Do you warm up your car before driving? Why?

 

ALWAYS!
The viscosity of ALL of the engine and trans and drive train are very low ( *I think?: like molasses) when cold. So warming the car heats the fluids of the engine, coat the metal and allow everything to flow easier once you get going. As they say, start-up causes the most damage to an engine--- why make it drive against a load when its freezing and not ready........ Oh I assume you mean this for the cold weather. I don't warm the engine up in the summer
ZZ

 

I give it about 1-2 minutes of idle before I start going. And then I take it really easy on the engine and tranny, shifting very early and very slowly. I don't start getting harder on it until a minute or two after the coolant temp reaches normal operating temp.

 

I drive 3-4000rpm until the temp gets into operating range.

 

I keep it below 3000 until it reaches normal operateing temps. Doesn't take to long in Florida

 

Mine's in a garage in the morning, so I only idle about 30 seconds and then I'm off. But I still take it easy (<3k rpm) for about 5 minutes.

After work, when it's been sitting outside, I may idle about a minute, longer if it's really cold (it was 0 degF when I got to work one morning). I still take it easy the first few miles on the way home.

Mine won't be broken in (officially) until tomorrow, so I've been extra careful so far.

WayneTN

 

Coolant temperature is not a great concern -- oil temperature is.

Do not be fooled by your coolant temp guage reading normal and expect your engine to be up to normal operating ranges -- it takes the oil 6-10 minutes to reach the normal operating range whereas the coolant will indicate normal in as little as 3 or 4.

Let the oil get warm -- then play.

Interestingly all BMW M motors come with a warning to keep the revs under a certain RPM until the oil is suffeciently warm -- and as a nice touch most of them come with oil temp guages as well.

 

I let the oil flow and coat, about 45seconds, then I go. more than that and your just leaving the engine in a cold envirment longer than needed. but when I go I keep the revs under 2-2500. once the needle comes off the peg I give it a bit more. but unless I need to be somewhere I dont rev the engine hard at all untill its at full temp for a good 5 minutes.

 

That's why I watch the oil pressure gauge, as well. And by the time I'm going, the oil is definitely at operating temp. I idle the car for almost 2 minutes, then go slow for quite a while, at least 5 and by then its a minute or two after the coolant gauge and oil pressure gauges read normal. That's plenty of time.

 

I always warm-up my engine depending on the rpm. The normal idle rpm is about 750, and the rpm when I start the engine is about 1500 rpm(in winter). I usually let it set for about 5 minutes or till the rpm drop to around 1000rpm then I will go slowly. Is this is a good (or correct) way as well??

 

That sounds good to me. Plus, you can always take it easy the first few miles.

WayneTN

 

WashUJon, a very good point. Always watch the oil pressure gauge whenever you start your car. Make sure you have pressure, which implies oil flow, or shut down the engine and figure out what is wrong. (Probably just the gauge or sending unit, but better to be safe.) If you've ever flown airplanes, the oil pressure gauge, all of a sudden, becomes a very important feature.

WayneTN

 

Good points all...

Modern engines running advanced multigrade oils need about 30-60 seconds to make sure oil flow is good. After that you are running and engine at its worst possible condition-- Cold, slow and polluting. It rarely gets into the teens where I am so those north of me (chicago native so I do know cold) might want to increase times a little.

I start and idle for a minute then drive shifting at 2000 rpm or to keep Oil pressure at or below 90 psi for a couple of miles. then I still take it easy for about ten minutes. Afterwhich the Oil needle won't peg it when I stomp the throttle.

GL

oh yeah the quote... Most OBDII control systems will shut the motor off with low oil level or no oil pressure. Does anyone know about Nissan's?