do you warm up your engine?
- Thread starter v8huntr
- Start date
Tiepilot
Enthusiast
edited...
Vreracing
Enthusiast
Well yea.
CitySnake
Enthusiast
Before what? Are you asking if it is prudent to let the engine temp rise to operating temp before stomping on pedal...well yeah (does yeah have an "h"?)! Are you asking if you should let the car idle in your garage before going out to drive to work in traffic...then probably not. If it's 35 degrees in your garage then it wouldn't be a bad thing to let it get a bit warm...but with synthetic oil, the viscosity is nearly the same at 32 degrees as it is at operating temp so concern is more likely psychological than physical. My .02.
Toby
Enthusiast
Just take it easy for the first few miles and let the entire vehicle warm up to operating temperature before any aggressive driving.
Driving the car gently....the engine should warm up in 5 to 15 minutes depending on air temperature.
An engine at idle will not completely warm up. The heads and top of the motor will be warm but the lower part where the crank and lower cylinder area will be much cooler. Only driving the car will heat up the entire engine.
I am not sure of the Viper motor but some motors will actually get too hot at idle in the heads compared to the lower half of the engine and cause warping. Maybe this is why some first gen Vipers have head gasket problems. Too much heat in the top and not enough in the bottom. Just guessing here about the head gasket thing on Viper V10's
Driving the car gently....the engine should warm up in 5 to 15 minutes depending on air temperature.
An engine at idle will not completely warm up. The heads and top of the motor will be warm but the lower part where the crank and lower cylinder area will be much cooler. Only driving the car will heat up the entire engine.
I am not sure of the Viper motor but some motors will actually get too hot at idle in the heads compared to the lower half of the engine and cause warping. Maybe this is why some first gen Vipers have head gasket problems. Too much heat in the top and not enough in the bottom. Just guessing here about the head gasket thing on Viper V10's
S
SUN RA KAT
Guest
I let my Viper idle until the oil pressure comes up - about 10 seconds - and then gently work the clutch to reverse out of my garage and down the driveway. I drive very gently - RPMs under 2500 - until full water temperature is reached. I wait 10 minutes after that before doing any highly spirited driving.
I was told by a Chevy engine designer (so the validly may be in question) that you shouldn't move the car until the oil pressure builds up (which takes forever on my old jeep) then drive. Sitting and idling just burns gas and get the engine nice and warm for that bitterly cold tranny. The moment the pressure is up then drive conservatively until the temp rises.
Warming engines had something to do with those ancient carburetor thingies (what ever those are) and really has no use other than a mental placebo in modern technology. Kind of like gas additives.
Warming engines had something to do with those ancient carburetor thingies (what ever those are) and really has no use other than a mental placebo in modern technology. Kind of like gas additives.
99 R/T 10
Enthusiast
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
(which takes forever on my old jeep)
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Define "old". I know in my 91 Wrangler (173K) the oil pressure comes up right away, but I do let all my cars idle for a couple of seconds(10-20) to get lube to all components.
(which takes forever on my old jeep)
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Define "old". I know in my 91 Wrangler (173K) the oil pressure comes up right away, but I do let all my cars idle for a couple of seconds(10-20) to get lube to all components.
MadMaxx
Enthusiast
The car will run rich at idle upon initial start. I always let my O2's warm up and make sure I have good oil pressure before getting out on the road. It will run rich for a bit, but it makes the cool burble noises
MM
MM
Toby
Enthusiast
mmmm burbles. Second only to flames.
MadMaxx
Enthusiast
Mine does both
At night... no cats, bullit mufflers.... nice light show!
MM
At night... no cats, bullit mufflers.... nice light show!
MM
Vreracing
Enthusiast
I now understand the question. (I'm a little slow first thing in the morning) I understand it to be, do you let your car sit there and idle for a few minutes before going.
I usually start my car. Let it idle for about 20 sec then drive it with a low load and rpm less than 3K until the temp gets up to 190. Then I let it go.
I understand the transmission will only warm up through movement of the car, so I agree with the post about a warm engine and cool transmission.
I usually start my car. Let it idle for about 20 sec then drive it with a low load and rpm less than 3K until the temp gets up to 190. Then I let it go.
I understand the transmission will only warm up through movement of the car, so I agree with the post about a warm engine and cool transmission.
