D Hook
Elite Explorer
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- October 10, 2010
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- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 06 Explorer Limited V-8
Well, even the experts disagree on this but the first sentence is probably the most sensical. (But be sure to read the whole article):
Three things you don't discuss over the dinner table: Religion, politics, and how long a car should warm up before driving in the cold.
When it gets cold, more people are letting their cars run a while before hitting the road.
General Motors issued a news release recently recommending that motorists warm their engines before driving as a way to reduce engine pollutants.
"While this may seem counterintuitive, a warm engine emits significantly fewer unburned hydrocarbons during the first accelerations," GM said in the release promoting its remote starters for cars, sport utility vehicles and pickups.
"That's because the catalyst that traps the unburned hydrocarbons only activates once the engine is warm," the automaker notes.
Not everyone agrees that letting a car idle in the driveway is a good practice, even on a cold day.
Idling will not help emission control systems reach operating temperatures, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
"Modern vehicles need little warm-up. Idling for long periods in cold weather can actually cause excessive engine wear," the EPA notes in a report.
Some municipalities have anti-idling ordinances aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
In some Canadian cities, including Toronto, it's illegal to allow a passenger vehicle to idle for more than three minutes.
Idling is a source of pollution that governments want to reduce because of airborne particulates and smog.
Technically you can get in your vehicle and drive without a warm-up even on the coldest day. The electronic fuel systems and lubricants in newer cars can handle low temperatures, said Ken Kempfer, an automotive technology instructor at Fox Valley Technical College in Wisconsin.
A car will warm up quicker when it's driven, said Joe Bruzek, an editor at Cars.com, a Web site for car enthusiasts.
Drive gently the first few minutes in the cold, but a minute or two is enough of a warm-up, according to Bruzek.
"Letting your car idle in the driveway for 10 minutes is more about getting into a warm, toasty vehicle after drinking your coffee in the living room," he said.
A car driven in 14-degree weather for 12 minutes will reach the same operating temperature as one that idles for 30 minutes, according to a study by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
Yet there are merits to running your car's engine some before driving in the bitter cold - especially if it helps clear frost off the windows.
Some people want to warm up a car putting a baby in it.
And some experts think it's good for the vehicle.
A car's lubricants and fluids are sluggish in the cold, said Gary Klopp, director of automotive services for AAA-Minnesota.
"Let the car come to its senses, so to speak, before you put it in gear," he said. "That's going to be much better on most of the mechanical components."
Klopp said he can tell by the sound of his car when it's ready to go.
He has learned to listen to the creaks, groans and other noises associated with a cold engine and transmission.
"When you start your car in extremely cold weather, there's high oil pressure, friction and other things going on. Everything in the engine is trying to find its mechanical mate and jive," Klopp said. "To just start the engine and take off, I think, is abusing the car. At some point it's going to result in premature wear."
Read more: http://journalstar.com/business/loc...005-11de-b5c6-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1gtOqdpjQ
And another opinion:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...-car-first-or-start-it-and-go/article1939752/
This is the school of thought I subscribe to: (copied from http://autorepair.about.com/b/2008/12/01/warm-your-toes-warm-up-pie-but-dont-warm-up-your-engine.htm)
There are many good points here. Just thought I’d throw my two cents in…
Confort? Yes warm seats are a comfort, but what about defrost? I can scrape my windows, but it’s hard to scrape the insides of the windows when it’s 5 degrees outside. Not to mention breathing in an ice cold car does fogg windows. Warming up your car for 4-5 minutes is a definate help on the safety side.
To start on oiling, and diesels, I’ll start by saying that I’m an ASE master certified medium/heavy tech. I also have advance diesel engine cert. I’ve been a service manager for school bus fleet for one of the top school bus companies, and idling is a huge deal with much controversy.
Idling has started to become taboo in the med/heavy truck field. Mostly because of waste of fuel. When you run that many miles, 10 minutes of idle does become a huge deal. Especially every day and with many trucks, it adds up really fast. Also, for diesel owners, they do need a minute or two warm up time to get the cylinders hot enough to fire the fuel efficiently. Again this has been helped with new technology. Beyond a few minutes, diesel engines will not warm up efficiently without moving down the road. The engines do not create enough heat at idle to stay warm, you have to load them. So you won’t warm them up efficiently by letting them idle in the driveway. Idling also causes fuel wash, which is the excess fuel washing the oil from the cylinders. This can really damage an engine fast. That’s why if you leave a new Ford, Dodge, or Chevy diesel idling, it will raise its own idle. It also cuts fuel to alternating cylinders to make it work harder and cut fuel wash.
Block heaters are designed to warm coolant(comfort), warm the cylinders(better fuel burn), and keep coolant from freezeing in extreme cases(so does proper coolant maintenance). They are almost a requirment on diesels so the fuel can fire when cold.
As for oiling, cold starts are always hard on an engine. The best thing you can do is prepare. If your worried about oiling, check you recommendations, it probably says to put a lighter oil in extreme cold conditions. Do it. It will help so you don’t have to idle your car for an hour to get the oil warm. Oil also won’t warm without moving through the engine, so driving the car will warm the oil faster. And as for hard shifting, that is usually a sign of a problem. Time to change trans fluid, sticking valves in the trans, weak pump, or sticking pressure regulator. This also will warm faster if your moving.
Manufacturers are working to design vehicles that will require minimal warm up time with the least amount of premature wear. Your also talking about a minute amount of excess wear.
In my opinion, its probably best to start the car, warm it up while scraping the windows, with the defrost on. Then get in and drive as soon as you can safely see. Less idling is best, but I don’t think we’re ready to completely get rid of it in the north.
