Warming up

PULLY6 · 13-04-2005, 04:57 PM

Hey guys,

Just wanting to get an idea - how many people warm up the car in the morning/first start of the day?

I've been told its a good habit to get into but rarely bother, as I'm always in a rush in the mornings.

:

Good on yas!
Pully

Ay-You-Steve · 13-04-2005, 05:01 PM

about 5 mins for me, depending on if its hot or cold. If its a hot day 5 mins max, a cold day 7-8 mins.

MickyB · 13-04-2005, 05:04 PM

Don't think you really need to with modern cars, they are built to much finer tolerances than older engines. I don't push my car too hard until the guage starts to move, but I don't ever sit there and warm it up either.

XRated · 13-04-2005, 05:06 PM

Pretty sure you shouldn't be warming up a modern car before driving off for some reason (from what I've heard, don't know exactly why). It's best to drive them straight away and drive the car gently until the temperature is in the normal position.

Steffo · 13-04-2005, 05:12 PM

Every car I ever own will be warmed up before driven anywhere.

Damo · 13-04-2005, 05:13 PM

yeah i drive strait away, As long as she starts.

Biggoggs · 13-04-2005, 05:27 PM

EA2 Falcon: Yea, a little. About a minute or two so it doesn't cough out when idling.
'85 AS Telstar: For at least two or three minutes. It jumps and sputters when it's cold, even with the choke out.

I think in modern cars it's redundant, and by sitting there idling you're consuming fuel and not warming anything else up (transmission, clutch, tyres, brakes, etc).

AdzT3-146 · 13-04-2005, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damo

yeah i drive strait away, As long as she starts.

lol. same here.

FNQracing · 13-04-2005, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PULLY6

Hey guys,

Just wanting to get an idea - how many people warm up the car in the morning/first start of the day?

I've been told its a good habit to get into but rarely bother, as I'm always in a rush in the mornings.

:

Good on yas!
Pully

Most people think the "warm up" procedure is getting building heat into the engine, whereas what it really means is letting the oil circulate and get up to pressure before driving.

"Warming up" comes from the days of the carburettor - a stone cold engine does need a bit of temperature to get it running right. Hence the choke, which is automatic these days.

smciner1 · 13-04-2005, 06:22 PM

XR6, usually give it a couple of minutes in the morning to get some temperature into the engine and get the heater working. I don't really like driving straight away on a stone cold engine.

As for the GT, ask anyone who was at Heathcote and stayed at Bendigo.

:

Mike Gayner · 13-04-2005, 06:34 PM

In my shitty EA I've usually half-way released the clutch before it even kicks into life! I have to warm up my XA or it just kicks and coughs and basically acts like a ****er.

Kenaz · 13-04-2005, 06:39 PM

Nope, I just get in and go. I do take it pretty easy for the first 10-15 mins though

FreezeR · 13-04-2005, 06:40 PM

I dont warm mine up. Just baby it along untill it gets to a good enough temp.

darkfang888 · 13-04-2005, 06:42 PM

I do with the Fairmont coz the automatically adjusting idle-plunger is missing (plug's still there) and if I don't she has a tenedency to stall when changing from reverse (to get outta driveway) into drive. Tend to warm her up for about a 15-30 secs (depending on how cold it is) at about 1500rpm.

blackers10 · 13-04-2005, 06:47 PM

i open the door start her up... get in do up me seat belt.. stick the face on the headunit.. select a good song if a good 1 isnt on.. throw on my sunnys and away i go

so it gives it a good minuite or 2 or 3 to warm up
and just take it pretty easy till the guage moves a fair bit

XA-Coupe · 13-04-2005, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smciner1

As for the GT, ask anyone who was at Heathcote and stayed at Bendigo.

:

yes.. bastard !!!

I let the oil pressure get up and then drive slowly until it reaches temp.

smciner1 · 13-04-2005, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XA Coupe

yes.. bastard !!!

I let the oil pressure get up and then drive slowly until it reaches temp.

No can do, tis a real b!tch to drive when stone cold. Doesn't want to know about idle.

XA-Coupe · 13-04-2005, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smciner1

No can do, tis a real b!tch to drive when stone cold. Doesn't want to know about idle.

that is why you D R I V E it slowly ... it shouldn't idle whilst in motion .. geez.. I have to explain EVERYTHING !

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Dark Horse · 13-04-2005, 07:37 PM

I usually do a few stretches. Oh, you meant the car....