GTS Bruce
Enthusiast
I let it idle for a minute or two.Even with sy thetic it can take a minute or two for the upper engine to be fully lubed.I also don't hammer it right away.Better to let all the parts come up to temperature and size first. Bruce
Vic
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EDIT- Short version is "What Bruce said". Long version below.
I idle it until the thermostat opens, then drive easy for a bit until the the tires are warm, before ever gunning it.
I didn't even think about the tranny, but now that I have heard about it, I guess the way I'm doing it takes care of that, too.
My neighbor is convinced that idling it until its' warm carbons up the engine. He gets on it right away after starting.
I'm watching for his car to start burning oil, since the rings haven't seated adequately before warm-up. Also, various parts in the engine of different mass and dimensional tolerance will not be at their final optimum fit until after most of the thermal expansion is done. Full warm up allows the larger and heavier components to expand, and catch up to the lighter pieces that expand soonest. Valve train, rocker arms, lifters, journals, rods, crankshaft, main bearings, cylinder walls, all must do work as they slide against each other. Its best that all components have gone through thermal expansion before being subjected to any load.
Does this sound right to you? This is just my guess work. Anybody else have an opinion about this?
I idle it until the thermostat opens, then drive easy for a bit until the the tires are warm, before ever gunning it.
I didn't even think about the tranny, but now that I have heard about it, I guess the way I'm doing it takes care of that, too.
My neighbor is convinced that idling it until its' warm carbons up the engine. He gets on it right away after starting.
I'm watching for his car to start burning oil, since the rings haven't seated adequately before warm-up. Also, various parts in the engine of different mass and dimensional tolerance will not be at their final optimum fit until after most of the thermal expansion is done. Full warm up allows the larger and heavier components to expand, and catch up to the lighter pieces that expand soonest. Valve train, rocker arms, lifters, journals, rods, crankshaft, main bearings, cylinder walls, all must do work as they slide against each other. Its best that all components have gone through thermal expansion before being subjected to any load.
Does this sound right to you? This is just my guess work. Anybody else have an opinion about this?
GTS Bruce
Enthusiast
I agree.Minute or 2 to let the oil circulate.Easy driving until parts are more warmed up say 10 minutes or so.Now if I could only convince my right foot about the 10 minute easy drive............. Bruce
Luvjet
Enthusiast
I have Sean Roe's preluber. 21 P.S.I. of oil pressure before even hitting the starter. No damage to the engine at all with a cold start.
ZX12
Enthusiast
I usually let my car motors idle for about 30 seconds before driving away gently. That seems like a pretty good compromise between the 'let it sit' and 'drive off immediately' schools of thought. When it's cold (below 40 F) I'll let them idle for a minute.
For the bikes, one owners manual says to let it idle for several minutes before driving off. Since those engines spin much faster than car engines, I wait until the thermometer approaches operating temp before riding away gently. The sportbike trannies are lubed by the engine oil, so the entire drivetrain (save for the chain) warms up basically as a unit.
I sorta see it like this: when you board a jet, do you want the pilot to fire up the turbofans, then proceed to do a WOT take off immediately?
For the bikes, one owners manual says to let it idle for several minutes before driving off. Since those engines spin much faster than car engines, I wait until the thermometer approaches operating temp before riding away gently. The sportbike trannies are lubed by the engine oil, so the entire drivetrain (save for the chain) warms up basically as a unit.
I sorta see it like this: when you board a jet, do you want the pilot to fire up the turbofans, then proceed to do a WOT take off immediately?
I pop the clutch (4500rpms)coming out of the garage exactly one second after starting it. The wife loves it. The neighbors love it! In fact the only people who do not love it are the pedestrians who walk or bike in front of my drive way.
They usually only make that mistake once!
They usually only make that mistake once!
Tom F&L GoR
Enthusiast
I start it, and wait a second for the lifters that may have sunk to pump up. I wait another few seconds, because that's about how long it takes oil from the heads to drain to the sump. Once it's made one "round trip" the oil's been all the places where it needs to be.
Warming up used to be needed to warm the intake manifold and heat the gasoline to stay vaporized so it would burn. (Liquid fuel won't.) Fuel injection takes 95% of that problem away.
