Warming up the car.. Which way puts more wear/damages.. Looking for more information

I always let the car warm up completely before driving, I can always tell the difference on how the car drives if not fully warmed up.

What I found so far from searching:

Reasons to warm up at idle:
- Easier on transmission.
- Timing is advanced at initial warmup until normal operating temps are reached?

Reasons NOT to warm up at idle:
- Try to heat up the cat sooner - emmisions


What causes more damage? - Letting it warm up completely until the idle drops? or Letting it idle for 5-60 seconds and drive easy to warm up the car? (please include reasons)





[Modified by vtec.dc2, 2:09 AM 10/11/2002]

 

i am not sure which will give more damage but i would warm up like 60 sec and drive "nice" til it gets warm

but sorry i didnt answer your question

 

just let it idle for about 1 minute then drive off easy, under 3k.
that should be fine.

 

This is what I do also. I believe idling for a long period(5min) to warm up car is just wasting gas and the oil doesn't circulate as well as if you were driving below a certain rpm until the engine/oil warms up.

 

I do the same... idle for 30 seconds, then go drive and stay under 3500-4000 for 3-4 minutes.

 

waisting gas - i'd agree to that..

oil doesn't circulate as well - can someone explain this one?

if oil isn't warmed up, i don't see how well it would circulate at higher rpm.. so its best to keep rpm to minimal? I hope I make sence here

 

i warm up liek at least 2-4 minutes is it bad?
like i make sure rpm is like at least 1100 before i go

 

i usually just wait till the rpm drops to about 1200 and that takes my car about 5 mins.

 

Opinions vary greatly on this subject. Its best that I stick to fact so as to not add to the confusion. The reason why you warm up the engine is to get the oil up to operating temperature, thus making its consistency closer to that of water rather than molasses, which is how it is when its cold. Warm free-flowing oil equals better lubricated and safer component protection.

The general consensus is that 1 minute of warm-up time is sufficient to get the oil up to operating temperature. I'd personally start driving after that but I would wait until the temp gage reaches operating temp before going into vtec.

Asking everyones opinion on how long to let the engine idle to get the oil warmed up is like asking every individual what their sports pre-game ritual is, you're going to get a lot of different opinions.

 

it also varies greatly on the climate you live in.

If you cross your arms and lean forward onto the steering wheel, then you might want to give it more time.

If you rolled your windows down when you got in, 1 minute should be more then enough.

 

I once spent hours researching this in old newgroup posts and came to the same conclusion that Kanji came to, that the opinions vary dramatically. Some say you should let it warm up fully, and some claim only a minute. I found mechanics that swear by the first option and some that abide by the second.

There are basically two different prevailing camps on the subject.

One such camp claims that 90% of engine wear occurs to the different rates of expansion of the engine components, ie cams, crankshafts, pistons, rods during warmup. They argue that straining the engine in the initial warmup, in any small way, such as driving, will exacerbate the metal to metal friction that occurs during expansion of engine components, thus causing more damage to your engine than if you let it warm up quietly idleing.

However Camp 2 argues that expansion damage of engine components occurs even when you let the engine idle quietly. Also they claim that there is a lack of oil reaching critical surfaces in the engine while the car idles (as the oil has flowed out when the car stood still). Their solution is to bring the engine up to operating temperature as fast as possible while minimizing the strain on it during that time.

There are a few topics of agreement though:
A cold engine should not be strained heavily.
Expansional frictional damage is bad.
A fully warmed up engine is a happy engine.

Which method you use will also depend on your climate. In colder climates you might want to let the car warm up to prevent transmission damage in excessivly cold temperatures.

After reading 100's of posts though, it doesn't seem to matter. I have not yet seen any conclusive studies done to support either camp. The only people that really know and understand engines, like Mugen, Honda, GM, etc aren't going to tell you. But in a way though it doesn't matter. Honda is going to honor your warranty either method you choose.

 

sit there a little, and just let it warm up by itself..it doesnt take that long..but its the safer way

 

i let mine warm up at idle for 1 or 2 minutes ,then i do about 10 kilometers at 3k and the oil should be at the right temperature to hit vtec
Still i´ll get an oil temperature gauge and an oil cooler since the oil temperature on the itr goes past 150 C if u push it hard and with an oil cooler it wont go over 120. At least here in my country

 

I heard that the engine runs rich during warmup, and thats why you should just start it and drive.

In freezing temps I think its better to let the oil warmup a tad first though.

 

when i started my b18c5 the very first time, I let it idle and the stock thermoswitch didn't turn on the fan for at least 15 mins.

And now when the engine is completely cold, it takes at least 10 mins with the mugen thermoswitch.

I am not going to sit there for 10 mins everytime I need to go somewhere.

 

Doesn't it say somewhere in the owner's manual to just start the car and drive (at low RPMs of course).... it lets engine warms up faster compared to letting it just sit... though this caught me by surprise, I do agree that it does increase temps quicker... but I at least warm up the car mostly--3-5 minutes before driving.... and when in a rush... just start the car... wait 30 seconds, then drive at low RPMs til it hits the normal running temp....

 

By the time the fan kicks in, your car is TOO warm and needs to be cooled down. I agree with the majority of the people who responded:
The longer you can let the car idle until it is to optimal temperature, the better. I think optimal temperature is when the temperature gauge is at the typical driving position (near the middle of the gauge for most Hondas).
However, the longer you let the car idle, the more gas you waste, which is obviously bad for the environment.

Therefore, it is a judgement call on your part. What do you care about more?

 

i jump in the car ... pray to the Honda gods that no stunna , will defile my car ....rip off my emblems ....key my sheit .....or steal my ITR ..this lasts for about one minute...say amen ...then take off ....

so yes 1 minute warm ....pray ..then leave

 

lol...do you really do that?

i think i should try that too


[Modified by Type-Rare#1248, 9:54 AM 10/11/2002]

 

Well acording to the Helm's manual. Anytime you are required to bring your car to NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE it says the fan should turn on at least twice.

Besides, I dont need my motor to last 100k.

 

ttt for the day... if anyone has more information, links.. please post

 

When the engine is cold, the oil pressure is highest. It is not uncommon to see close
to 80psi oil pressure at 1500rpm at cold start. The oil is getting where it needs to
be. No doubt about that one, though it may take a few seconds but thats the
same no matter what.

 

here's an idea (of which i'm not the first or last to espouse): auto makers could (for a few $s passed onto consumers) employ an electric oil pump to commense oil circulation before start-up. it does not require much R&D or setup cost (and would warm the oil to flow better sooner), so why not? now what auto maker would want to eliminate the main source of wear? if nothing breaks, nothing needs replacement. notice how some manufacturers even offer optional block heaters in vehicles commonly sold in cold-climates? why not oil-heaters/pre-start circulators? well, the engine should start in any weather, but should still be allowed to wear out as easily as usual, which is why they also neglect to cryogenically treat a few simple components (made of ferrous alloys), which would make them ~2-3X stronger. (cryo-treating is, especially for manufacturers, relatively cheap and easy.)

 

In the morning i go out to the car and start it before i go to the bathroom to brush teeth, hair, and etc. It gives it about 5 min to warm up.

 

Use 5W30, let the car warm up for about one minute or so. Usually I wait until the idle drops to about 1,000 rpm. Then away I go with low load until the needle moves across the first line on the oil temp gauge. I then begin to drive her progressively harder. If I time it just right it's just as I enter the freeway on my way to work. I actually "play a game" with it and about 85% of the time I'm spot on.