REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

Limitless · 03-21-2011, 04:04 PM

Googled it and there's a bunch of mixed answers, so I thought I'd find a good one here. I'm driving a 2009 civic btw, if that makes a difference.

On cold start ups my car idles at 1.5k revs. When it's completely warm it'll idle at somewhere around 1k or below. On cold days when it's parked outside, it'll take a while to warm up a bit, and I usually let it sit until for a few mins until it hits atleast 1.2k before I leave. While parked in the garage, it only takes a minute or two before it drops down to 1k and I leave. When I do leave I always try to step lightly on the gas until the car gets to its normal running temp.

My mom does drive my car every now and then.. and she never warms it up. She just starts it up, throws it in reverse and guns away. When my car isn't warmed up yet and you throw it in reverse, let go of the brake pedal, there's this loud 'clunk' sound and it takes a second or two before it starts to go (given you don't push the gas pedal). My mom also revs it quite high because she's usually in a rush, we live in a place where we have to go up hills, and my civic is underpowered lol.

So would doing what my mom does to the car harm the engine in any way? Do you warm up your car? Opinions are appreciated

busdriverman · 03-21-2011, 04:21 PM

i know that while warming up your car is often conceived of as a good idea, it often shadows a very important fact.

if you let your car just sit there and warm up, while the engine is warming up the transmission is not.

what i do is warm the car up for roughly 45 seconds and let the revs drop a little bit, and then i drive the car very timidly, keeping the revs below 2k.

once u drive for a few minutes while keeping the revs low, the engine would be nice and warmed up and the transmission would have done the same.

ajax · 03-21-2011, 04:24 PM

^ That's exactly what I do.

I've got an 06 civic and I usually wait like a minute before I put it into gear and drive (around 1200rpm). Then as I drive I try to keep the revs below 2000.
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fliptuner · 03-21-2011, 08:59 PM

We do about the same thing with my GF's '07 Civic (longer if colder). Hers is a 5spd and it's noticably harder to shift when the tranny is cold.

dinamix · 03-21-2011, 09:06 PM

Unless it's below freezing, cars don't need to be warmed up at all. Driving them gently is the best warm up there is. If it's 25 degrees out, you might want to let it warm up for 30 seconds. If it's 10 degrees out, warm it up for a minute. If it's -10 degrees out, move somewhere warmer.
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TypeRNammer · 03-21-2011, 09:35 PM

I warm up my Civic after a minute then I drive off really slowly

lowda9 · 03-21-2011, 09:51 PM

It's best to let it warm up so that the oil gets evenly distributed because overnight it settles at the bottom. But i really don't see a difference in letting it sit for a few minutes or driving it lightly to warm up(warms up faster this way anyways).

Limitless · 03-22-2011, 01:09 PM

I see, thanks for the replies!

Would not warming up the car and revving it to about 3k-4k revs right away harm the engine though?

Glove · 03-22-2011, 01:42 PM

honestly its not really needed,

let it sit for 30 secs, then just shift before 3000 until its at normal operating temp

Nvasion · 03-22-2011, 02:12 PM

30 seconds for fluids to run abit but shift under 2.5k till warm

bloodmack · 03-22-2011, 02:34 PM

i warm up for about 2 - 3 minutes and don't rev past 3k RPM. Another thing I do is put my car in neutral and let my clutch engage and then disengage it after a few seconds and shift into 1st 2nd 3rd back and forth.

baggdis300 · 03-22-2011, 06:45 PM

i usually start the car, go back inside, finish getting my shit together then drive off..

couple times i forgot to wear shoes and ended up in sandals all day lol...

danz · 03-22-2011, 07:35 PM

fml

impulseX · 03-23-2011, 04:23 AM

i let it warm up and depending on the conditions, might be only about 30 seconds or a min or so and drive off somewhat slow like others have mentioned.