I have an oil temperature gauge (bulk temperature just above the drain plug.) It will read less than 100F even though the water temperature is 190F. The oil won't reach the oil thermostat temperature of 220F for 30 minutes, and depending on what you're doing, may never in a trip. If you consider that the oil is coming in contact with the pistons, crank, rods, etc, that means they aren't fully warmed up for a long time.
I can't speak for the engine designers, only the lubricant side, but I think we should agree they can make the cylinders, pistons, and rings much better than they ever have, and with 60,000 or 100,000 mile emissions regulations, they have to design parts to last that long without burning oil (and in the hands of folks like us.)
In the end, after the start, I drive as much as the tires let me, with no concern for the engine. Maximize the fun time... And from my previous life as an oil guy, cars are driven, not towed to the junkyard.
Warming up used to be needed to warm the intake manifold and heat the gasoline to stay vaporized so it would burn. (Liquid fuel won't.) Fuel injection takes 95% of that problem away.
I have an oil temperature gauge (bulk temperature just above the drain plug.) It will read less than 100F even though the water temperature is 190F. The oil won't reach the oil thermostat temperature of 220F for 30 minutes, and depending on what you're doing, may never in a trip. If you consider that the oil is coming in contact with the pistons, crank, rods, etc, that means they aren't fully warmed up for a long time.
I can't speak for the engine designers, only the lubricant side, but I think we should agree they can make the cylinders, pistons, and rings much better than they ever have, and with 60,000 or 100,000 mile emissions regulations, they have to design parts to last that long without burning oil (and in the hands of folks like us.)
In the end, after the start, I drive as much as the tires let me, with no concern for the engine. Maximize the fun time... And from my previous life as an oil guy, cars are driven, not towed to the junkyard.
Vic
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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tom, F&L GoR:
I start it, and wait a second for the lifters that may have sunk to pump up. I wait another few seconds, because that's about how long it takes oil from the heads to drain to the sump. Once it's made one "round trip" the oil's been all the places where it needs to be.
Warming up used to be needed to warm the intake manifold and heat the gasoline to stay vaporized so it would burn. (Liquid fuel won't.) Fuel injection takes 95% of that problem away.
I have an oil temperature gauge (bulk temperature just above the drain plug.) It will read less than 100F even though the water temperature is 190F. The oil won't reach the oil thermostat temperature of 220F for 30 minutes, and depending on what you're doing, may never in a trip. If you consider that the oil is coming in contact with the pistons, crank, rods, etc, that means they aren't fully warmed up for a long time.
I can't speak for the engine designers, only the lubricant side, but I think we should agree they can make the cylinders, pistons, and rings much better than they ever have, and with 60,000 or 100,000 mile emissions regulations, they have to design parts to last that long without burning oil (and in the hands of folks like us.)
In the end, after the start, I drive as much as the tires let me, with no concern for the engine. Maximize the fun time... And from my previous life as an oil guy, cars are driven, not towed to the junkyard.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hmmm...Now theres' some info to challenge my preconceptions!
I'm gonna have to mull it over for a while, but thanks.
I start it, and wait a second for the lifters that may have sunk to pump up. I wait another few seconds, because that's about how long it takes oil from the heads to drain to the sump. Once it's made one "round trip" the oil's been all the places where it needs to be.
Warming up used to be needed to warm the intake manifold and heat the gasoline to stay vaporized so it would burn. (Liquid fuel won't.) Fuel injection takes 95% of that problem away.
I have an oil temperature gauge (bulk temperature just above the drain plug.) It will read less than 100F even though the water temperature is 190F. The oil won't reach the oil thermostat temperature of 220F for 30 minutes, and depending on what you're doing, may never in a trip. If you consider that the oil is coming in contact with the pistons, crank, rods, etc, that means they aren't fully warmed up for a long time.
I can't speak for the engine designers, only the lubricant side, but I think we should agree they can make the cylinders, pistons, and rings much better than they ever have, and with 60,000 or 100,000 mile emissions regulations, they have to design parts to last that long without burning oil (and in the hands of folks like us.)
In the end, after the start, I drive as much as the tires let me, with no concern for the engine. Maximize the fun time... And from my previous life as an oil guy, cars are driven, not towed to the junkyard.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hmmm...Now theres' some info to challenge my preconceptions!
I'm gonna have to mull it over for a while, but thanks.
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