My wife thinks I am nuts!
05-21-2009, 07:38 PM
#21
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
It isn't just the engine that benefits from a few moments of idling, though having the temperature needle already moving before you encounter 45+ mph traffic is a good thing all by itself.
In cold weather, your manual tranny synchros will thank you if you let it idle a bit. Shifts happen much more easily and with much less notchiness once the oil inside it has starting to warm up and begins to flow a little more readily.
The car doesn't move until the engine has dropped off the fast idle, even in the heat of summer. And I'll go out of my way to avoid Interstate travel until the temperature gauge needle is sitting at its fully warmed up position.
Norm
In cold weather, your manual tranny synchros will thank you if you let it idle a bit. Shifts happen much more easily and with much less notchiness once the oil inside it has starting to warm up and begins to flow a little more readily.
The car doesn't move until the engine has dropped off the fast idle, even in the heat of summer. And I'll go out of my way to avoid Interstate travel until the temperature gauge needle is sitting at its fully warmed up position.
Norm
05-21-2009, 08:10 PM
#22
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Montaner
Posts: 6,193
Riptide, I live in Virginia and had a pretty mild winter but, even on the coldest days my temperature gauge reached fully warm somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. I look at it this way, starting the engine and getting it to warm up to anything over 50 degrees by idling is good enough to drive off.
In case there was confusion from my post. Your coolant might rise to operating temperature within 10 minutes. But your OIL temperature takes longer than that to fully warm up.
If you want to be uber **** about it. Drive the car at least 15-20 minutes before you step on it real good.
05-21-2009, 08:40 PM
#24
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: ATL
Posts: 2,955
You guys are wasting your time. Once rpms drop to normal, the car is ready to go. By the time my garage door is all the way up, I'm backing out. Even says so in the manual.
Last edited by Bmr4life; 05-21-2009 at 08:43 PM.
05-21-2009, 09:47 PM
#26
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Lewisetta, Virginia
Posts: 788
Bmr4life, we're not wasting our time. We are trying to figure out what's best for our cars. The owner's manual does say the car does not need any warming up. Just because it doesn't need it doesn't mean idling at a cold start for a couple of minutes isn't better for our cars. I've been guilty of starting up my car and driving off stone cold just because "the owner's manual" said it was ok. For only about a couple of weeks now I have been starting and idling for a minute or 2 before driving off hoping it will make my car last longer.
05-21-2009, 10:15 PM
#27
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Ofallon, IL
Posts: 502
I open the door. Plop down. Turn the key while closing the door.. Pop in gear or let the clutch out while clicking the belt..
I've owned cars I've put close to quarter million miles on and have NEVER had an internal engine / tranny issue due to this (had a bad check valve in a tranny once, but that was a factory problem).
I've got two right now with 185k miles and 197k miles. I'm getting ready to go on a 3,000 mile journey with the 197k mile Jeep. Ain't skerd.
I've owned cars I've put close to quarter million miles on and have NEVER had an internal engine / tranny issue due to this (had a bad check valve in a tranny once, but that was a factory problem).
I've got two right now with 185k miles and 197k miles. I'm getting ready to go on a 3,000 mile journey with the 197k mile Jeep. Ain't skerd.
05-21-2009, 10:33 PM
#28
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Montaner
Posts: 6,193
robs is right it isn't going to (measurably) hurt anything. It doesn't take long to get the oil pressure up.
That said it's probably not a good idea to run the car like a raped ape before it's warmed up. Driving conservatively is not the same thing.
That said it's probably not a good idea to run the car like a raped ape before it's warmed up. Driving conservatively is not the same thing.
05-22-2009, 12:10 AM
#29
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,060
I never start the car in one go, I too let the fuel pump cycle before turning further to start the engine. But after the initial spike of RPM I set off and never go above 3k rpm. Hell, I doubt I ever pass 2k rpm in the first 5-10 minutes now that I think of it.
Even when I goose it I rarely go further than 4k. No need to.
Even when I goose it I rarely go further than 4k. No need to.