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRated

Pretty sure you shouldn't be warming up a modern car before driving off for some reason (from what I've heard, don't know exactly why).

You glaze the bores.

smciner1 · 13-04-2005, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XA Coupe

that is why you D R I V E it slowly ... it shouldn't idle whilst in motion .. geez.. I have to explain EVERYTHING !

:

Well stop start traffic can be a pain in this situation, but I have managed to master working the brake and the accelerator with the right foot and pull up to the lights without locking up the brakes while pushing in the clutch with my left foot.

bartaxr8 · 13-04-2005, 07:54 PM

I just usually start mine up in the morning, let it idle until full oil pressure is up and take it real easy till the temp guage is in its normal operating range.

ilsautomotive · 13-04-2005, 08:17 PM

In my experience cars drive like crap if they are too cold, and if they are carby they don't drive at all unless warmed up reasonably. All the propoganda by the oil companies about most engine wear occuring in the first 15 minutes has made me paranoid and I do warm up cars up.

XA Coupsta · 14-04-2005, 11:40 AM

What a good thread.

I definately warm up my XA fully - for easily 15mins - usually up to full temp.

Probably overkill I know.

LTDHO · 14-04-2005, 12:37 PM

You do not want your car to idle up to temp. The longest time needed at idle is about 10-15 seconds, this is how long it taks to get oil pressure.
Then drive car gently until engine temp is met. Then drive as hard as you want.
This is that safest way and will lenthen the life of your motor.

If you idle up to engine temp then you are doing more bad than good.

Ghiadude · 14-04-2005, 12:38 PM

i tag the limitier when starting, slam it into drive and do a 400 meter long skid to warm it up....works everytime...just joking. fairmont gets thirty seconds of idle. laser turbo gets a full 10 minutes while i do my pre flight checks.

Steffo · 14-04-2005, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTDHO

You do not want your car to idle up to temp. The longest time needed at idle is about 10-15 seconds, this is how long it taks to get oil pressure.
Then drive car gently until engine temp is met. Then drive as hard as you want.
This is that safest way and will lenthen the life of your motor.

If you idle up to engine temp then you are doing more bad than good.

What happens thats so bad if you leave the car on a few minutes before driving away?

My dad's done that on every car we've owned (two Ford Econovan Maxi's, one did 404,000km, the other has 500,000 on it now and still going), pretty much all the cabs he drives/has driven (right now its an AU1 with 850,000km on it) etc etc. And they all tend to live a long and healthy life.. so it leads me to believe that it actually is a good idea.

BF MKII UTE · 14-04-2005, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackers10

i open the door start her up... get in do up me seat belt.. stick the face on the headunit.. select a good song if a good 1 isnt on.. throw on my sunnys and away i go

so it gives it a good minuite or 2 or 3 to warm up
and just take it pretty easy till the guage moves a fair bit

As he said ^^^ word for word. Plus wait for the roller door to raise up.

Perana · 14-04-2005, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XA Coupe

I let the oil pressure get up and then drive slowly until it reaches temp.

What jeff said :P

Cars these days dont need to be warmed up... unless like smciner1's they dont idle :P

Sox · 14-04-2005, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steffo

What happens thats so bad if you leave the car on a few minutes before driving away?

You have the potential to glaze the cylinders.
Idling for more than 20 seconds is just a waste of fuel.

Driving off immediately is the best way, if your vehicle is capable of it. That is, if it doesn't have a very good enrichment circuit for cold running.

All EFI vehicle made in the last 10-15 years shouldn't have any problem with that.

The other problem with allowing a vehicle to warm up idling is that all the other components aren't warming up with the engine.
There is little point allowing the engine to warm up if the gearbox, diff, brakes, and tyres are all cold.

Moving off straight away is the best method of warming up any modern day vehicle.

Of course not allowing revs to go over (say) 3000rpm is a good idea until the engine is at operating temp.

Allowing engines to warm up is a thing from the dark ages, when we had single grade oils and vehicles simply wouldn't run without warming up.

Rick.

Casper · 14-04-2005, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartaxr8

I just usually start mine up in the morning, let it idle until full oil pressure is up and take it real easy till the temp guage is in its normal operating range.

I do exactly the same.
Apparently us odd ones who drive AU1's and not those "fancy" AU3's actually have working oil pressure guages so we can actually see the pressure guage go up and reach full pressure.

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