Warmup time (OCD)

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landtank said:
3-4 seconds, I just wait for it to come off the initial high idle.

About the same here. I usually try to wait until the rpm drops to around 1200 before putting it in gear, which can be 30+ seconds when the temps are below freezing.
 
IdahoDoug said:
I don't let it sit warming up unless I'm going for brownie points with She Who Must Be Obeyed. It's generally hard on the engine to do that as gentle operation will get it through the cold operating phase faster and that's not a phase you want to be in. Best to simply drive off gently.

I tend to baby it much longer than most, however. I've owned a couple cars with oil temp guages over the years and was always astonished at how long it took the engine oil to get up to operating temps. As a guess, the water temp showed operating temps in about 5 minutes, but the oil temp took as long as 15 minutes and the tranny even longer. So, be sure you're not running the truck hard with a warm water jacket but cold tranny clutches and viscosity impaired oil due to temps. More applicable to us northern folks, but worth considering wherever you are.

DougM


Agree with everything, including the SWMBO thing! However be advised that it takes approximately twice the time you think it does for the cooling system to warm up; I was shocked to see that there is a significantly long delay between when my factory water temp gauge levels out on operating range and when my aftermarket water temp gauge levels out at about 80 celcius and fluctuates between 80 and 98 celcius (never seen more than 98) from there. Measured in miles as I roll out of our neighborhood at around twenty to thirty gentle MPH the factory gauge reads normal at about 1 mile while the Greddy Gauge with sensor located in the upper radiator hose that goes from the head coolant output pipe to the radiator will not read any temp above thirty degrees celcius for upwards of 2 or so miles. What I realized is that the location of the sensors were telling me two valuable data points: first the temp of the coolant in the head (factory gauge) and second, the temp of the coolant flowing out of the head, the block, the heaters etc and into the rad. When we're warming up apparently it takes a significant amount of time for the thermostats to open up and allow circulation.

My basic rule of thumb then has always been to be extremely gentle with a startup stahl of about thirty seconds or so and then to get going gently until the Greddy Gauge reads coolant circulation. The colder it is, the longer it takes so it is a real measurement of warmup. My main point is that it takes roughly twice the time from when your gauge reads normal till when your system is really normal. HTH. :cheers:
 
LX_TREME said:
Regarding drivability ….some people are pickier than others :flipoff2: . It makes some sense that more wear could happen when the engine is cold. And we all have seen that it takes an engine more time to warm up idling in a drive than when on the highway.

The problem is that those aren’t the only factors to the overall wear. Revolutions while cold are more related to overall wear than run time.

Cool down is very important too, the purpose of cooling down is to return from hot to normal, and it will not return to normal by shutting off suddenly- just like warming up, the transition needs to be slow.

I don't have the time to waste finding the difference between the two conditions. But I'm sure someone could get an estimate of revolutions in each test case.

LX_TREME- if you're going to use someone else's writing, at least give them credit. An identical message was posted by "MC" on the noria.com "Oil and Lubricants Message Boards" on 5/1/2003.

See the link:
http://www.noria.com/message_boards/message_details_by_list.asp?foldername=Is+it+good+to+warm+up+your+car%3F+Some+say+no%3F!&messagenumber=1

or cached here:
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:9ioysC1Hy0kJ:www.noria.com/message_boards/message_details_by_list.asp%3Ffoldername%3DIs%2Bit%2Bgood%2Bto%2Bwarm%2Bup%2Byour%2Bcar%253F%2BSome%2Bsay%2Bno%253F!%26messagenumber%3D1+%22The+problem+is+that+those+aren%27t+the+only+factors+to+the+overall+wear.%22&hl=en

:doh:

As for the warmup bit, I think unless you are in very cold temps, long warmup idling is a waste. During Fairbanks winters, if our cars were left outside overnight in -40F or colder temps without the benefit of being plugged in, we would let them idle for 10-15 mins before driving off. Although immaculately maintained, our cars (and many others had similar experiences with their cars) let us know they did not like to be driven off without being warmed up in very cold weather (they were quite sluggish if not allowed warmup time). Here in sunny Socal, I give it about 30 seconds or less idle time before putting it in gear.
 
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Whitey said:
Just out of sheer curiosity....

Where in hell did these numbers come from?

You actually use a timer? Or you have some contraption that does this automatically?

If so, I bow in humility to your Grand Holy O.C.D.'ness!

:beer:

Ok, now you gotta bow.
 
alaskacruiser said:
LX_TREME- if you're going to use someone else's writing, at least give them credit. An identical message was posted by "MC" on the noria.com "Oil and Lubricants Message Boards" on 5/1/2003.

See the link:
http://www.noria.com/message_boards/message_details_by_list.asp?foldername=Is+it+good+to+warm+up+your+car%3F+Some+say+no%3F!&messagenumber=1
Me?? I was using someone else writing??? What da **** this guy talkin about??? I dont even know whether that was identical message on the noria.com and what is noria.com??? huh?:confused:
P.S: Go back to Alaska then talk with me after :shotts:
 
LX_TREME said:
Me?? I was using someone else writing??? What da **** this guy talkin about??? I dont even know whether that was identical message on the noria.com and what is noria.com??? huh?:confused:
P.S: Go back to Alaska then talk with me after :shotts:

What is noria.com? It's probably a site you came upon after doing a google search, the same way I did.

OK, let's see:

Here's LX_TREME's post:

"[...] It makes some sense that more wear could happen when the engine is cold. And we all have seen that it takes an engine more time to warm up idling in a drive than when on the highway.

The problem is that those aren’t the only factors to the overall wear. Revolutions while cold are more related to overall wear than run time.

Cool down is very important too, the purpose of cooling down is to return from hot to normal, and it will not return to normal by shutting off suddenly- just like warming up, the transition needs to be slow.

I don't have the time to waste finding the difference between the two conditions. But I'm sure someone could get an estimate of revolutions in each test case."


And here's "MC's" post on the noria.com Oil and Lubricants Message Board on 5/1/2003, which you can find at this link: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:9ioysC1Hy0kJ:www.noria.com/message_boards/message_details_by_list.asp%3Ffoldername%3DIs%2Bit%2Bgood%2Bto%2Bwarm%2Bup%2Byour%2Bcar%253F%2BSome%2Bsay%2Bno%253F!%26messagenumber%3D1+%22The+problem+is+that+those+aren%27t+the+only+factors+to+the+overall+wear.%22&hl=en

"[...] It makes some sense that more wear could happen when the engine is cold. And we all have seen that it takes an engine more time to warm up idling in a drive than when on the highway.

The problem is that those aren't the only factors to the overall wear. Revolutions while cold are more related to overall wear than run time.

I don't have the time to waste finding the difference between the two conditions. But I'm sure someone could get an estimate of revolutions in each test case."


Yea, LX_TREME, I guess it's just a weird coincidence. :rolleyes:
 
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About a minute or two or sometimes more....
 
LX_TREME said:
Its ok lil brotha just same as couple months ago when I start the LED taillight thread but you were assuming all those people also from me, but apparently didn’t write those. Its okay no biggie no hard feeling neighbor :cheers:
You expect us to believe you didn't copy that??? I wouldn't really care too much, if you admitted it. If you deny it, I think you will be added to my ignore list, sad, 'cuz I kinda like reading some of your viewpoints which are different from the norm.
 
I let it idle for about 5 seconds, then drive very gently....until I turn it off!

My idea of a cold start in my Houston garage is 40F, however. And I use (mostly) 5W-30 synthetic, so I have pretty good cold flow properties.
 
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