Supafly · 03-23-2011, 09:58 AM

I only sit there until the initial rpm drops; just enough for fluid circulation. Drive normal until my temp gauge reach normal operating temp of 80'C.

bcrdukes · 03-23-2011, 12:54 PM

^
Same

bloodmack · 03-24-2011, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

^
Same

Scooter has a temp gauge?

bcrdukes · 03-24-2011, 05:39 PM

Boost, Air/Fuel, EGT, and Temp

firebird79_00 · 03-24-2011, 06:51 PM

Mine needs to warm up for 5 minutes in the morning, if i throw it in drive any earlier and lightly touch the gas it will just die. I can get in and drive it away when its warm but if its cold im sitting around.

fliptuner · 03-24-2011, 07:01 PM

^^^^^carbs exempt...lol

You're lucky, at least you have a choke. When I was daily driving my '64 Camino without one, I had to sit there and feather the throttle for 5-10 minutes til it would idle on its own.

clean 93 · 03-24-2011, 08:20 PM

I let mine warm up for at least a minute, then I drive it under 3000 and low boost until its fully warm.

firebird79_00 · 03-25-2011, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fliptuner

^^^^^carbs exempt...lol

You're lucky, at least you have a choke. When I was daily driving my '64 Camino without one, I had to sit there and feather the throttle for 5-10 minutes til it would idle on its own.

Yea thats pretty much what im stuck doing for the first 2-3 minutes. Electric Choke though

FN-2199 · 03-25-2011, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clean 93

I let mine warm up for at least a minute, then I drive it under 3000 and low boost until its fully warm.

I don't use boost at all in the morning until the car is warmed up.

mbrodie · 04-23-2011, 03:20 PM

Idling uses more fuel than the engine does under load.
Idling also generates far more pollutants (NOx etc) than the engine does under load.
Also, in the City of Vancouver, idling is now prohibited by City Bylaw.
You might not get fined (if you're lucky) but you can expect a conversation.
A lot of ordinary citizens have stepped up the campaign to reduce idling emissions.
Food for thought.

slammer111 · 04-26-2011, 01:10 AM

I just start my car and go (ie 1-2s idle at most while I'm buckling up). Warming up the engine is the oldschool way of thinking imo. Of course, you don't want to use a lead foot on a cold engine.

One thing I DO notice is that the engine does hold gears longer for the first couple of minutes of driving (I have an auto) so it revs higher, and warms up the engine a bit faster.

Here's a link.

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportatio...-up.cfm?attr=8

Quote:

Ask Canadian motorists why they idle their vehicles and you'll likely get a simple answer: to warm up the engine before they drive away. It's one of the most commonly held myths about driving in Canada. Excessively long warm-ups cost you money, waste fuel and generate unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

To assess the impact of vehicle warm-up, Environment Canada conducted a test program using a cold chamber and three vehicles. Each vehicle was cooled to -18°C and driven over a simulated urban driving cycle. The test procedure was performed using a 5-minute warm-up before driving the simulation urban cycle and repeated using a 10-minute warm-up before driving the simulated urban cycle.

The test results showed that with a 5-minute warm-up total fuel consumption increased by 7 to 14 percent and with a 10-minute warm-up total fuel consumption increased by 12 to 19 percent7. This also leads to a similar increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as they are an unavoidable by-product of burning fossil fuels.

Contrary to popular belief, excessive idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to warm it up is to drive it. In fact, with today's computer-controlled engines, even on cold winter days, usually no more than two to three minutes of idling is enough warm-up time needed for the average vehicle before starting to drive – but make sure that windows are free from snow and properly defrosted before driving away!

Please consult your owner's manual or your vehicle service advisor if you would like a recommendation specific to your vehicle or climatic conditions.

Unfortunately, some motorists warm up the engine to the point where the car heater has warmed the interior of the vehicle. On cold days, this could take upwards of 10 minutes and, as can be seen from the tests, will have a significant impact on fuel consumption and emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the principle greenhouse gas.

What's often forgotten is that idling warms only the engine – not the wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires. These parts also need to be warmed up, and the only way to do that is to drive the vehicle. Until the engine temperature begins to rise, it's a good idea to avoid high speeds and rapid acceleration. It's also important to ensure that windows are free from snow and properly defrosted before driving away!