How long do you let your truck warm up for before you put it in drive?
rvcaman9798
Warm up time?
I fire it up, clean off the snow, disable the nannies, roll down the driveway, open the gate, drive out further, close the gate. All of that takes several minutes, all of which the engine is idling quickly and unloaded, so I don't add any extra time just sitting there.
Varies. Mornings I usually reach in & start the truck right before I lift my kid up & in. By the time I get situated, buckle my kid & myself, crack open my Loca Mocha Monster, tune the radio/iPhone, it's been a good couple minutes. Then other times during the day it's probably only a 8-10 second wait.
Summertime in Alaska..about a minute..winter time in Alaska...about 15-20 minutes..talk about MPG loss!!!
Thank you for the replies! You guys are always helpful. I wait about 6 sec. I live in SoCal so its typically pretty warm.
In the winter I give it about a minute and wait for the AIP pumps and temp to go up a little. I then take it easy until it is up to normal temp while driving. Summer same thing it just takes much less time. I am planning on getting remote start eventually.
I let it warm up about 5 min everytime. Reason being because it sits for up to 3 weeks at a time. Mainly for hauling stuff.
I typically wait until the RPM level out at 1k and by then, the temp gauge has started to rise. Yes, I waste some fuel by starting the truck and letting it idle for close to 10 minutes most times (yes, even in summer), but my engine will last longer.
On occasion, when I simply can't wait because something is urgent, I may put it in drive immediately after starting. But that's not often.
But for you guys that are starting and waiting 10, 20, 30 seconds,...what's the point? Why even wait? Your oil is nowhere near operating temp/operating viscosity and is nowhere near flowing well enough for proper lubrication, at 10-30 seconds. So, you haven't really done the truck any favors by waiting a few seconds. Might as well just go.
Being warm outside is not enough. It takes operating engine temps for oil to thin out to the proper viscosity. It takes a while for oil to go from 75* to 2-300*.
After 30 seconds, it's still moving like honey.
Anyway, just something to think about.
On occasion, when I simply can't wait because something is urgent, I may put it in drive immediately after starting. But that's not often.
But for you guys that are starting and waiting 10, 20, 30 seconds,...what's the point? Why even wait? Your oil is nowhere near operating temp/operating viscosity and is nowhere near flowing well enough for proper lubrication, at 10-30 seconds. So, you haven't really done the truck any favors by waiting a few seconds. Might as well just go.
Being warm outside is not enough. It takes operating engine temps for oil to thin out to the proper viscosity. It takes a while for oil to go from 75* to 2-300*.
After 30 seconds, it's still moving like honey.
Anyway, just something to think about.
I completely call BS on all this. Oil is protecting your engine as soon as you have full pressure. Obviously you're gonna do what feels good to you but IMHO, You're just wasting gas. You need to research multi viscosity oil and what it means.
BTW, if it's pouring like honey, you need to change oils or weights.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=133833
BTW, if it's pouring like honey, you need to change oils or weights.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=133833
when the temp drops I will remote start it while I am putting my boots on...
when it is actually cold I remote start it while brushing teeth...
when it is warm I normally put the key in the ignition while standing outside and start it, put holster in its spot, put other ish inside that I am taking with me, situate towel on seat then get in and drive...
at the very least wait till it's making oil pressure.
when it is actually cold I remote start it while brushing teeth...
when it is warm I normally put the key in the ignition while standing outside and start it, put holster in its spot, put other ish inside that I am taking with me, situate towel on seat then get in and drive...
at the very least wait till it's making oil pressure.
If it's raining, I wait for the AIP pumps to cut off. If not, I wait for the oil pressure gauge to come up which is about the same amount of time it takes for me to put on my seatbelt put it in Drive and back out of the driveway. I said 5 seconds. ..... seems less than 8...maybe 6.47 (ish)
No extra waiting for me. Just easy with the throttle and no hard acceleration before engine is heated up. That takes a while for me, diesels warm up a little slower.
Some good reading on this:
Is it best to let my car warm up in the morning when it’s really cold? Or does that just waste gas?
Logan Widmore
Pocatello, Idaho
Although you might think it’s easier on your car to let it sit and gently warm up, doing so is a bad idea for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it does indeed waste gas.
The vast majority of cars on the road today use electronic fuel injection. When your car’s engine is cold, the computer tells the fuel injectors to stay open longer, allowing more fuel into the engine to help it run cold. As the engine warms up, the injectors let in less fuel and everything returns to normal, so to speak.
The problem is, letting your car sit and idle is the slowest way to bring it up to operating temperature because it’s generally sitting in your drive at just above idle speed. And this method to warm up also invites other problems. Remember that modern cars are equipped with a multitude of devices to help them run clean, including a catalytic converter (sometimes three of them), a device in the exhaust system that works to burn off unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust stream. A cold engine emits a far higher percentage of unburned hydrocarbons than a warm engine. Unfortunately, the average catalytic converter can’t process 100 percent of unburned hydrocarbons even in the best of times. Importantly, the catalytic converter needs high exhaust temperatures to work properly. Throw in a cold engine emitting a high percentage of unburned hydrocarbons, repeat several hundred times, and you can end up with what’s called a “plugged” converter. In a nutshell, the converter becomes overwhelmed and literally ceases to function. This won’t happen all at once but over time, the end effect is the same: poor mileage and significantly dirtier exhaust.
The best bet? Even when it’s 10 degrees F outside, start your car, let it run for 30 to 60 seconds to get all the fluids moving, then drive off gently. Your engine will warm up faster, your exhaust system will get up to temperature faster so the catalytic converter can do its thing, and you’ll use less fuel. Which is what you wanted all along anyhow, right?
If it's below zero outside, it would be a good idea to give the engine five minutes or a little less before you drive off into the frozen wilderness!
— Richard Backus, editor in chief, Gas Engine and Motorcycles Classics magazines
Read more: Should I Let My Car Warm Up Each Morning?
Is it best to let my car warm up in the morning when it’s really cold? Or does that just waste gas?
Logan Widmore
Pocatello, Idaho
Although you might think it’s easier on your car to let it sit and gently warm up, doing so is a bad idea for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it does indeed waste gas.
The vast majority of cars on the road today use electronic fuel injection. When your car’s engine is cold, the computer tells the fuel injectors to stay open longer, allowing more fuel into the engine to help it run cold. As the engine warms up, the injectors let in less fuel and everything returns to normal, so to speak.
The problem is, letting your car sit and idle is the slowest way to bring it up to operating temperature because it’s generally sitting in your drive at just above idle speed. And this method to warm up also invites other problems. Remember that modern cars are equipped with a multitude of devices to help them run clean, including a catalytic converter (sometimes three of them), a device in the exhaust system that works to burn off unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust stream. A cold engine emits a far higher percentage of unburned hydrocarbons than a warm engine. Unfortunately, the average catalytic converter can’t process 100 percent of unburned hydrocarbons even in the best of times. Importantly, the catalytic converter needs high exhaust temperatures to work properly. Throw in a cold engine emitting a high percentage of unburned hydrocarbons, repeat several hundred times, and you can end up with what’s called a “plugged” converter. In a nutshell, the converter becomes overwhelmed and literally ceases to function. This won’t happen all at once but over time, the end effect is the same: poor mileage and significantly dirtier exhaust.
The best bet? Even when it’s 10 degrees F outside, start your car, let it run for 30 to 60 seconds to get all the fluids moving, then drive off gently. Your engine will warm up faster, your exhaust system will get up to temperature faster so the catalytic converter can do its thing, and you’ll use less fuel. Which is what you wanted all along anyhow, right?
If it's below zero outside, it would be a good idea to give the engine five minutes or a little less before you drive off into the frozen wilderness!
— Richard Backus, editor in chief, Gas Engine and Motorcycles Classics magazines
Read more: Should I Let My Car Warm Up Each Morning?
Now that i have a remote starter its about 1-2 minutes! Winter time will change that though to probably around 5-10 minutes!
"The night before when you drove home from work the car was up the the correct operating temperature and the oil was the correct thickness, 10. Over night the engine cooled to room temperature and the oil thickened. It is 75 F in the morning now (I do live in Florida). The oil thickness is now around 150. It is too thick to lubricate an engine designed to run with an oil having a thickness of 10.
It is time to introduce the concept of lubrication. Most believe that pressure = lubrication. This is false. Flow = lubrication. If pressure was the thing that somehow lubricated your engine then we would all be using 90 weight oil. Lubrication is used to separate moving parts, to keep them from touching. There is a one to one relationship between flow and separation. If you double the flow you will double the separation pressure in a bearing. The pressure at the bearing entrance is irrelevant.
In fact the relationship between pressure and flow is in opposition. If you change your oil to a thicker formula the pressure will go up. It goes up because the resistance to flow is greater and in fact the flow must go down in order for the pressure to go up. They are inversely related. Conversely if you choose a thinner oil then the pressure will go down. This can only occur if the flow has increased"
Motor Oil 101
This is why I let my truck idle, until the RMP comes down, temp guage starts to rise and oil pressure comes down, before I load the engine.
I want the oil flowing/lubricating better, before I put more stress on the moving parts. And I'm aware that it wastes fuel. I'm ok with that.
Flushing my toilet and taking a shower is a waste of water, too. But I want to be clean. Sending my son to a private school is probably a waste of money, but I want him to have a 5-star education and be in a good sports program. That wasn't based on a feel-good whim, it was based on research. So, I'm wasting the money now, for the sake of longevity.
