2005 Toyota Corolla...warm up time?

Question

Is it necessary or helpful to warm up your car before driving? I usually wait until the car drops to 1000 rpms before I drive. Am I wasting my time?

Answer 1

Picture this... your a car engine. You have been sitting all night all the oil in you has ran back into the pan. You're cold and then you get started and before you can warm up and circulate warm oil everywhere down the road you are going under load. Just a tad stressful. While it is true that there is a optimal Operating tempurature letting the engine idle until you reach that is probably wasteful and you are adding to the greenhouse gases. So start up let the fluids flow and warm up a bit. Let the RPM's drop off the high (cold) idle so you don't just slam the tranny because as you have surmised that is no good. So all in all I think you are doing the right thing.
Click and Clack the Car Guys on the radio had a discussion about this very same thing. It got rather heated with two definite camps. The turn the key and go people and the wait until it kicks off high idle people. Both were very stubborn in their positions.
I am a " get in start the car , close the door, put on the seat belt, find the song I want on the iPod, put it in gear and go guy. By the time I have done that the lube is where it needs to be and I am not a speed racer at all so I am not hard on the engine from the outset.

Answer 2

Once you start your car, give it about a minute just to get the oil circulating through the engine. Then drive a little easy for the first 3-4 miles. By that time, the engine and transmission will have warmed up and then you can drive normal. At least, that is what the experts are recommending now.
good luck.

Answer 3

Actually, leading car experts proved that it is harmful to let your car warm up (only in certain conditions). Most newer cars with an on-board diagnostics system (computer), which is in all cars manufactured after 1996, should not be warmed up. Instead you should drive your car slowly and with even pressure on the accelerator. Now if your car predates cavemen or is filled with uncertified or wrong fluids (engine oil, transmission fluid, etc.) yes you should let it warm up. Remember that the most harmful thing that we put our cars through is short drives. A single drive should exceed at least 10-15 minutes. A car uses much more fuel and breaks much more easily if your trips last 5 minutes.

Answer 4

Well, a minute is OK, especially if it is a daily driver. Then drive off casually for another minute or two(not pedal to the metal, tires screeching as you haul off).
Driving off will warm the engine just as well as sitting there.(besides at that point you may be at your destination - I don't know how far you got to go)
The old V8 engines required you to sit there longer as the oil pumps were not as efficient and there was alot more area of motor parts to cover. Oil is the buffer between metal hitting on metal.

Answer 5

It's a waste of time and fuel to warm up your car before driving it, not to mention being hard on the engine.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

it doesn't hurt to let it run for a minute or 2.. plus, its easier on the transmission when you shift it into gear, if the rpm's are lower..

Answer 8

NO YOU ARE NOT WASTING YOUR TIME, IT WILL HELP IF THE ENGINE AND TRANS FLUID ARE SOMEWHAT WARMED UP BEFORE YOU JUST START AND RUN.