Let a car run before driving?

[Kathryn Merteuil]

If it is really cold yea I will run outside and start it up and run back inside the house just to take the edge off. I used to have a car with a remote start, I kind of miss that feature.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Just curious where you live? Because where I live, it is a necessity to let the car run for a couple mins before driving away. Getting a stone cold car up to highway speed immediately after starting isn't a good idea.

Well seeing as how virtually nobody lives in the middle of a highway, virtually nobody will be running highway speeds immediately after starting.

 

[JanaDee]

Well seeing as how virtually nobody lives in the middle of a highway, virtually nobody will be running highway speeds immediately after starting.

I live 30 seconds from a state highway. There are hundreds of people that have driveways off that particular highway (and tens of thousands of people around the country that are the same). So don't tell me no one will be running highway speeds immediately after starting.

 

[sam_gordon]

Getting a stone cold car up to highway speed immediately after starting isn't a good idea.

Is your driveway the on ramp to the highway?

 

[Laura66]

A little off topic, I just saw on Dateline or 20/20 or something like that. There has been a major increase in cars being stolen, while they are being warmed up. It was a wake up call to see the report. I always go warm up my car and go back in and get kids ready to go out.

I find this hard to believe - especially in my neighborhood! I mean it is so flippin cold, there's 2+ feet of snow on the ground, snowpiles in neighborhoods and businesses well over 10 feet! Cars are covered in ice and snow that takes forever to scrape off. Where are these car theives lurking!
Not saying thefts are not happening - but I can't imagine the numbers spiking!

 

[Disneylover99]

Not saying thefts are not happening - but I can't imagine the numbers spiking!

Numbers of stolen cars spike every winter. It's not like people warm up their cars in the summer. There was a rash of car thefts early in the morning on a residential street not too far from my house earlier this winter. It's naive to think it can't happen to you.

 

[Laura66]

Numbers of stolen cars spike every winter. It's not like people warm up their cars in the summer. There was a rash of car thefts early in the morning on a residential street not too far from my house earlier this winter. It's naive to think it can't happen to you.

Never said or thought it couldn't happen to me!
A lot of things can happen to me - but I'm still warming up my car before I drive in below zero temps!

 

[cfriend416]

I live 30 seconds from a state highway. There are hundreds of people that have driveways off that particular highway (and tens of thousands of people around the country that are the same). So don't tell me no one will be running highway speeds immediately after starting.

Well luckily for you, 30 seconds is the perfect amount of time for a car to run before it needs to get up to highway speeds. Honestly though, I don't think anyone really cares if you want to idle your car. Just don't insist that it's necessary (for the car) when it's not.

 

[elaine amj]

I just read the article to my husband. His response: "I don't believe them. A car absolutely needs to be running for 5-10 mins to get the oil properly distributed".

*sigh*

I then read him this part of the article:
For the final word on the dumbness of this practice, let's turn to the late Tom Magliozzi, the unforgettable co-host of NPR's "Car Talk." As he put it to a Boston listener named Lisa, who had asked about her boyfriend's conviction that you need to idle up to 10 minutes in winter:

"Dear Lisa's Boyfriend: You have your head so far up your tailpipe on this one, it may be coming out your air intake."

He laughed but is still absolutely convinced of his opinion.

*double sigh*

 

[Disneylover99]

Never said or thought it couldn't happen to me!
A lot of things can happen to me - but I'm still warming up my car before I drive in below zero temps!

Well, you did say it's hard to believe it could happen in your neighborhood. I'm simply pointing out it can and does happen. I'm sure the thief will appreciate your warm car though.

 

[Laura66]

Well luckily for you, 30 seconds is the perfect amount of time for a car to run before it needs to get up to highway speeds. Honestly though, I don't think anyone really cares if you want to idle your car. Just don't insist that it's necessary (for the car) when it's not.

When did I ever insist it's necessary?

 

[Disneylover99]

When did I ever insist it's necessary?

Cfriend was responding to JanaDee, not you.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I live 30 seconds from a state highway. There are hundreds of people that have driveways off that particular highway (and tens of thousands of people around the country that are the same). So don't tell me no one will be running highway speeds immediately after starting.

Read my post again this time paying close attention to the word in red.

Well seeing as how virtually nobody lives in the middle of a highway, virtually nobody will be running highway speeds immediately after starting.

Further, my post was accurate. So do not presume to tell me what to post. As for a "state highway" that can mean anything from a city street to a rural two lane road, to a 4 lane road to a controlled access road. And seeing as how you didn't post freeway it isn't one of those. In any case, the vast majority of people do not live within 30 seconds of a freeway onramp.

