So does this mean that I wasted my $$$ on a remote starter?? errrr....

 

this whole past is gay its what you wanna do its a losing argument...who cares if you let it run and who cares if you want to wait 30 seconds either way your car gets warmed up personally i would rather let it warm up idleing then be a moron and hop in the car on a freezing day and by the time i get to my destination it is just getting warm..we really jsut need to stop this thread its useless...

 

Please tell me in technical terms what would be the difference inbetween letting the car idle for 15 sec or 1-3 minutes?? Other than making the car warm up slower and possibly putting out more emissions?

 

.....................

 

On really cold days, I let the car idle while I'm getting myself ready for about 15 minutes. The usual is about a minute just to let the oil circulate.

 

My car idles at about 1.5k rpm when its first started. When I drive and pedal it softly its stays under 2k rpm. I dont see a difference, only that driving it right away would cause more stress.

I let it warm up until it hits 1k rpm. By then the temp gauges moves off of C but not yet normal operating temp. Then I drive softly untill its been at normal operating temp for a few minutes.

Everyone has their own way of doing this ofcourse. I think 2k2kev 's comment is outrageous. I have no problem what Nissan recommends in the manual when the temp is above 60F. But when its cold out id rather follow my own guidelines.

The nissan owners manual also states you should stay away from hard acceleration. How about I give everyone a mouthfull about insecurity and ignorance about not following that recommendation....LOL, AS IF...cmon now.

 

remote start = getting into a warm cozy car/cool non-sweaty car = teh pimp

idle smidle

 

Kev is right, RTFM

And I also agree that remote starters are just for warming up the car so it's not cold when you get in.

 

How is it outrageous? It's right. It might not be what you want to do but it's the best way to warm up any modern car.

3rd time... do what you want and let it idle for 15min if you want, but if you're looking for the BEST way to warm up your car when it's cold, you're doing it wrong.

 

Final word...

http://www.cartalk.com/content/colum...03/May/03.html

Tom: By letting it run, you're just wasting gasoline and polluting the neighborhood.

Ray: But, you might ask, isn't it worth a little pollution and wasted natural resources so my feet can be toasty the moment I get in my car? Well, that's a personal, ethical decision that each one of us has to make by ourselves -- like whether to leave the water running while we brush our teeth.

 

First off, i dont let it idle for 15 mins. I stated what I did.
How does letting it idle vs. driving it make more pollution?

Listen, im not looking to make any enemies, its just that your statement was totally uncalled-for.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...6&postcount=44

 

Same here.... I seriously doubt its truly hurting anything. I'd personally rather let it warm on its own than drive cold to let it warm in the most efficient manner. Everyone in here is nuts - just do what you like. It's nice to know the most efficient technique, but winter is a **** and I like to be comfy.

This whole debate is about as meaningful as people fighting over how you drive:
"I let the car roll in neutral everywhere. I refuse to drive uphill."

"Nuh-uh. Steady higher rpms = fuel efficiency. I gun it everwhere so I can reach 55mph quicker and cruise in 5th. Idle sucks!"

"The most fuel efficient manner in which to drive is to never exceed 2700rpm or 63mph, whichever comes first."

"This dude's right. My car hasn't seen 4000rpm in over 2 years with no problems."

"I try and race everyone on the road and still pull over 300 miles per tank with no problems. Stupid newbie in here."

 

Agreed ;-)

 

Your car gets 0mpg when it's idling in your driveway "getting warm." Your car gets more than 0mpg while you're driving it to get it warm.... idling = more pollution.Totally uncalled for... wow

 

It looks to me like Jeffy and Rocco are the only ones that know what's going on when it comes to proper vehicle warm up. In temps above 50 degrees, you simply start the car and let it idle for 10 seconds or so. In colder weather, you give the car 20-45 seconds. There is NO NEED to idle for any longer. A motor under light load (under 3K rpms) will warm up much faster, wear less, and get far greater MPGs. The time you wait is simply to build oil pressure and to give the oil a little time to coat most of the internals with a fresh coat of oil.

Do you extended warmer-uppers realize that a stone cold engine gets dismal fuel ecomony? Letting a motor warm up by idle is horrible because the car is running very rich and you run a greater chance of causing early cat converter failure. A stone cold V6 gets approximately 5mpg during it's warm up and a V8 is close to 3mpg. Getting the motor warmed up as fast and safe as possible gets you better mpg. Letting your car warmup under idle for 10-15 minutes can drink as much as 1/2+ gallon of fuel.

Do yourself, your wallet, your motor, and the environment a favor, idle for no longer than 45 seconds and then start driving.

 

now thats rational......a great way to get the point accross, something I may actually pay attention to. Im serious btw...this isnt sarcasm.

just to clarify, ive never really given a time frame for my way of warming up. Ill clock it tomorrow and report back with a exact time...

