idle), cost of fuel, and the environmental impact outweighs the possibility of premature engine failure which may or may not happen during my ownership of the vehicle.

[Cool_Steve]

My old Taurus needed a good bit to warm up when it was extremely cold as you couldn't shift it out of park right away.

and im glad the roads were dry cause the wipers/washerfluid freeze instantly!!

Use winter Rain-X washerfuild, works great. I use it all year round, manily because one winter I had left all season stuff in (just never used it enough) and added some winter washer to top it off, the all season stuff froze and everything became a slushy!

Its not -30 here.... We haven't seen a -30 day/night yet this winter. According to the weather network, the coldest we've seen is -22.1 all winter.


Radio said -26 last night, tonight...-29. I hope I mis-heard that. :P

[kevcol74]

I'm double that mileage on a Ford/Mazda motor so I guess I'm doing something right.



No one said to floor it when the engine is cold. Quite the opposite actually.

For ME it's a trade off.
I'm sure that there is increased wear due to reduced lubrication and all that stuff and could very well reduce the life of the engine and other moving parts.
But my time (if I were to wait for engine to reach operating temp could take 10+ minutes at idle), cost of fuel, and the environmental impact outweighs the possibility of premature engine failure which may or may not happen during my ownership of the vehicle.

I hope you didn't think I was saying those things...lol That was quoted from a website! I found it humorous, but enlightening! :D

[991.8l]

/\ thats with the windchill cool_steve.

[y2jay]

... im waiting for the time someone reports leaving their car idling for 10 mins. then returning to the car and its dead because something happened while they left it unattended and couldn't monitor its vitals in these cold conditions.

I'm waiting to hear one day if unlucky enough with leaving their car idling unattended, someone may return to an empty driveway.

[Cool_Steve]

I'm waiting to hear one day if unlucky enough with leaving their car idling unattended, someone may return to an empty driveway.

That's why I keep it locked when running and have a spare in my winter jacket.

Also that already happened, it was on the local CKCO news last year.

[prot3g3]

remote starts eliminate an empty driveway as well :)

[thekid]

It just said "Northern BC"...lol ;) no "inland or coastal" mentioned...

Anyways, it comes down to what you want to believe, and how you want to look at it. We obviously all have access to the internet, do your research and make you own educated decisions! Better yet, as a certified mechanic what they personally do!

I'm not knocking you or any other certified mechanics, but come on, CDN Tire employs certified mechanics, I wouldn't loop them all in to one pool. I also know a hand ful of people that are probably stronger than licensed mechanics but didn't pursue that as a career, but easily know just as much and have the same or better know how.

At any rate, my point wasn't that -30 is different here or there... it's that we don't hit that extreme very often... and as pointed out we haven't hit it yet this year unless you count the windchill, which last time I checked doesn't really affect the block protected by it's surroundings. Even costal Northern BC is subject to cold temperatures in the Winter... it's right beside Yukon and Alaska and last time I checked their costal conditions weren't tropical.

So for the 4-5 days a winter when it's for the sake of argument -25 here, our regular habits are not going to significantly impact our cars vs. 40-50 days like this. If it was 40-50 days more of us would clean out our garages or install block heaters.

[kevcol74]

I'm not knocking you or any other certified mechanics, but come on, CDN Tire employs certified mechanics, I wouldn't loop them all in to one pool. I also know a hand ful of people that are probably stronger than licensed mechanics but didn't pursue that as a career, but easily know just as much and have the same or better know how.

At any rate, my point wasn't that -30 is different here or there... it's that we don't hit that extreme very often... and as pointed out we haven't hit it yet this year unless you count the windchill, which last time I checked doesn't really affect the block protected by it's surroundings. Even costal Northern BC is subject to cold temperatures in the Winter... it's right beside Yukon and Alaska and last time I checked their costal conditions weren't tropical.

So for the 4-5 days a winter when it's for the sake of argument -25 here, our regular habits are not going to significantly impact our cars vs. 40-50 days like this. If it was 40-50 days more of us would clean out our garages or install block heaters.

I'll rephrase, ask a TRUSTED mechanic! lol I actually ran a CT shop, and you are absolutely correct! There are some mechanics that I wouldn't let touch my car as I knew more and had done more than them! Mind you, my mechanic I go to when I can't handle the job is one of those mechanics at CT...
I could clean out my garage, but the wife's Escape would get that spot!! :confused:
To each their own!

[raghtal]

To fit my car in the garage alongside the TL, I have to back the P5 up the driveway and reverse it in to spot.

That means in the morning, once I get the garage door open and I start the car, I have to drive out of the garage and close the door before letting it warm up. I'm not gonna leave an idling car sitting in my garage with the exhaust pointing at the house ;-)

But am I damaging anything by pulling ahead a couple of car lengths shortly after starting it up? I mean, I know the car hasn't reached temp at all, but it does shortly after I pull out of the garage, thanks, largely in part to it being protected from the elements all night (but perhaps not protected from the cold that much). I have thought about some kind of space heater for my garage for those very cold mornings.

