Maybe someone could prove or dispell this "myth"--

I was always taught to let a vehicle's engine warm up until it gets to the bottom of the "C" line, until you put a load on the engine--regardless if you are hauling anything or not. The training goes, "if you don't, you might push a seal...". Due to my lack of mechanical ability and knowledge, I have always followed this. But, recently I was told that motors don't need to be warmed up and you can start it and go, as that was only true for older motors. I am an over cautious person anyway--ya pay $35k for a vehicle ya might as well wait the 2-10 minutes depending on season to let it warm up properly.

Can someone clear this up for me??

 

All motors SHOULD be warmed up.... its like breaking it in every morning or cold start.... but its not TOTALLY necessary... i would give it a few minutes, but you dont have to sit there till its operating temperature... i have always let it warm up a little till the needle starts to move. The reason cars need to warm up to become of maximum performance, is because the intake, when cold, keeps fuel from becoming of gaseous nature... when cold, the air keeps the fuel as more of a liquid than a gas... thus making the motor run like crap... so when it finally warms the intake, the warm air helps to break up the gas and turn it into a vapor..... its the same reason why fuel injectors need to be clean to function properly... because when they are dirty, the gas drips out rather than sprays, causing crappy acceleration and poor idle.

 

Yeah, I was told it was more of an issue of the oil and the temp. of it--ie: it's thicker cold than when warm: more pressure in the engine when you start and go... Is this an issue or have modern engines overcome this? I would think not because I understand that motors are rated on/by their op-temp, and starting and going could cause the seals to be pushed if you push the truck with high rpm's/heavy load... Please educate me...

 

well yeah man, i wouldnt be out there smokin your tires or attempting to pull a bus 30 seconds after you start it up lol but maturity and caution goes a long way... starting it up, and letting it idle for 5 mins or so before leaving wont put it at operating temp, but will put it in a place where the motor is warm enough to push the oil with ease... oil being thick on startup is a big issue, but only for the first few seconds... remember that even though its "thick"... its not like you think it is.... its not a jello mold in your oil pan lol oil is still making its way through all your vital parts, just not AS fluently... so like i said, dont try and pull a bus with it first thing after you start up, or try and play mario andretti... and you should be fine... like i said, its about maturity and caution... knowing that it IS an expensive machine and you shouldnt push on it too hard at ANY time, let alone when its "waking up" lol how do you feel in the morning when you first wake up? not like running a marathon i assure you.... same thing

 

i always let my motor run for a couple of minutes before i drive. i always want to make sure everything is kind of warm instead of getting into my truck when its -30 blow out and driven it.

 

yeah, thats why i always wait till the needle starts moving.. at least then i know its warm enough to say the motor has liquified the oil and has it flowing properly... operating temp is more for the intake.

 

I start i go. never had a problem in over 7.5 years.

 

I am with buckdropper. I start it and go. What is the difference between sitting in the driveway at idle and driving down the street? Nothing. The only time I will let it sit and warm up is if I need the defrost mode to clear up ice on the windshield. I then start it and clean off the glass.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

Warming up is good but who has that much time? As for the seals, all oil pumps today (and for a long long time) have had pressure relief passages.

 

Remember that we use mulitweight oils to allow for colder start up conditions.


10W-30 versus straight 30 weight.

The 10 provides a thinner component during cold starts.

 

At idle you are usually under 1000 RPMs.... and when a motor that is stone cold when you start it in the morning, the oil hasnt had a chance to create a uniform flow of oil through the motor..... when driving your RPMs increase to as much as 3000 RPMs and that can be bad without proper oil flow... while i do agree that the difference is minimal, and only a few minutes of warm up time should be needed... maybe like 2 minutes or so... i do believe that warming up a motor is essential... to some degree... why test it? at least wait till the idle starts to drop a little, and the temp guage starts moving.

 

During engine startup, while the moving parts receive no oil till pressure builds up, is when engine wear occurs. Not when running with cold oil. All the parts have to lubricate them is the residual oil left over after engine shut down. Once oil pressure is restored full oil flow is established. Weather the oil be at 80°F or -20°F, oil is flowing to the moving parts. How long do you think oil will stay at -20° when it is pushed between two moving parts? Regardless of the oil temperature it is still acting as a barrier to friction. I will never discourage people from warming up their vehicles in the winter but I just wonder why they don’t do it in the summer when it is 80° out.

JMC

 

i always let it run for a minute or two.. summer or not... i figure, whats 2 mins, to save a few hundred thousand miles

 

i always let it run for a minute or two.. summer or not... i figure, whats 2 mins, to save a few hundred thousand miles

 

I hate the new trucks because after you start it you have to put youre foot on the brake to get it out of park that just slows me down. I start and go, I drive a mile and a half to work I can be there in less time than you guys spend warming up. never had a problem doin this all my life.