 

IMO it doesnt really matter which way you do it

ok go out in single digit weather and in 30 seconds your crusin @ 30mph to your destination you get to your destination quicker and you save a tree

ok start your car 5-10 mins before you plan to leave get ready and get into a nice toasty warm car and speed away from your now polluted neighborhood with your radar detector so you wont get caught and you wont be late

yea ok so one way is the best way to do it but whatever makes you happy go ahead and do it it only NEEDS to be idling for 15-30 seconds but it doesnt say it cant be left idling for 5-10mins

 

But I think the point here is what's the recommended and accepted warm up procedure, not the procedure that's most comfortable for a human. I'd rather be uncomfortable for 2 minutes of driving rather than wasting gas or possibly causing problems to my engine. I can handle sitting in a 10 degree car with icy leather and a coat on.

 

You're crazy to think that letting your engine warmup be idling means you can simply go WOT with no concerns. What about:

1) Your cylinder heads, cams, and gaskets? Chances are the block might be warm, but extended idle warmup results in hot and cold spots on the engine. There's a good chance the upper block isn't warmed up yet. If you were to do the proper warm up, your upper block would warm up at the same pace as the lower block.

2) Manual tranny gear oil is very thick, especially when cold. Romping on the car with cold fluid increases your chances of fubaring syncros.

3) Auto tranny fluid doesn't warm up without driving and romping on the car with cold fluid is super dangerous. Nearly all the internal components of the auto tranny rely on proper warm up. Proper warm up isn't achieved without about 5 minutes of driving. Auto tranny fluid expands ~10% as it warms up. This is critical. Why do you think auto trannies shift so hard when they're cold?

 

But it definetely takes more than a minute or two to have my car warm and cozy in the winter. If I turn off the ignition with the heater "on" at 85degrees the night b4, the next day when I remote start my car, it definitely does not keep my interior warmed up in a minute or two.
btw, I have auto climate and I leave the car the night b4 w/the "AUTO" button on.

 

Ok, so you start the car and let it run in your drive way. The engine will idle at around 1.5 to 2.5k while slowly building up an ambient zone of warmer non-moving air around it, with no wear on the transmission (yet) as it's still parked. Also, since it's parked, there is no fresh supply of cold air blowing over it and under it (over the oil pan) prolonging the time it takes to 'stir the juices' which means the oil is heating up faster, the antifreeze in your coolant isn't having to work so hard, and the interior of your car (including windows) are habitable and safe.

The other guy gets in his car, gives it a minute or two to warm up and proceeds to drive to work in the cold. The entire car at this point acts like a giant radiator - a constant steady stream of cold air passes over and under the engine all the while the fluids are pressed to function in an engine that isn't idling steadily, but going across an RPM band. The engine, oil and transmission pans, with the help of the radiator are designed to help displace heat - already cold air helps when the engine is warm but now you're just trying to get them up to peak operating temps.

Best thing to do, in my opinion, is garage your car. Then let the car warm up as long as it needs to (more if it's colder, less if it's warmer) - but don't just let it idle. Oh and if you are planning on keeping the car for a long long time, don't drive it.

 

It's because, first of all, we are lazy and impatient people. Second, if Nissan put that in their manuals, they would appear to be the only company that made cars that needed to 'warm up' before you drove them. Why then would you buy a Nissan that takes more than 30 seconds to warm up, when you could buy a Ford that was apparently 'designed' for the cold?

Notice they left the amount of time open to disgression - 'Allow the engine to idle for at least 30 seconds after starting' doesn't mean, allow it to idle for 30 seconds and start driving.

 

Allowing the engin to idle for atleast 30 seconds means ANYTIME > 30seconds.
So technically, is 5-10 minutes is okay??

 

Is Fabio on the cover of this piece of fiction?
It also doesn't mean "allow it to idle for 10 minutes while the interior warms up."

You're wasting gas, creating more pollution, wasting gas, putting slightly more wear on your engine, and wasting gas.

 

You're going to believe whoever says what you want to hear so why bother asking? Your car won't blow up if you let it idle for 5 min, but you're wasting gas.

http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...1&postcount=56
http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...42&postcount=6
http://www.cartalk.com/content/colum...03/May/03.html
http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...2&postcount=60

.......pick one.

 

If you're concerned about wasting gas, pollution and the environment; go buy a Prius.

Besides, I'm not talking about 10 minute idles. I disagree with the assertion that the car needs minimal warm up time to ensure engine longentivity and lifespan, or whatever the deal is with that. Point is, your car will fail eventually - it's a complex chunk of aluminum, steal, plastic, glass and pvc. If you want to keep it around for ever, don't drive it.

Now, if you honestly believe driving your car cold (30 seconds idle in sub zero isn't 'warming it up') will help your car outlast mine, or perform better in the looong run - good for you. You'll just be a little colder driving to work in the morning, and a few pennies richer for not idling it a little more; otherwise any other difference is negligible.