I disagree with Mr. magazine editor. Loading the engine prematurely, to get it to operating temp sooner, is counter-productive and counter-intuitive. Sure, the oil is flowing properly, once up to temp, but you did all the damage in the minutes before it was up to temp.
Besides, he's talking about wasting fuel, not engine wear. And yes, I understand how multi-grade oil works. The fact that oil pressure is high at start-up, tells me that even a 5w or 0w, needs to warm up to flow optimally.
Of course, this is all hair splitting. But, I will gladly trade a few gallons of fuel for every extra thousand miles of longevity.
No matter what/how you do things, you are always trading off, gaining/giving up. It's just a matter of what your priorities are.
Once I learned how oil worked, I made the decision to start wasting a little fuel at start-up. If those few minutes and little bit of fuel is more valuable to you (especially if you trade your truck in every few years), that's entirely your prerogative. Just offering what I've learned and why I do things.
If I learn otherwise, through research and discussions like this one, I'll change the way I'm doing it. So far, I haven't heard/seen anything in this thread to change my mind on this particular subject.
It is time to introduce the concept of lubrication. Most believe that pressure = lubrication. This is false. Flow = lubrication. If pressure was the thing that somehow lubricated your engine then we would all be using 90 weight oil. Lubrication is used to separate moving parts, to keep them from touching. There is a one to one relationship between flow and separation. If you double the flow you will double the separation pressure in a bearing. The pressure at the bearing entrance is irrelevant.
In fact the relationship between pressure and flow is in opposition. If you change your oil to a thicker formula the pressure will go up. It goes up because the resistance to flow is greater and in fact the flow must go down in order for the pressure to go up. They are inversely related. Conversely if you choose a thinner oil then the pressure will go down. This can only occur if the flow has increased"
Motor Oil 101
This is why I let my truck idle, until the RMP comes down, temp guage starts to rise and oil pressure comes down, before I load the engine.
I want the oil flowing/lubricating better, before I put more stress on the moving parts. And I'm aware that it wastes fuel. I'm ok with that.
Flushing my toilet and taking a shower is a waste of water, too. But I want to be clean. Sending my son to a private school is probably a waste of money, but I want him to have a 5-star education and be in a good sports program. That wasn't based on a feel-good whim, it was based on research. So, I'm wasting the money now, for the sake of longevity.
I disagree with Mr. magazine editor. Loading the engine prematurely, to get it to operating temp sooner, is counter-productive and counter-intuitive. Sure, the oil is flowing properly, once up to temp, but you did all the damage in the minutes before it was up to temp.
Besides, he's talking about wasting fuel, not engine wear. And yes, I understand how multi-grade oil works. The fact that oil pressure is high at start-up, tells me that even a 5w or 0w, needs to warm up to flow optimally.
Of course, this is all hair splitting. But, I will gladly trade a few gallons of fuel for every extra thousand miles of longevity.
No matter what/how you do things, you are always trading off, gaining/giving up. It's just a matter of what your priorities are.
Once I learned how oil worked, I made the decision to start wasting a little fuel at start-up. If those few minutes and little bit of fuel is more valuable to you (especially if you trade your truck in every few years), that's entirely your prerogative. Just offering what I've learned and why I do things.
If I learn otherwise, through research and discussions like this one, I'll change the way I'm doing it. So far, I haven't heard/seen anything in this thread to change my mind on this particular subject.
There is no dispute that pressure isn't necessarily flow.
I think it's pretty safe to assume that if you are using the correct viscosity oil that is designed to allow sufficient flow at low temperature (again I ask you to research multi viscosity oil) the oil pump is perfectly capable of producing flow (albeit at an increased pressure) on a cold engine. If there wasn't sufficient flow for 30 seconds to a minute, how long do you think an engine would last? I'd say about 10 cold mornings.
Like I said before, you do what you feel comfortable with, but In My Humble Opinion, you are just wasting gas.
I prefer to go with the manufacturer of my oil who says it flows freely after the first few seconds on extreme cold startup- Mobil 1 Cold Starts
I think it's pretty safe to assume that if you are using the correct viscosity oil that is designed to allow sufficient flow at low temperature (again I ask you to research multi viscosity oil) the oil pump is perfectly capable of producing flow (albeit at an increased pressure) on a cold engine. If there wasn't sufficient flow for 30 seconds to a minute, how long do you think an engine would last? I'd say about 10 cold mornings.
Like I said before, you do what you feel comfortable with, but In My Humble Opinion, you are just wasting gas.
I prefer to go with the manufacturer of my oil who says it flows freely after the first few seconds on extreme cold startup- Mobil 1 Cold Starts
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