[starscream]

I wonder if grade of old makes a different as well... 5w or 0w... would that also help with a cold startup?

[red-i]

I'm waiting to hear one day if unlucky enough with leaving their car idling unattended, someone may return to an empty driveway.

that happened to a friend of mine, who was using his mom's car for the week. got in the car, started it, realized he forgot his work pass inside, ran in to get it and less than a minute later came out to find the car gone.

[kevcol74]

I wonder if grade of old makes a different as well... 5w or 0w... would that also help with a cold startup?

Yes quite simply... But as stated before, we don't experience it that aoften, so I personally won't change my grade. I'll run the manufacturer reccomended oil, 5W20. If I lived in Thompson, Manitoba, I might run 0W30.
I'll let the oil experts break this one down further if they want to!
:p

[y2jay]

I wonder if grade of old makes a different as well... 5w or 0w... would that also help with a cold startup?

For most Toronto winters, 5W30 is sufficient.

A friend of mine works at engine testing facility, and they do cold chamber testing all the time tells me the same thing most members have been saying here. No need to idle for 10 or even 5 mins, as your oil is viscous enough be pumped to vital parts of the engine a few seconds after start up. 30 seconds to get the internals prepped and drive off lightly. The intial pressure loss is due to the fact that the oil is more viscous but it's not at the point where the pump is starved for 10+ seconds etc after start up.

[00bluees]

Its not -30 here.... We haven't seen a -30 day/night yet this winter. According to the weather network, the coldest we've seen is -22.1 all winter.

i go by my thermometer's which said -28 this morning and -32 the morning before. even then i've been out in winter's long enough to know without a thermometer that its been a f*** of alot colder than -22.1. plus i don't live in the sunny tropics of toronto either.

all that is besides the point, that wasn't the point when i said -30. it was hypothetical. just saying that i am aware of the benefits and drawbacks of ldling vs. not, and if i want to be warm when getting in my car one day i will ldle longer vs. most days when its just a minute or so. :p

edit: on another note. the people that live above me (i'm in a basment appt. currently) idle their car for at least 10 minutes any temp. below 0 degrees. the last couple days its been a solid 20 minute long idle. its sad.

[Mike_Moss]

Zero

[non_event]

Today I started my car, cracked the window (I have locked keys in a running vehicle before) then brushed it off, got back in then took off. Probably a couple of minutes from key turning to on the road. Probably took about 5 minutes before the heat gauge got to normal, then another minute or so till the cabin started to warm up.

My worst ever warm up was a couple of years ago north east of timmins with a dodge 3500 diesel work truck, with a chewed block heater cord (that we didn't know about). Drove 2 hours to town without it ever getting warm enough to take my gloves or hat off, let alone the parka.

[TheMAN]

It just said "Northern BC"...lol ;) no "inland or coastal" mentioned...

Anyways, it comes down to what you want to believe, and how you want to look at it. We obviously all have access to the internet, do your research and make you own educated decisions! Better yet, as a certified mechanic what they personally do!
omg, what is this reading and believing shit you find on the internet? :rolleyes:

I do agree on you about warming up cars though.... the high oil pressure means it has trouble getting to certain parts of the engine and putting it on a load will just increase wear

[tiffers]

i havent been warming up my car...

it hasnt moved in a while... lol

*been taking bfs truck :D* 4WD FTW BITCHES D

[Laserbluechic]

These 2 cold as a mofo days, I intended on letting my car idle for longer, but forgot to remote start it as early as I wanted to. Not sure how long it idled for, but at least 5 minutes... while in the garage. My goal was just to have the cabin warm enough for the kids.. especially the 2 month old..

It's a good thing the remote starter only runs for 15 minutes and then the car shuts off.. sad to say, but there have been a couple occasions where I ran outta time!

[BLACKK03]

i didnt let it run, my factory battery gave out on me,

[Gen1GT]

This was the temperature as I rolled into work, in Cambridge yesterday morning ... BEFORE windchill.

[Gen1GT]

Zero

Your mom's IQ?

[Junior]

zing

[Mike_Moss]

:ohsnap:
(should be "snicket" for Josh)

[tiwing]

Q about diesel now that someone mentioned it. Since the combustion is different and compression is much higher, should diesels be warmed up more before driving?

[CulRidr]

Its not -30 here.... We haven't seen a -30 day/night yet this winter. According to the weather network, the coldest we've seen is -22.1 all winter.

Southern coastal BC for sure, northern inland BC though? Don't think so.
We had -30 this morning up here and my oil light actually came on because it was so bloody cold. Let the engine idle for a minute and took off. But the oil never actually comes up to normal temperature. The engine is near operating temperature in about 15 minutes, but yesterday my oil didn't go up to normal even after an hour of slow driving through heavy traffic.

And agreed on northern BC being completely separate from the Vancouver/coastal area in terms of temperature

[dead_cactus]

I let it idle for about 30 seconds before I drove off this morning. Car was up to proper temp within 3-4 minutes of driving.

[thekid]

Q about diesel now that someone mentioned it. Since the combustion is different and compression is much higher, should diesels be warmed up more before driving?

