Derek
Well-known member
Just read all these posts.....it sounds like foreplay....for goodness sake,get in, buckle up,look both ways and drive off. 
Warming up car.
- Thread starter 1989 406
- Start date
Just read all these posts.....it sounds like foreplay....for goodness sake,get in, buckle up,look both ways and drive off. boomdriver
Well-known member
The topic is worth commenting about...so here goes.,
The issue of 'warming up" is an extension of old school technology where the car needed to warm up with its choked carb so it would even pull the load. With the full choke engaged the motor was so rich and starved for air to the point that it couldn't pull away from a stand still. As the temp came up and the heat actuated choke disengaged the engine would smooth out and begin to run normally and you could then drive.
A couple sidenotes on this...
When the choke was engaged the engine was so rich that the fuel was washing the lubricating oil off the cyl walls so you did not want to drive it hard, or at all, under those circumstances.
This ritual that took place every morning caused the interesting statistic of more wear coming at start-up than a 1000 miles of hiway driving. Because of the extra fuel that ruined the lubrication. This is evident by the well know fact that an engine from 1970 was well worn at 100,000 miles. The single biggest reason that we see 250,000 (or more) miles on an engine now is becuase of EFI and the fact that the SAE did away with all the wasted fuel that was causing the wear at start up / warm-up.
So, as the machine evolved the old habits DID NOT. The habit of warm-up got passed on from one generation to the next. With todays (since the 80s) ECM controlled EFI there is no reason to warm an engine any longer than it takes to click the seat belt before driving. Unless its very cold, below 40 IMHO, there is no need to sit there wasting fuel and idle. IF the ambient is low, then wait until there is a move off the 'lo' indicator. It needs to have the lubricants flowing and warming before being stressed. Idling will not help the rear end or other parts warm up. They have to be in motion to generate heat in order to warm their fluids. Cold temps having an effect on the lubricants is the ONLY reason to wait. The engine itself is making all the necessary adjustments and calculations to keep from killing itself with excess fuel but giving enough fuel to run in the below normal ambient. In the winter (last time I saw one) I change the oil to 5-30wt for cold winter starts (does make a difference cranking) and I run Prolong to help with the dry/cold starts. Once the ambient stays steady over 60 I go back to 10-40 or 15-50wt for the summers where the temps might reach 240 or more under the most extreme conditions...a/c, idling in traffic with 110 degree ambients. Winter time I never see temps over 190....and even on days like today when the ambient was 78 I still don;t see 200. (better not, spent the weekend installing new water pump, PITA!)(new hi-flow cast impeller). During the winter (30* start up temp) I will sit and idle until the coolant temp moves off LO. I think the first possible number is 100, so when that shows up, I go. Funny...when I lived in Az, I could see that every morning everyday for almost a year. The car was always warmed up and ready to go with the "cooled off" temps never dropping below 110 for several months...
To sum it up, its actually worse to sit there idling for 2-3 minutes than it is to start driving. Its wasting fuel and causing wear that would take place anyway, except you'd be halfway to your destination. Old engines with carbs need to be warmed so the engine can get some air and level out the unmanaged carb a/f ratio.
The ONLY thing to be concerned about is how hard you drive in relation to start up temps. Because there are several different metals used in these engines its advisable to drive like a sane person until normal operating temp is reached so that the various metals have had a chance to expand and maintain their integrity as designed into the part, at normal operating temps. Aluminum heads on iron blocks are the best known example...if stressed too soon the gasket between the head and the block may be weak momentarily as the iron block catches up to the heads that are already hot from combustion...All metals expand and contract with hot/cold, so its a good idea to drive normally until its warmed up all the way then you can hammer it if you want to even if its 20 below outdoors.
I know of a guy that will lite off his diesel P/U and idle that rattle trap for 10 minutes every morning waiting for it to hit NORMAL range before he even looks at the gear shift. Completely unnecessary and annoying...at best.
Unless its freezing or near that, start it and drive, just drive nice until its completely warmed. If its really cold out, then start up and let it idle for a minute until the coolant or oil temp gauge moves. Then drive away as normal.
Don't have a grandson with a dog collar.
The issue of 'warming up" is an extension of old school technology where the car needed to warm up with its choked carb so it would even pull the load. With the full choke engaged the motor was so rich and starved for air to the point that it couldn't pull away from a stand still. As the temp came up and the heat actuated choke disengaged the engine would smooth out and begin to run normally and you could then drive.
A couple sidenotes on this...
When the choke was engaged the engine was so rich that the fuel was washing the lubricating oil off the cyl walls so you did not want to drive it hard, or at all, under those circumstances.
This ritual that took place every morning caused the interesting statistic of more wear coming at start-up than a 1000 miles of hiway driving. Because of the extra fuel that ruined the lubrication. This is evident by the well know fact that an engine from 1970 was well worn at 100,000 miles. The single biggest reason that we see 250,000 (or more) miles on an engine now is becuase of EFI and the fact that the SAE did away with all the wasted fuel that was causing the wear at start up / warm-up.
