Warming up your Engines????

[300EVIL]

What do you guys think?

I have always been a firm believer in warming up my engines before I start my daily driving. My normal routine is to start my car 5 minutes be for I depart in the summer and 15 minutes in the winter. I have been doing this for many years now and my engines have shown no internal wear.

I since have heard from a couple sources that warming up an engine too much can be bad.... I would like to get opinions on this issue from members here before I permanently stick to my temp cycling regiment.
Thanks!
Adam

[TTaM]

I don't. My daily driver is an Audi TT and it specifically says not to warm up the engine. It simply says to drive lightly until engine is at normal operating temp.

[Botnst]

Originally Posted by Volkl42

I don't. My daily driver is an Audi TT and it specifically says not to warm up the engine. It simply says to drive lightly until engine is at normal operating temp.

That's my understanding. basically, don't move until the oil pressure pops up at which time, moving parts should be bathed in oil. Don't punch it until it's at op temp.

Then git'er done and smoke them tars.

[Jim Anderson]

I warm it up enough to close the garge door, but they I REALLY baby it until I start getting heat out of it, then be real easy with it until it's close to operating temp, but the coldest it's ever seen in my so cal garage is 45 degrees.

[Ara T.]

Don't really need to, though usually after I fasten my seat belt, get my music selection all ready to go 20-30 seconds has passed. Sometimes I just start and go though, it doesn't really get that cold here for the idle to ever deviate from 650 RPM. Driving gently in gear is a better way to warm your engine up then idling in park will ever be anyway.

[iwrock]

My wagon is a cool camper. It is parked outside, and I usually let it warm up for about 5 minutes. I just do that so it is warm inside the cabin, and all of the windows are deiced. If I don't let it warm up, you cant see out the windows, and it idles rough at stops.

[mzsmbs]

depend on which vehicle and how cold it is outside. never in the summer but i do wait a few for the oil to circulate.

[Jorn]

Is it not best to start drive it slowly so all fluids will warm up, especially ATF?

[dgcamero]

I wait until the engine has reached idle speed (about 30 seconds) and then attempt to not exceed 50% of redline until it's warm (about 15 - 20 minutes in the winter, 5 in the summer).

[86560SEL]

I have a neighbor that starts up his Blazer (late model) and instantly starts racing the engine to high RPMS. What a fool.

I used to have a neighbor back in the mid 1980s (elderly lady). She had a early 80s (nearly new at the time) Ford Fairmont. She was about the same way- she would start it- race it up a couple of times, then hold it at about 3000 RPMS then put it in reverse. It would bark the tires on her driveway. She got to where she was unable to drive before the transmission went out. Those transmissions in those Fords were virtually bulletproof, but I do not think many would take this abuse. Before that- she had a 1975 Plymouth Valiant- also with the old reliable torque-flight tranny. I think it lasted a year before she blew out a seal. I always felt sorry for her- as her family offered little help. Lord rest her soul now- she passed away several years ago. These are good memories of her. She never meant any harm - she always liked to make people chuckle too.

Then, after that I had a neighbor at our old residence that had a old early to mid 70s Subaru DL- rare by todays standards. One morning he started it up and if he did not race that engine to 7500 RPMS- then I am not setting here. It sounded like a turbo chainsaw. I just knew it was going to throw a rod through the block, but it didn't. I think he had too much to drink that day - which was nothing unusual.

[crash9]

Certainly it's better to warm the motor up a bit, but I no longer can. My Chow Chow thinks it's his job to lead me out to the gate and then wait for my return to lead me back up the drive. Something about his protective nature I guess. Andy's getting old and lame and it's about ¼ mi. out to the gate. Takes him more than 5 min. and then the younger one shows up and sometimes gets out to go exploring – big pain to round her up and get her back. If I just start the car and quickly drive out they both stay put, so no more warm ups till ole Andy passes on.

[Biodiesel300TD]

I have always let my vehicles warm up. Especially in the winter. I usually let them warm up for about 15 minutes in the winter, maybe not as much when the block heater is plugged in.

[yal]

At least 1 minute warm up on the 05 Subaru. At least 3 minutes on the W124. I don't punch either until operating temp is reached which is really hard to determine on the idiot guage on the new car so I wait for a little heat out of the vents. The cars sit outside in the driveway and it gets into the teens at night.

When I come home from work by train there is a guy who gets into his car at the parking lot (an Isuzu Vehi Cross) and just absolutely guns the car the second he starts it like he's late for dinner or something! I cringe everytime.

[iwrock]

Sometime the wagon will stall if I put it indo drive. It idles really low when it is cold. So I let it warm up and all is well.

[neanderthal]

with modern fuel injected cars you dont need to warm them up.

let the oil pressure reach max, go gently until its reached operating temps, then drive as you want to.

in my carbed cars i let them warm up a little more than the few seconds it takes to establish oil pressure.