I know my Diesel doesn't want to move for the first couple minutes, granted it's a 6.0L V8, but it wants to idle for a bit.

I let it idle for about 30 seconds before I drove off this morning. Car was up to proper temp within 3-4 minutes of driving.

Same.

[Cool_Steve]

she was a slow crank this morning. There's only been one time a couple winters ago where my car didn't fire up on first crank...almost did, but it took two. I think it was close to -40 with windchill. Yikes. Tonight is still gonna be shitty.

[Dragon]

i let my car idle for about 15 mins this morning. went to get a coffee and drove home from work (since i work the graveyard shift) and by the time i got home my car was STILL cold

[CulRidr]

^therefore now you know not to waste 15 minutes worth of gas (and needlessly add 15 minutes worth of emissions to our environment :mad:) since it does ***kall to actually warm up the engine in temps like these as has been stated a bunch of times before

[dead_cactus]

i let my car idle for about 15 mins this morning.

Thats about 14 minutes 30 seconds too long. Fastest way to warm up your car is to drive it.

[00bluees]

i have let my car idle for 15 minutes before (got distracted talking to someone in my driveway) just a week ago and i can tell you that the temp gauge was up to the "running temperature" mark (just less then half way) and the inside of the car was warm. so i think dragon is full of BS or there is something wrong with your car.

[thekid]

i have let my car idle for 15 minutes before (got distracted talking to someone in my driveway) just a week ago and i can tell you that the temp gauge was up to the "running temperature" mark (just less then half way) and the inside of the car was warm. so i think dragon is full of BS or there is something wrong with your car.
a week ago it wasn't this cold out... I've had the same experience where i've accidentally let it idle up to temperature due to a distraction, but I can easily believe that over the last 3 days that it wouldn't get up to temp...

[1MAZDA]

^I think there is something wrong with his car.

[00bluees]

a week ago it wasn't this cold out... I've had the same experience where i've accidentally let it idle up to temperature due to a distraction, but I can easily believe that over the last 3 days that it wouldn't get up to temp...

the first really cold night we had this week when it was -32 outside in the monring my car ran for around 5-6 minutes since the windshield and front windows were fogged. when i got in the car the windshield was 90% clear and the temp gauge was 1/4 of the way up and the car was warm inside. within the first minute of driving the gauge was up to its normal running temp point just less than half.

not trying to argue with anyone. i would just think 15 minutes plus driving home from work (however long that would be is dragons case) should get the car warmed up.

[distr0]

coolant fricking froze last night

had 0 heat on the way to work, then blew a line and blasted coolant all over the motor

car (and myself) now thuroughly stink of burnt coolant :(

[Evil Homer P5]

coolant fricking froze last night

had 0 heat on the way to work, then blew a line and blasted coolant all over the motor

car (and myself) now thuroughly stink of burnt coolant :(

when did you realize the coolant froze? after the lines blew up?

[Cool_Steve]

^too much water in the mix?

[distr0]

when did you realize the coolant froze? after the lines blew up?

i figured the thermostat was just stuck.. didn't realize 'till i got to work

doesn't seem like anything is damaged though, drove for ~1hr at lunch and everything it working

must have had too much water with the coolant

[kevcol74]

Thats about 14 minutes 30 seconds too long. Fastest way to warm up your car is to drive it.

Keep in mind, this is YOUR (and a few other's) opinion, not fact. I swear by 2-3 minutes warm up when below 0C, and I have been driving alot longer than most on here, and never dropped an engine.
Longer if necessary to clear the windows.

[tiffers]

^ 2-3 mins ok sure but 15?!?!? thats just overkill. if you need to warm your car up that long you should get a block heater or something... had one in my VW... it was nice :D

when i do drive my car in the winter I start it up, it idles while i clean off the windows and im gone. i have about 5 min, if that, to the highway and the car is usually nice and toasty by the time I start my commute...

[00bluees]

if my p5 was to have a block heater installed from the dealer where would i find the plug? i haven't seen one in my under hood exploration but it could be hidden? haven't had much trouble starting but a block heater would make starting a bit easier.

[Evil Homer P5]

if my p5 was to have a block heater installed from the dealer where would i find the plug? i haven't seen one in my under hood exploration but it could be hidden? haven't had much trouble starting but a block heater would make starting a bit easier.

cars didn't come with them, you would need to go and get one installed

[xanten]

if you have the frost plug still it would be neer the oil filter and alternator area if im not mistaken

and i let my car warm up for about 5 minutes then just left

[tiffers]

i thought thehy were an option?? I know it is on the 3's.

but IF your car did have one it would be near the front... my VW had its just inside the grill and it would pull out thru the "spokes" *for lack of a better word*

[Evil Homer P5]

the block heaters are a dealer installed option.

[991.8l]

Today the car was not happy, -10 and I took like 30 seconds to warm it up... took almost 20 mins to be a operating temp in traffic... tried to keep the RPM below 2000 and under 40km/h.

[TheMAN]

30 seconds is NOT "warmed up" :rolleyes: