Don't warm up your car in winter

[jeffro151]

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.

I said "those libs", because I was talking about the specific person that wrote the article. If I was talking about all libs, I would not have included the word "those".

 

[Ricky Roma]

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.

A vehicle running longer at below normal operating temperatures is simply not good. It's not good for the exhaust system, the combustion chamber and a higher increase of contamination of the oil, which reduces lubrication, thus increasing wear and tear.

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

Which is precisely what should be done.

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

Hmmm Jeffro.....the pronoun, those, is the plural form of 'that.' So your argument doesn't work. If you were talking specifically about the OP, you would have said, "that lib."

 

[jeffro151]

JFC

 

[Ricky Roma]

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.

I don't know how much experience you have with driving in extremely cold conditions, but last winter we experienced multiple days of -40F, and had zero problems with functioning defrosters or heaters. I did what I always did....I scraped the interior of my windshield and side windows, started the vehicle, went out to scrape the exterior windshield and side windows and within a minute or so, I was off.

What LPF was explaining concerned the engine itself.

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

JFC

LOL..that's OK Jeffro, we forgive your momentary lapse of proper pronoun usage.

 

[jeffro151]

Yep, the grammar police got me.

 

[jonvi]

I don't know how much experience you have with driving in extremely cold conditions, but last winter we experienced multiple days of -40F, and had zero problems with functioning defrosters or heaters. I did what I always did....I scraped the interior of my windshield and side windows, started the vehicle, went out to scrape the exterior windshield and side windows and within a minute or so, I was off.

What LPF was explaining concerned the engine itself.

I've owned a home in upstate NY since the mid 80's.

-40 and no problems with defrosters?

Both my vehicles...a Tundra and a Saab, are rather new vehicles and will never allow me to make that claim. Maybe it's a moister issue. Because that's unheard of here?

Are you in high elevations where there's less moister in the air? When I lived in Colorado, 20 degrees was tee shirt fun weather. 20 degrees in the NE is f'n cold and the difference is the moister in the air. Which would have impact on windows defrosting or not.

 

[Ricky Roma]

I've owned a home in upstate NY since the mid 80's.

-40 and no problems with defrosters?

Both my vehicles...a Tundra and a Saab, are rather new vehicles and will never allow me to make that claim. Maybe it's a moister issue. Because that's unheard of here?

Are you in high elevations where there's less moister in the air? When I lived in Colorado, 20 degrees was tee shirt fun weather. 20 degrees in the NE is f'n cold and the difference is the moister in the air. Which would have impact on windows defrosting or not.

If there is a lot of snow and ice built up on the mats in the vehicles, you create more moisture inside for the interior windows to ice up. You could be running your AC in the recirculating mode, which further increases buildup. Breathing (which I find somewhat essential) against the windshield adds more moisture still.

Elevation here? About 650 ft above sea level.

 

[Rex Racer]

A vehicle running longer at below normal operating temperatures is simply not good. It's not good for the exhaust system, the combustion chamber and a higher increase of contamination of the oil, which reduces lubrication, thus increasing wear and tear.



Which is precisely what should be done.

Computer controlled engines of today do not run below operating temperature regardless of the rpm's. The exhaust system will clear itself of condensation once you are under way unless you do very short trips in which case it doesn't matter if you warm up the vehicle or not and build tolerances on these newer motors is spectacularly small so I doubt the oil is getting contaminated when the engine is idling.

I have always recommended a brief warm up period regardless of the ambient temps and a longer warmup for reasons that Davis Mike and I (among others) laid out isn't hurting anything.

 

[Ricky Roma]

Computer controlled engines of today do not run below operating temperature regardless of the rpm's. The exhaust system will clear itself of condensation once you are under way unless you do very short trips in which case it doesn't matter if you warm up the vehicle or not and build tolerances on these newer motors is spectacularly small so I doubt the oil is getting contaminated when the engine is idling.

I have always recommended a brief warm up period regardless of the ambient temps and a longer warmup for reasons that Davis Mike and I (among others) laid out isn't hurting anything.

Anti-Idling Primer: Every Minute Counts

Not only is the common perception that we are doing something beneficial when we idle our car engines wrong, the fact is that this outdated habit actually harms the car engine, our wallets, and the environment. When an engine idles it is not running at its optimum operating temperature and condition. This results in the incomplete combustion of gasoline that can leave fuel residues on the spark plugs, the cylinder walls, and other engine parts. These residues can corrode the engine parts, thereby shortening the life of the system, and can impair fuel efficiency when driving by as much as 4 to 5% according to Natural Resources Canada. When we idle we are neither protecting our car engines nor saving fuel. Rather, we are degrading the engine’s ability to operate smoothly and efficiently while actually wasting gasoline.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[jonvi]

If there is a lot of snow and ice built up on the mats in the vehicles, you create more moisture inside for the interior windows to ice up. You could be running your AC in the recirculating mode, which further increases buildup. Breathing (which I find somewhat essential) against the windshield adds more moisture still.

Elevation here? About 650 ft above sea level.

I'm trying to understand the science to your statement that you often drive in -40 weather, start off cold and don't have your windshield icing on the inside of your car while your driving.

At -40, defrosters are blowing -40 air directly on your windshield for several minutes. The outside wind chill on the windshield is growing as your car increases in speed. It will take at least 10 minutes of driving to get the temp in the radiator high enough for defrosters to have an opposite effect. In 10 minutes of peaking through holes to see...that person is a huge problem in already poor driving conditions.

650 ft above sea level isn't the cause of your ability to do this. Again...I'm not wanting personal information on where you live...just trying to understand the science.

 

[Ricky Roma]

I scrape off the layer of frost that forms overnight inside, and once that is done, it's gone for the rest of the day. I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that it continues to be an issue even though the heater/defroster is on, or that I'm waiting 10 or so minutes before everything is cleared up.

 

[outofyourmind]

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.

Computer controlled engines of today do not run below operating temperature regardless of the rpm's. The exhaust system will clear itself of condensation once you are under way unless you do very short trips in which case it doesn't matter if you warm up the vehicle or not and build tolerances on these newer motors is spectacularly small so I doubt the oil is getting contaminated when the engine is idling.

I have always recommended a brief warm up period regardless of the ambient temps and a longer warmup for reasons that Davis Mike and I (among others) laid out isn't hurting anything.

Both of these
When its really cold, 30 seconds is an insane short period to warm your car up.
Go ahead and push that thick oil thru all those little holes like one of those play-doe machines.
Why dont you guys just full throttle the mother fucker while your at it.

Until you get at least some heat out of your vents, your engine is nowhere near operating temperature.
Crank bearings, cam bearings, rod bearings, oil ring, compression rings, etc, need a little time to adjust and warm up.
But go ahead and punish your car with that cold aunt jemima syrup all you want.

 

[ckhokie]

I've never been one to start the car early to let it warm up, but my new car has remote start and automatically turns on the seat and steering wheel warmers when it's below a certain temperature, and the seat coolers when it's above.

Sorry Earth.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

I drive a 78'...that pig better be warm at take-off...sorry for the extra carbon footprint I leave.

 

[Midnightangel]

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.....

It was -26 a couple times last year here in Wyoming.

You can't drive without your car being warmed up because you'll fog up and wont be able to see. I plug my car in overnight so it warms up quicker but I still can't get in her and go.

 

[outofyourmind]

When I was a kid we had a neighbor down the street, was a woman of course, and when it was cold, she would start her car and immediately rev the ever living fuck out of it to get it warm. It must have been going 5000rpms for about a minute. Then she would put it in gear and chug down the road.

It was a huge Chrysler Imperial or something like that.
Funny Shit.

 

[bamabear82]

I scrape off the layer of frost that forms overnight inside, and once that is done, it's gone for the rest of the day. I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that it continues to be an issue even though the heater/defroster is on, or that I'm waiting 10 or so minutes before everything is cleared up.

Can't imagine that'd be good on my tint. I'm warming that bitch up.

 

[jonvi]

I meant to post this the other day. I have a heated garage so my car is pretty much warmed up when I start out. The other morning it was -11 when I went to work. After I had driven about 10 miles, the inside of the windows on both the driver and passenger side had fogged up and frozen over. All that remained was a tiny peep hole that if I leaned forward, I could still get a look at my side mirrors.


The windshield was frozen at the top and down each side, but stayed pretty much ok for driving.


Had my car been parked outside and I took off after just scraping ice off, the defrosters wouldn't catch up much less keep up.


I'm still baffled that some can do a cold start at -40 and say there's no issue.


My spidy senses are pinging.