Do you warm your car up?

I was having an interesting discussion with a friend of mine who is from the very northern tip of Maine. She was arguing that everyone up there warms their car up because it is better for the vehicle. I have seen two different schools of thought though.

1. Warm the car up to operating temperature before you drive it. This will ensure the oil has thinned out and everything gets properly lubricated. It also ensures you're nice and toasty inside.

2. Start the car up and start driving it gently until it's warm. No rev-matching, no exceeding 3,000 RPM, etc. The idea being this will warm the oil up much faster than leaving the vehicle sitting.

I was wondering what other LGTers do with their cars. I typically start mine and drive it very easy until it's warm. The only time I let it warm up is if I have ice frozen on the inside of my windshield or it is brutally cold (negative temperatures.) Is there any factual evidence backing one of these methods as better?

I let mine run for 30-60 seconds before I start driving it. I start out gently until the needle gets past the 1/4 mark, then I just drive normally. But I NEVER beat the car unless it fully warmed up.

If you start the car and let it idle until it's fully warmed, all you're doing is warming the engine oil and coolant. The transmission and differential fluids are still cold...

Edit: Where I live it rarely gets below freezing.

5mins in winter,

2mins in summer,

avoid exceed 3000 RPM before it reach normal operating temp..

You don't need to let a newer car warm up. That's common knowledge.

If it's real cold, sub zero or the windows are frosty I'll start it, scrape the frost and drive it.

The other week, -6F no frost, start it, turn on the seat heater, let it roll down the driveway and then put it into gear and drive it. Sometimes I'll let it run for a couple of minutes before I drive it when it's that kind of cold.

It all depends on how I feel that day.

I only let it warm up if it's buttfreezingcold outside.

Usually only for a few mintues, then I drive 'er reeeeeal easy for at least 5 miles or so.

If it's not that cold out, I start it, let the rpms come down a little bit, roll it out of the driveway and drive 'er real easy.

The whole idea of letting a car warm up was more for the carburetor engines. The new

engines do not need to sit idle to warm up. Just take is easy on the motor the first few

minutes and she'll be fine. The car is obviously warms up much quicker and you're not

wasting gas.

If I do let it warm up, it's because I'm concerned about my own well being, not my car's When it is FREEZING out I'll warm it while I shovel snow, just so I can sit in a nice warm car once done. Occaisionally if it is EXTREMELY hot out (100+) I'll let it run a couple minutes to circulate some cool air.

But as mentioned, I feel driving conservatively until to operating temp is the best way to go.

In our piston slap prone engines, idling them for a length of time isn't good.

This can also lead to gas and exhaust gases being absorbed by the engine oil.

Also, there is transmission fluid, differential fluid, and tires that need to be warmed up as well.

Just get it in it and go. The car will warm up way quicker under load anyways and it is much healthier for it.

Just get a block heater and if you can't stand the cold, move south.

This, from a guy in VA, whats he know about cold... LOL

if i do let it warm up, it's because i'm concerned about my own well being, not my car's .

+++1 ^

That's the point of driving it, is to warm up the engine oil under load. What about the transmission? And the brakes? And the tires? And the differentials?

Engine oils have a cold and hot operating temperature, because running engines experience both extremes.

Engine oil that is heated to normal operating temps will lubericate better than cold oil in a car that has sat out all night in freezing temps. It's not rocket science, but to each their own.

Engine oil that is heated to normal operating temps will lubericate better than cold oil in a car that has sat out all night in freezing temps. It's not rocket science, but to each their own.

Oil is very thick when it's cold, so it's not even doing its job properly if it's too thick. There's always a flip side....

I just drive gently until it warms up. Doesn't matter if it's -10 or 100 out.

This.

I keep it under 2500-3000 until I'm at full temp, and never into boost unless it's an emergency (which hasn't happened, thankfully).

That's the point of driving it, is to warm up the engine oil under load. What about the transmission? And the brakes? And the tires? And the differentials?

Engine oils have a cold and hot operating temperature, because running engines experience both extremes.

Actually that statement is incorrect. It's called Multi-Viscosity or Multi-grade oils. You should look into it. The oil flows more efficiently at operating temperature. Your engine will be adequately "lubericated" at any temperature. So do you stand by your method because you think its what you should do or is it because it is a scientifically proven method? And once again, motor oil isn't the only fluid in the car that needs warming.

 

EDIT: Oil has polar additives causing it to cling to engine parts after shut down. Cold oil lubricates better as it is more viscous and provides a thicker

film between moving parts. On the other hand it doesn't flow as well (which is a very relative statement) as hot oil which on the same hand doesn't lubricate as well because it is thinner due to its lower viscosity.

Like I stated in my earlier post "to each their own". It's your car do whatever you want with it. Although I'm not the one rebuilding my engine at the moment, am I?