How long should you let your car warm up on cold mornings?

Answer 1

Your oil is thicker on cold mornings. And it has to be pumped up out of the bottom of the engine to the top, where gravity helps it coat everything. Which is slower when the oil is thick. So a minute or so should be enough. Unless, as Ralphcoder point out, you're going to be pouring on the rpm's right away.

Answer 2

Studies have shown that 1-2 minutes is all your car needs to warm up on cold days. Many people believe otherwise, but their just wasting gas. Most people believe 10-15 minutes, but that is wrong. The 5-30 oil only needs to circle the engine once. 5-30 oil is made for colder temperatures. However, if you have 10-30 in your car during the winter, then I would give your car longer to warm up- 5-7 mins. because that oil isn't made for cold temperatures. Any car will make noises starting out on a cold day, but that isn't because you didn't warm it up enough. It really depends on your oil type and brand- don't listen to what others may say to contradict this. Do what your heart says, but please don't go over 10 minutes- that's just being wasteful and costing you more money. Hope this helps!?

Answer 3

It depends on how old your engine is. An older one will be more cantankerous. Just let it run until the engine temp gauge has moved away from the C. I live in Alabama the car is usually warm enough by the time that the ice is scraped off of the glass.
If you live where it gets really cold, like say Minnesota etc. you might need to put heavier weight oil in the engine. Somthing like 20w30.
That will help it warm faster and not freeze in the extreme cold.

Answer 4

My car is a 2003 model so it only needs about 5 min or so. But I usually give it 10-15 minutes so the heat is warm by then. THe engine is good to after about 3 minutes, but I dont like to drive to work when I am cold, so I always wait for the heat to get warm.

Answer 5

Late Model cars dont really need a warm up period. Oil will remain in the bearings, etc.,til the car is started in the morning. If a car is "cold soaked"( long period) it shoulbe warmed with an external heat source(warm air from under the Engine) for from Several hours to a few days, depending onhow long and how cold it was
"soaked".Devices to keep the engine oil (dipstick heaters and the like are plug in devices and must be un- plugged before driving.
These are just a few hints on "keeping warm" the other is to check to see that your anti- freeze is at the right mixture. Most newer cars tell you not to change it til 100Kmiles.Never "gun"the enginewhen Its cold...got it? [e-mail]

Answer 6

About 2 or 3 minutes depending on how cold it is. The biggest thing is really just not having to get into a freezing car and drive for a few minutes before you get heat, the engine dosn't really need to be at running temp before you start driving. But letting the transmission heat up a little is always a good idea when it is very cold.

Answer 7

This really depends on what year your car is made. If you own a car that was made in the 80's, you might want to warm it up for about a minute. However, if you own a vehicle in the 90's or later, you should even have to wait. Just don't start out driving too fast. Keep it below the driving limit and you will do the environment a favor my not wasting gas!!

Answer 8

At the most 2 minutes. You should never let your car warm up too much, it's not good for it. I only know this cause my dad bitched at me the other day for letting my car idle for too long while I was letting it warm up. He said I only need to warm it up for about 2 minutes, it's not good to do it for longer. He used to own a repair shop so I have to listen to his advise! lol Also depending on where you live and what car you have. My boyfriend is workin in Wyomming right now and we're from Cali. he bought his car through someone who used to live in Alaska. It has no AC but it has a plug on the front so you can warm up your engine blocks. So if your car has that and you live in a really cold place, you should do that before driving.

Answer 9

I had a 98 and it took at least 15 to 20 min to warm it up. My 2007 warms up in about 5 min. The most important thing is to not run your car totally cold or you could crack your engine block. If you have kids, then of course warm that vehicle up a bit longer.

Answer 10

let it warm up long enough so that you can get in it and be comfortable enough to drive safely both for your passengers and those on the road around you. it takes my car about 15 mins to warm so that the heater is blowing warm air and the windows have defrosted enough to see clearly. another good thing to do is to get into the habbit of walking all the way around your car checking for low tires and any obstructions that may be in the way. i also give the horn a short blow before i start the car because in the cold months stray cats often climb up into the engine compartment to get close to the warm engine. always better safe than sorry and even more so when weather is at it's extremities. drive safe happy new year and good luck

Answer 11

You should let your car warm up for about 10 minutes, but it mostly depends on how cold it is...

35-30 Degrees: 5 Minutes
30-25 Degrees: 10 Minutes
25-20 Degrees: 15 Minutes
Below 20: 20 Minutes

That is not an official chart, but it can get cold, and I think that chart is correct..