 

[tzolkin]

I just read the article to my husband. His response: "I don't believe them. A car absolutely needs to be running for 5-10 mins to get the oil properly distributed".

*sigh*

I then read him this part of the article:
For the final word on the dumbness of this practice, let's turn to the late Tom Magliozzi, the unforgettable co-host of NPR's "Car Talk." As he put it to a Boston listener named Lisa, who had asked about her boyfriend's conviction that you need to idle up to 10 minutes in winter:

"Dear Lisa's Boyfriend: You have your head so far up your tailpipe on this one, it may be coming out your air intake."

He laughed but is still absolutely convinced of his opinion.

*double sigh*

This is what my earlier post was about and what I think some people are missing on this thread.

Many are mentioning warming up the car so that the interior temperature is comfortable for them before they get in and go. Sure, if that's what you want to do, but that doesn't mean that you are unable to drive the car until it has warmed up to that point.

I mentioned DHs coworkers here in NC. They are not warming the cars up to make them comfortable because they are sitting inside the freezing cars in the parking garage (so they are actually prolonging the time they are in a cold vehicle). They genuinely believe that their car will not work properly if they do not let it run for 15 minutes in these "freezing" temperatures. (We are talking about 30 deg not -20s... Which it would regularly reach where we lived before).

 

[Shutterbug]

This is what my earlier post was about and what I think some people are missing on this thread.

Many are mentioning warming up the car so that the interior temperature is comfortable for them before they get in and go. Sure, if that's what you want to do, but that doesn't mean that you are unable to drive the car until it has warmed up to that point.

I mentioned DHs coworkers here in NC. They are not warming the cars up to make them comfortable because they are sitting inside the freezing cars in the parking garage (so they are actually prolonging the time they are in a cold vehicle). They genuinely believe that their car will not work properly if they do not let it run for 15 minutes in these "freezing" temperatures. (We are talking about 30 deg not -20s... Which it would regularly reach where we lived before).

At those temps, I just get in the car and go. Now, having said that, I won't jump on the peddle or push the engine hard until it is at fully operating temp. Though at that temp it doesn't take too long.

 

[tvguy]

I live 30 seconds from a state highway. There are hundreds of people that have driveways off that particular highway (and tens of thousands of people around the country that are the same). So don't tell me no one will be running highway speeds immediately after starting.

I have a Ford Focus PZEV. To cut pollution PZEV cars are designed to get up to operating temperature quickly. The temperature gauge is at normal warm range by the time I have driven 2 blocks. But, yes, it is California where the record low is like 17 degrees, and that only happens once or twice every 10 years.

 

[tvguy]

I find this hard to believe - especially in my neighborhood! I mean it is so flippin cold, there's 2+ feet of snow on the ground, snowpiles in neighborhoods and businesses well over 10 feet! Cars are covered in ice and snow that takes forever to scrape off. Where are these car theives lurking!
Not saying thefts are not happening - but I can't imagine the numbers spiking!

No snow on the ground here, but the Police and Air Resources board put out press releases to the media every winter tell people not to warm up their cars. My neighbor had a car with remote start and she never warmed it up in the winter, but during the day during the summer she always started it a few minutes when it was 100 degrees to cool it off. Always scared me, because the horn honked before it started, and it had flowmasters on it, so it was loud on start up.

 

[robinb]

My car has a remote start that locks the car when it's started so I don't have to worry about it being taken. I warm the car more for my comfort than for car itself. We have had highs in the single digits recently so I love my remote start.

 

[JanaDee]

Read my post again this time paying close attention to the word in red.



Further, my post was accurate. So do not presume to tell me what to post. As for a "state highway" that can mean anything from a city street to a rural two lane road, to a 4 lane road to a controlled access road. And seeing as how you didn't post freeway it isn't one of those. In any case, the vast majority of people do not live within 30 seconds of a freeway onramp.

Not that it matters, but it is a 2 lane rural state highway with a 55 mph speed limit. Highway speed to me is 55 mph. But carry on, I'm done explaining myself to you.

 

[pat fan]

Maybe I'm just being squirmy due to circumstances not related to this thread, but I am a little tired of the tone and attitude of some posters.

If you don't want to start your car to let it "warm up" for ANY reason, that's fine.
If others, for whatever reason (interior warmth, some miss-guided sense of letting fluids warm up and disperse, the wish to burn as much fossil fuels as humanly possible) wish to let their car warm up...WHO CARES???

As I have previously said, live and let live, and I will add, please keep the condescension to a minimum, thanks.