Three things you don't discuss over the dinner table: Religion, politics, and how long a car should warm up before driving in the cold.
When it gets cold, more people are letting their cars run a while before hitting the road.
General Motors issued a news release recently recommending that motorists warm their engines before driving as a way to reduce engine pollutants.
"While this may seem counterintuitive, a warm engine emits significantly fewer unburned hydrocarbons during the first accelerations," GM said in the release promoting its remote starters for cars, sport utility vehicles and pickups.
"That's because the catalyst that traps the unburned hydrocarbons only activates once the engine is warm," the automaker notes.
Not everyone agrees that letting a car idle in the driveway is a good practice, even on a cold day.
Idling will not help emission control systems reach operating temperatures, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
"Modern vehicles need little warm-up. Idling for long periods in cold weather can actually cause excessive engine wear," the EPA notes in a report.
Some municipalities have anti-idling ordinances aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
In some Canadian cities, including Toronto, it's illegal to allow a passenger vehicle to idle for more than three minutes.
Idling is a source of pollution that governments want to reduce because of airborne particulates and smog.
Technically you can get in your vehicle and drive without a warm-up even on the coldest day. The electronic fuel systems and lubricants in newer cars can handle low temperatures, said Ken Kempfer, an automotive technology instructor at Fox Valley Technical College in Wisconsin.
A car will warm up quicker when it's driven, said Joe Bruzek, an editor at Cars.com, a Web site for car enthusiasts.
Drive gently the first few minutes in the cold, but a minute or two is enough of a warm-up, according to Bruzek.
"Letting your car idle in the driveway for 10 minutes is more about getting into a warm, toasty vehicle after drinking your coffee in the living room," he said.
A car driven in 14-degree weather for 12 minutes will reach the same operating temperature as one that idles for 30 minutes, according to a study by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
Yet there are merits to running your car's engine some before driving in the bitter cold - especially if it helps clear frost off the windows.
Some people want to warm up a car putting a baby in it.
And some experts think it's good for the vehicle.
A car's lubricants and fluids are sluggish in the cold, said Gary Klopp, director of automotive services for AAA-Minnesota.
"Let the car come to its senses, so to speak, before you put it in gear," he said. "That's going to be much better on most of the mechanical components."
Klopp said he can tell by the sound of his car when it's ready to go.
He has learned to listen to the creaks, groans and other noises associated with a cold engine and transmission.
"When you start your car in extremely cold weather, there's high oil pressure, friction and other things going on. Everything in the engine is trying to find its mechanical mate and jive," Klopp said. "To just start the engine and take off, I think, is abusing the car. At some point it's going to result in premature wear."
Read more: http://journalstar.com/business/loc...005-11de-b5c6-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1gtOqdpjQ
And another opinion:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...-car-first-or-start-it-and-go/article1939752/
This is the school of thought I subscribe to: (copied from http://autorepair.about.com/b/2008/12/01/warm-your-toes-warm-up-pie-but-dont-warm-up-your-engine.htm)
There are many good points here. Just thought I’d throw my two cents in…
Confort? Yes warm seats are a comfort, but what about defrost? I can scrape my windows, but it’s hard to scrape the insides of the windows when it’s 5 degrees outside. Not to mention breathing in an ice cold car does fogg windows. Warming up your car for 4-5 minutes is a definate help on the safety side.
To start on oiling, and diesels, I’ll start by saying that I’m an ASE master certified medium/heavy tech. I also have advance diesel engine cert. I’ve been a service manager for school bus fleet for one of the top school bus companies, and idling is a huge deal with much controversy.
Idling has started to become taboo in the med/heavy truck field. Mostly because of waste of fuel. When you run that many miles, 10 minutes of idle does become a huge deal. Especially every day and with many trucks, it adds up really fast. Also, for diesel owners, they do need a minute or two warm up time to get the cylinders hot enough to fire the fuel efficiently. Again this has been helped with new technology. Beyond a few minutes, diesel engines will not warm up efficiently without moving down the road. The engines do not create enough heat at idle to stay warm, you have to load them. So you won’t warm them up efficiently by letting them idle in the driveway. Idling also causes fuel wash, which is the excess fuel washing the oil from the cylinders. This can really damage an engine fast. That’s why if you leave a new Ford, Dodge, or Chevy diesel idling, it will raise its own idle. It also cuts fuel to alternating cylinders to make it work harder and cut fuel wash.
Block heaters are designed to warm coolant(comfort), warm the cylinders(better fuel burn), and keep coolant from freezeing in extreme cases(so does proper coolant maintenance). They are almost a requirment on diesels so the fuel can fire when cold.
As for oiling, cold starts are always hard on an engine. The best thing you can do is prepare. If your worried about oiling, check you recommendations, it probably says to put a lighter oil in extreme cold conditions. Do it. It will help so you don’t have to idle your car for an hour to get the oil warm. Oil also won’t warm without moving through the engine, so driving the car will warm the oil faster. And as for hard shifting, that is usually a sign of a problem. Time to change trans fluid, sticking valves in the trans, weak pump, or sticking pressure regulator. This also will warm faster if your moving.
Manufacturers are working to design vehicles that will require minimal warm up time with the least amount of premature wear. Your also talking about a minute amount of excess wear.
In my opinion, its probably best to start the car, warm it up while scraping the windows, with the defrost on. Then get in and drive as soon as you can safely see. Less idling is best, but I don’t think we’re ready to completely get rid of it in the north.
