Don't warm up your car in winter

[jonvi]

Newer cars don't need to be primed—they have electronic fuel injection, which monitors temperature and makes the warm-up unnecessary. Auto experts say 30 seconds is all new cars need. "The engine will warm up faster being driven," the EPA and Department of Energy explain. Idling cars have become a matter for lawmakers in some states and cities, and some vehicles now use start-stop technology to lessen idling in traffic.

I've always warmed up the car...thinking the oil required warming before elevating the rpm above what the choke calls for.

I've been wrong I guess.

Winter Idling of Cars Accounts for 1.6% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Costs Americans $5.9B A Year in Fuel

 

[HuskerinBig10]

Not exactly sure if Newser is quality journalism. I know that you are pointing out the idioticness of the article.

Anyway, reading the comments shows there are a lot of smart people out there. This article is meant for the liberals that live in California and Florida. This article is not meant for the Alaskans, the Minnesotans, the Montanans, the Idahoians, etc. The ones that actually go outside in -30 and decide, holy, bajeebers, if I get in that car, I will be frozen before I go three miles, my windows will be all fogged up on the interior, and I will have died because I crashed the car.

We have all seen that car that has scraped off a small little window on their front windshield so they can barely see, and off they drive. Of course, all of their other windows are completely frosted over. But, hey, they saved money on gas while they lie in the morgue and caused about 1,000 times in the fuel consumption to get emergency crews to their accident site, making other motorists idle while their body is being extricated, etc.....

 

[Davis_Mike]

I think nowadays, a lot of people warm up their cars, newer cars anyways, just to have interior temperature comfortable for them before heading on their way. Or at least that is what I do for about 10 days a year that it's cold enough in AZ to cause discomfort. I actually use my remote car starter in my truck mostly during the summer. There is nothing like getting in a vehicle that's been sitting for hours in 110+ temperature.

 

[jeffro151]

Yeah, those libs are clueless about the real world outside of California. Vehicles need to be warmed up where it gets really cold at night.

 

[jonvi]

Not exactly sure if Newser is quality journalism. I know that you are pointing out the idioticness of the article.

Anyway, reading the comments shows there are a lot of smart people out there. This article is meant for the liberals that live in California and Florida. This article is not meant for the Alaskans, the Minnesotans, the Montanans, the Idahoians, etc. The ones that actually go outside in -30 and decide, holy, bajeebers, if I get in that car, I will be frozen before I go three miles, my windows will be all fogged up on the interior, and I will have died because I crashed the car.

We have all seen that car that has scraped off a small little window on their front windshield so they can barely see, and off they drive. Of course, all of their other windows are completely frosted over. But, hey, they saved money on gas while they lie in the morgue and caused about 1,000 times in the fuel consumption to get emergency crews to their accident site, making other motorists idle while their body is being extricated, etc.....

This is the best explanation I've read. In Northern NY, this area does drop below zero and get's to the -30 to -40 you refer to a few times every year.

But this was linked to our local online news so someone here is running with it.

 

[jonvi]

I think nowadays, a lot of people warm up their cars, newer cars anyways, just to have interior temperature comfortable for them before heading on their way. Or at least that is what I do for about 10 days a year that it's cold enough in AZ to cause discomfort. I actually use my remote car starter in my truck mostly during the summer. There is nothing like getting in a vehicle that's been sitting for hours in 110+ temperature.

My mother and brother live in Florida....ugh with the hot temps there. My son went to school in Florida as well. The first time he forgot about the left overs in the mickey D's bag in the back seat...he said the smell of rot didn't go away for a couple of days.

 

[redseat]

I'm sorry but I do not want to get into a carm in the North East during winter time and just drive away! I don't like being colder inside my vehicle than outside of it. Not to mention it takes forever (even after I scrap off the ice) to get my windshield clear enough to see out of it.

 

[Davis_Mike]

My mother and brother live in Florida....ugh with the hot temps there. My son went to school in Florida as well. The first time he forgot about the left overs in the mickey D's bag in the back seat...he said the smell of rot didn't go away for a couple of days.

From April through November, in AZ, never leave food in your car. When I go food shopping during that time & need to go to different markets, I bring along a couple of coolers to store the meat & cold stuff I get at the first market. It can easily get to a 140+ inside a vehicle in the matter of a few minutes during the summer.

 

[Ricky Roma]

The article is generally spot on, and that includes the cold winters of Canada and Alaska and whatnot as well. With modern fuel injection systems, you only need 30 seconds to a minute or so to get the oil circulating, and then you are good to go.

In fact, it is more efficient for the vehicle to get up and running (instead of idling 5+ minutes for the interior to warm up). Not just in gasoline consumption, but there is less wear and tear on the motor. The engine warms up faster while being driven, therefore the fuel combustion is more normalized. The more the engine is run at normal operating temperature, you decrease the amount of water vapour to build up in the exhaust system, which leads to corrosion.

