takes about 3 minutes for it to kick in really good and get warm

 

I let mine warm up for about 10 mins.

 

ROFL

 

LOL!

+1

 

Letting the engine idle to warm up does much more harm than good. A cold engine is not a happy engine. The longer you sit there and idle the longer the engine runs in a cold state. This is one big reason why cars have thermostats. The thermostat allows the engine to warm up faster by delaying the use of the radiator. You should start your engine, let it idle for a short period (30 seconds is plenty), and then drive off. Don't accelerate hard and keep rpm low. Also, do not run your heater until the engine has warmed up. The heater core is basically an extra radiator, except the thermostat has no effect on it. Running your heater will prolong the time it takes for the engine to warm up.

 

I knew there were some sharp people out there who would agree with me. BTW the procedure that you described is exactly the opposite of cooling an overheated engine. Correct?

 

Correct, you can turn on the heater to help act as a radiator. This explains why you do not get heat as soon as you turn on the car on a cold morning. I usually do not turn the heater up until the engine temp needle starts moving. Once it starts moving, I then know that I can start getting some warmth from the vents.

 

Exactly what i do, I noticed that by the time i pull away the temp needle is just above C on the thermostat. Oil pressure is about 40-60psi. Then I baby it for about a mile and all is well.

 

+10000 LOL

 

I let the engine run about 30 seconds to grease up the parts, then shift into each gear, then go about my business. Once hte needle starts creeping up, I open it up a bit.