So, as the machine evolved the old habits DID NOT. The habit of warm-up got passed on from one generation to the next. With todays (since the 80s) ECM controlled EFI there is no reason to warm an engine any longer than it takes to click the seat belt before driving. Unless its very cold, below 40 IMHO, there is no need to sit there wasting fuel and idle. IF the ambient is low, then wait until there is a move off the 'lo' indicator. It needs to have the lubricants flowing and warming before being stressed. Idling will not help the rear end or other parts warm up. They have to be in motion to generate heat in order to warm their fluids. Cold temps having an effect on the lubricants is the ONLY reason to wait. The engine itself is making all the necessary adjustments and calculations to keep from killing itself with excess fuel but giving enough fuel to run in the below normal ambient. In the winter (last time I saw one) I change the oil to 5-30wt for cold winter starts (does make a difference cranking) and I run Prolong to help with the dry/cold starts. Once the ambient stays steady over 60 I go back to 10-40 or 15-50wt for the summers where the temps might reach 240 or more under the most extreme conditions...a/c, idling in traffic with 110 degree ambients. Winter time I never see temps over 190....and even on days like today when the ambient was 78 I still don;t see 200. (better not, spent the weekend installing new water pump, PITA!)(new hi-flow cast impeller). During the winter (30* start up temp) I will sit and idle until the coolant temp moves off LO. I think the first possible number is 100, so when that shows up, I go. Funny...when I lived in Az, I could see that every morning everyday for almost a year. The car was always warmed up and ready to go with the "cooled off" temps never dropping below 110 for several months...
To sum it up, its actually worse to sit there idling for 2-3 minutes than it is to start driving. Its wasting fuel and causing wear that would take place anyway, except you'd be halfway to your destination. Old engines with carbs need to be warmed so the engine can get some air and level out the unmanaged carb a/f ratio.
The ONLY thing to be concerned about is how hard you drive in relation to start up temps. Because there are several different metals used in these engines its advisable to drive like a sane person until normal operating temp is reached so that the various metals have had a chance to expand and maintain their integrity as designed into the part, at normal operating temps. Aluminum heads on iron blocks are the best known example...if stressed too soon the gasket between the head and the block may be weak momentarily as the iron block catches up to the heads that are already hot from combustion...All metals expand and contract with hot/cold, so its a good idea to drive normally until its warmed up all the way then you can hammer it if you want to even if its 20 below outdoors.
I know of a guy that will lite off his diesel P/U and idle that rattle trap for 10 minutes every morning waiting for it to hit NORMAL range before he even looks at the gear shift. Completely unnecessary and annoying...at best.
Unless its freezing or near that, start it and drive, just drive nice until its completely warmed. If its really cold out, then start up and let it idle for a minute until the coolant or oil temp gauge moves. Then drive away as normal.
Don't have a grandson with a dog collar.
boomdriver
Well-known member
I always let my vehicle to warm up until it idles down on its' own and then drive off.
Thats the best guide there is..
Dad
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If it starts it moves, why would I warm up the engine and turn it loose on a cold differential and transmission. Most warm ups are for creature comfort not preservation of the equipment and why scrap off the snow when we can burn up a few gallons of gas to do it for us? Don't forget that you are now a go with that warm engine on cold tires................Yeaaaaahaaaaaa
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KANE
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I've always done a "walk around" while it is warming up. Checking for leaks, squeaks, and noises that aren't normal. That's also a good time to check lights and tires. If I can spot an issue before I get out of the drive way... that's better than finding it down the road.
;squint:
Perhaps I've been too conditioned to having mechanical issues with the C3s I had. Like an automotive form of pessimism. Both of them were EFI engine swaps and while the engines would crank reliably every time... I can't say the same about predictability and potentially very old parts (usually in the form of calipers, master cylinder, power steering pump, shocks, springs, bushings, gauges, etc). I had my 78 for a decade and probably replaced two sets of calipers on it during that time.
There's nothing more obnoxious than walking up to the garage and finding a puddle under the car of something that wasn't there yesterday.
;squint:
Perhaps I've been too conditioned to having mechanical issues with the C3s I had. Like an automotive form of pessimism. Both of them were EFI engine swaps and while the engines would crank reliably every time... I can't say the same about predictability and potentially very old parts (usually in the form of calipers, master cylinder, power steering pump, shocks, springs, bushings, gauges, etc). I had my 78 for a decade and probably replaced two sets of calipers on it during that time.
There's nothing more obnoxious than walking up to the garage and finding a puddle under the car of something that wasn't there yesterday.
Hib Halverson
Technical Writer for Internet & Print Media
You don't have to worry about warming a Volt up because the smoldering batteries do that for you.
boomdriver
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otfl 
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Well said!!!- Moderator
- #29
catbert
Moderator
I wait until it gets to 80 degrees, which usually happens in late May or Early June.:ugh
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That would limit my driving days to less than 20. :nono
Vettehead Mikey
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