 

[jonvi]

The article is generally spot on, and that includes the cold winters of Canada and Alaska and whatnot as well. With modern fuel injection systems, you only need 30 seconds to a minute or so to get the oil circulating, and then you are good to go.

In fact, it is more efficient for the vehicle to get up and running (instead of idling 5+ minutes for the interior to warm up). Not just in gasoline consumption, but there is less wear and tear on the motor. The engine warms up faster while being driven, therefore the fuel combustion is more normalized. The more the engine is run at normal operating temperature, you decrease the amount of water vapour to build up in the exhaust system, which leads to corrosion.

Did you not read about condensation from people breathing freezes up on the inside of the car window? Been there done that when I was too impatient to wait on the heat to build up in the radiator.

Can I assume you live in a warm climate area. I'm guessing the bay area?

 

[MI Nightmare]

If I don't warm up my wife's Yukon she gets pissy. Something about cold leather seats and iced windshield/windows...

 

[Rex Racer]

I think nowadays, a lot of people warm up their cars, newer cars anyways, just to have interior temperature comfortable for them before heading on their way. Or at least that is what I do for about 10 days a year that it's cold enough in AZ to cause discomfort. I actually use my remote car starter in my truck mostly during the summer. There is nothing like getting in a vehicle that's been sitting for hours in 110+ temperature.

And in NH I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I'll use the remote starter for my truck on the cold winter mornings just so the engine has a 5 minute head start on the warm up. This way when I get in I only have to go a few blocks and I can get some heat.

 

[Ricky Roma]

Can I assume you live in a warm climate area. I'm guessing the bay area?

Northern Ontario. Currently -8F.

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

My mechanic said the same thing. I have a 2011 Ford F150 and he said (I'm paraphrasing since some of the technical truck talk was above me) that with fuel injection and advanced hydraulics that the best thing to do is simply get the truck rolling down the road. He also mentioned that starting off on the slower end, and not flooring it right away, for the first few minutes is a good idea.

 

[Ricky Roma]

He also mentioned that starting off on the slower end, and not flooring it right away, for the first few minutes is a good idea.

Yup. Best to avoid both hard acceleration and braking.

 

[whywork2]

Yeah, those libs are clueless about the real world outside of California. Vehicles need to be warmed up where it gets really cold at night.

Must make you feel good to randomly put blame on liberals for some article on the merits or problems of warming up a cold vehicle. Do you know the author and his or her political bent? I didn't think so.. I lived in Wisconsin my entire life and always warmed up my vehicle and will continue to do so. I did know the main thing on a cold vehicle is to start out slow and ease your way up to higher rpms. Don't make every piece of matter in the universe conservative or progressive, it makes you look even more silly than normal.

 

[Rex Racer]

The article is generally spot on, and that includes the cold winters of Canada and Alaska and whatnot as well. With modern fuel injection systems, you only need 30 seconds to a minute or so to get the oil circulating, and then you are good to go.

In fact, it is more efficient for the vehicle to get up and running (instead of idling 5+ minutes for the interior to warm up). Not just in gasoline consumption, but there is less wear and tear on the motor. The engine warms up faster while being driven, therefore the fuel combustion is more normalized. The more the engine is run at normal operating temperature, you decrease the amount of water vapour to build up in the exhaust system, which leads to corrosion.

Sorry, but there is less wear and tear on an engine idling at 700rpm than there is on one that is running under load at rpm's of 2000-3000 (my truck) or many times much higher for most cars.

Idling the engine for at least a minute to allow the oil to get flowing through the motor is never a bad thing.

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

I live in San Diego and I've voted for four republican presidents and two republican governors, does that destroy Jeffro's theory?

 

[jonvi]

My mechanic said the same thing. I have a 2011 Ford F150 and he said (I'm paraphrasing since some of the technical truck talk was above me) that with fuel injection and advanced hydraulics that the best thing to do is simply get the truck rolling down the road. He also mentioned that starting off on the slower end, and not flooring it right away, for the first few minutes is a good idea.

Yup. Best to avoid both hard acceleration and braking.

I can see that being fine in a warmer climate. But when you drive in subzero temps, that won't work.

As the car moves, the windshield is subjected to advanced colds due to the effects of the wind chill. At -10, driving even slower as you've suggested...say 40 mph sends the wind chill temps plummeting. I don't know the math, but I'm willing to bet the wind chill drops below -100.

Fully warm and functional defrosters struggle to keep the windows fog free. Starting off cold would be dangerous.

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

My only experience is colder temps is when I was on a temporary duty assignment in upstate New York in mid winter while I was in the air force. We were working graveyard shift on the NORAD radar system and one night I drew the short straw to drive off base for coffee and donuts. I go outside and get in the truck and let it warm up. But the ice on the windshield won't go away (it was about 0 degrees), so I figured I would run back into the shop and get a large glass of hot water to thaw out the windshield. Well, the fine taxpayers of this country ended up purchasing a new windshield the next day.