Letting your car warm up

[cluvsdisney]

I'll let it run for a minute or two before pulling out.

 

[fairestoneofall]

i don't live in a super cold climate, but DH's Explorer is finicky. if it's in the low 40s or below, you have to let it warm up a little bit.

 

[lizabu]

My DH gives me crap when I don't warm the car but I remember seeing someone on TV say you don't have to do it and its actually bad for the environment so I'd be curious to know if you really need to warm your car or not.

 

[SaraJayne]

We have an attached garage, but with highs that are still below zero the last few days, the cars have been warmed up before we leave.

Usually for only 5 mins or so, I don't like to waste too much gas.

That's after "playing" with the garage door for a few mins. When it gets this cold, for some reason, it only opens halfway and then stops.

 

[soccerdad72]

I normally don't, unless the windshield needs defrosting. I'll often start my wife's car on my way out if I'm leaving before her in the morning.

 

[Riles_and_Gabe]

My general rule of thumb is if it is 25 degrees or lower I will warm it up 5-10 minutes. Mostly because I don't want to be in a car that is that cold. However, I hate wasting the gas so I love when I don't have to do that.

 

[Tralliam]

I work with a "car guy" he said it's important so that all the seals and gaskets get coated with oil correctly. If you're just going to run a half mile to drop the kids at school not a big deal, but it's important if you're going to go jump on the highway.

I just got a new car that has a little blue light if the engine is cold. The manual says you can drive with that on but won't have any hot air. I wait for the light to go out ..... most of the time.

 

[Shutterbug]

I do it to defrost the windows. Those ice scrapers can leave nasty marks on your window that after awhile really can get bad. Also if I am going to be on a long drive I warm it up so I can just have the coat in the car and not being wearing it the whole time.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

My car is garage kept so it's never in bitterly cold temperatures, and since a few mechanics have told me it's not something you need to do if your car is not prone to stalling, I don't.

Here too, but since it is still minus 5 right now, I just might let it idle for 5 min before I go out!

 

[mrodgers]

If I wanted to start my car to let it heat up inside and defrost the windows, I'd have to start it about 45 minutes early. I don't have heat even driving until about halfway to work, or 15 minutes. It is also pretty low slung and I have to wiggle into and out of it to start it. It's manual, so I have to get in and hit the clutch. Once I'm in, I'm not wiggling out from under the steering wheel, out around the B pillar and door frame, then maneuver the other direction around the door, so I just scrap, climb in, start, and go.

I miss my old Toyota 4x4s where I could just pull it out of gear and hit the hill-start button and start without having to climb in and press the clutch.

 

[Northstar]

I just read in the owner's manual for my car (long story about why I was leafing through the owner's manual...) that it's not bad to DRIVE the car cold till it warms up. What's bad for the car is if you drive a short way, then TURN IT OFF while it's still cold, before the oil and stuff has had a chance to get warm and lubricate.

Driving cold, ok. Repeatedly starting and stopping the engine while still cold, not ok.

I never warm up my car. I'm always late by the time I get out the door! We warm up together, my car and me.

 

[Kae]

We have gargage so no. I have a 2min drive to work so my car is not even warmed up when I get there. But I do have butt warmer & steering wheel warmer so I use those.

Kae

 

[bookgirl]

I have a remote start so I start it up and let it warm up for 10-15 minutes. then it's nice and toasty when I get in it. I know it's bad for the environment but I'd rather be comfortable.

I'm right there with you. Love my remote start. (Chose it over diamond earrings for a birthday). Works great winter and summer. Of course I forget half the time, but I really only use it when the car has sat for a long time. First thing in morning or if it's sat for hours. I have a ford and they can be a little rough when they're cold so I do try to run it for a few minutes on cold mornings.

 

[Fire14]

I usually warm mine up more for the defroast part than the heat but I'm sure it's helps my car also with temps in negatives.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Here's a professional opinion.

Bottom line: not necessary for modern cars.

 

[ilovemk76]

Do you?

I get in my car, start it, put on my seatbelt, then back out of the driveway. I never let it warm up. Other than not having heat for a few minutes, is there any reason I should let it warm up for a few minutes before driving?

I only warm my car if I need the help defrosting it or removing snow. Most of the time it is in a garage during the night.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/autos/0709/gallery.car_care_myths/3.html


It's true that running cold is harder on an engine than running warm. The oil is thicker, and it takes a little time - very little, really - for it to flow to all the parts of the engine that need it.

But letting the car sit while the engine is running doesn't help anything. It just wastes gas and pumps out needless fumes. You might as well get on your way.

 

[clarkshel]

I usually have my car in the garage every night in the winter. If I have to leave it out at night, I only plug it in if the temps get below -12 DEG C (10 F). I park outside at work, so my car usually sits outside it 10 hours a day. Even at -30 C temps. I have never had problems starting it, without it being plugged in. If it is below -15C. I will let my car run for 3 or 4 minutes before driving it. Above that only a minute or two.

Everything I have hear an read, newer vehicles do not have to be warmed up too long before driving it. Letting your car idle for 10 minutes or longer is actually hard on your engine. It is better for your engine to let it warm up for a few minutes, then drive it to warm it up the rest of the way.

Idling your vehicle for a log time is very bad for the environment, and cause greatly to the pollution of our cities. You also waste lots of gas. I am curious that if the people who let their cars idle for 10+ minutes are also complaining about the cost of gas?? However; with all of this being said. I recently got a car starter. Now I can start my car from my office. When it has been cold, I have let it run for 5 to 10 minutes before I leave. I don't complain about gas prices though. In fact, I like the high gas prices. It means high oil prices, which keeps me employed.

 

[M2B]

It was -22F here this morning. Vehicles have to run to get the frost off the windows, and prevent them from fogging up when you get in. We can scrape the outside, but that doesn't help on the inside.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

If we have frost yes
or if I have the baby yes.

Otherwise off we go.....

 

[Zandy595]

Let it run for 30 seconds just to circulate the oil.

You don't really need to idle your car, because of the efficiency of modern fuel injection, which eliminated carburetors and chokes. The only reason to let the car idle at all is to get the oil circulating, but after 30 seconds that's a done deal.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/cars-transportation/warming-up-car