How long should i let my car warm up 10 degree weather?

Question

Hi i have a 98 Honda accord and i was wondering how long should i let it warm up in the morning before pulling off......I stay in Anchorage and the lowest temp that i have seen here is about -20. But i was wondering for on an average day like 10 degrees how long should i let it warm up in the morning

Answer 1

It's normally best, even in warm weather, to let the car warm up until the temperature indicator begins to move if the vehicle has been parked overnight or for several hours. This allows the fluids to circulate and allows temperature sensitive components (like the emissions system) to near operating temperature. Any longer wastes fuel, any less can cause excessive wear and tear to internal components.

Answer 2

I normally let the engine warm up for only a minute while I adjust the seat belt and adjust the radio and check the mirrors. Then I take off.

If you want a little more creature comfort, then you can have a remote starter installed in the car and let it warm up for about 5 minutes before you get in the car so that the car is a little warmer and the defrosters have had a chance to work before you start driving.

That would be for your convenience alone, the engine would be fine as long as the oil has had a chance to circulate. I would also suggest that you take it easy for the first few miles to give the rest of the suspension and drive line parts a chance to warm up also.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Only a minute or so to get the oil circulating. This is why you use multi viscosity oil in your car, so it can be driven when cold.

Long warm-ups waste fuel. When your car is idling in your driveway, you are getting zero miles per gallon. It doesn't get any worse than that. Your engine will warm up faster when driven. Your engine is also less efficient before it reaches the normal operating temperature so the faster you can warm it up, the better.

Also, to get it to warm up faster, don't run the heater fan until the engine is nearly warmed up. The outside air passing through the heater coil will actually cool the engine, making it take longer to warm up.

I live in Upper Michigan. Believe it or not, I've seen it colder here in the winter than in Alaska.

Answer 4

Hey - I too live in the frozen tundra! It gets down to as low as -40 degrees here in the mountains of Colorado and what I do is turn my car on and let it warm up while I scrape the ice off of my windows. Tyically I also turn on my defroster at full blast to help and when it starts to blow 'warmer' air, that's when I drive. A trick we all use out here to is to put a blancket over the hood of the car overnight because when it gets really cold in January, some cars won't even start!

Answer 5

You don't need to give it much warm-up time. Just drive gently until it reaches normal temperature.

Putting the heater on max increases the time it takes for the car to warm up, since you're stealing the heat from the coolant. A low fan setting gives the engine a chance to get up to operating temperature faster.

Answer 6

i do no longer. Icontinual off actually immediately away once I scraped the homestead windows. because of the fact i've got not got time to attend and it warms the vehicle up swifter while the vehicle does paintings. Edit: The engine importantly desires the oil to lubricate it relatively is aspects no rely whether that's idling chilly or working warm. If the oil replaced into no longer doing it relatively is job exact while that's chilly then your engine might give up up till now it even have been given time to heat. ideally you will possibly put in diverse viscosity (how runny that's) engine oil in the vehicle in the iciness to that in the process the summertime. 10W30 motor oil is thinner so extra effective for chilly iciness and 20W50 is thicker for heat summer season. via idling the vehicle all you're doing is getting the warmers to paintings to defrost the homestead windows and make it slightly extra gentle for your self. definite the engine willcontinual away extra effective heat yet driving the engine from chilly makes it warmer swifter hence attending to optimal working temperature swifter that's extra effective for the engine and it will improve gasoline performance. ultimately, your motor vehicle is over 10 years old so it relatively is had some positioned on already, the probability is that on a motor vehicle that age the engine aspects are in all probability dolloped with thick old oil sludge on them from via the years and it is not as tight and precise as a extra cutting-edge motor vehicle engine which oil lubrication is extra severe.

Answer 7

I would let my car warm up a good 10 minutes in that weather.

Answer 8

Unless you are going to be hopping right onto the freeway, there isn't really any reason to wait for it to warm up at all. Just drive gently for the first few minutes.

Answer 9

5 or 10 seconds, as long as the windshield is clear.