How long do you warm up your truck?

[odxtoxic]

i always plug in the truck if its below 40 and take off in the morning, but do take it easy on the petal, trying to stay below 2k rpms...its only a mile drive to school.....

 

[03ExplorerSPT]

It's usually in the high 30s or low 40s in the mornings during this time of year. I hop in start it up and after I put on my seat belt it's usually ready to go. So about 30 seconds. Sometimes I wait about 45 seconds for the RPM to drop to about 1,000. I also keep the RPMs below 2,500 when it's cold. In the summer I just start it up and go.

 

[SoBeLover]

20 minutes in winter, 5 minutes in summer

 

[EliteConcept]

i try and give it at least 30 seconds, just so everything gets flowing....

 

[zip96]

Originally posted by Crankcase

When its REALLY cold...Snow on ground cold..I plug in the block heater

It doesn't get cold in Vancouver.

 

[Crankcase]

Originally posted by zip96
It doesn't get cold in Vancouver.

HA.....It actually got into the -C temps recently

 

[xmodster3o3]

Not very cold in CA, I just turn my X on and i'm gone.

 

[jetmaker]

Another reason to limit your warmup time is that thieves love to see someone's car idling unattended. So, limiting that time is always a plus.

 

[Telford Weister]

If your Ex takes a long time to register temp on the gauge, you most likely haf a stuck open or broken thermostat, which is fairly easy to change out. This is fairly common on the Explorers after a fair amount of mileage. When you do replace the thermostat, don't forget to "burp" the cooling system after you button it up and refill it.

 

[proffessor1979]

let mine go 5-10 minutes in the winter also..try to anyway

you said you had a remote start thats programmable to let it idle?

how do you do that? I mean if its on its on and it would be idling....what happens after the time period? Does it shut off?

 

[Brian97V8]

Originally posted by proffessor1979


you said you had a remote start thats programmable to let it idle?

how do you do that? I mean if its on its on and it would be idling....what happens after the time period? Does it shut off?

YEP

 

[DeRocha]

IMO starting the engine and driving it it the best way to warm it up. As such I run my engine under 1 minute before starting to drive. I then baby my x with slow acceleration until the temp gauge is in the normal range.

The people who warm up the engine for 10+ minutes do not truly have a Warmed up vehicle. The engine is warm, but the rest of the drivetrain (transmission, axles, bearings, U-joints etc...) is still very cold. These components will only warm up when being used.

Metal expansion is proportional to temperature. As such a cold engine & drive train need to be "Warmed" up to reach their respective Normal ranges. This will allow for peak efficiency and longevity of the components. If you want your X to last then just take it easy for the first few miles...

 

[99SportX]

Originally posted by DEROCHA
IMO starting the engine and driving it it the best way to warm it up. As such I run my engine under 1 minute before starting to drive. I then baby my x with slow acceleration until the temp gauge is in the normal range.

The people who warm up the engine for 10+ minutes do not truly have a Warmed up vehicle. The engine is warm, but the rest of the drivetrain (transmission, axles, bearings, U-joints etc...) is still very cold. These components will only warm up when being used.

Metal expansion is proportional to temperature. As such a cold engine & drive train need to be "Warmed" up to reach their respective Normal ranges. This will allow for peak efficiency and longevity of the components. If you want your X to last then just take it easy for the first few miles...

Right on. I drive really slow when it is below zero out until I think the drivetrain warms up. The power steering is always a little stiff for a while when it is cold out.

 

[GTO2050]

Explorers are famous for losing the thermostat in the wide open position. If your truck heat gauage never comes up it's the thermostat. I have had 3 of them and all three went wide open on me at some point. Better than going in the closed position though.

As far as remote starters are concerned, I have one and I have had to fix all three O2 sensors because of the remote. Long idling is not good for the O2 sensors. It sets off the check engine light too often. All three times, it was the O2 sensor in a different place.