Ideal time to warm up engine - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

rs97ap · 09-13-2005, 04:40 PM

I was curious - how long should we warm up the engine for before driving a car? How long for summer time? And, how long for Canadian winter time???

***REN69*** · 09-13-2005, 05:03 PM

Summer.. I'd say long enough for the oil to circulate around the motor.. not even a minute I would say, that's how long I usually give my car.

Winter, I like to wait at least 5mins before I go anywhere so my car warms up since I'm on the highway most of the time and its harder for a car to warm up when very cold air is blowing on it.

everyone is different though.

celica2004 · 09-13-2005, 05:44 PM

Typically 1-2 mins till my car engine changes sound.

jhbhatia · 09-13-2005, 05:50 PM

(speaking from when i used to be in Wisconsin).
In the summer, start the car, put my wallet in away, set the radio station and wolla (35 seconds at the most).
In the winter, start the car, scrape the ice, spray the doors with deicer (again), and until the temp bar touches the lowest bar!

89molavi · 09-13-2005, 06:01 PM

I don't think your owner's manual calls for any warming. Just wait until the CEL,oil light, abs, airbag lights are off and then go. The whole drivetrain needs warming in the cold winter mornings and that is done buy taking it easy on the throttle. With gas over $3 don't even waste a drop warming your engine.

redgtxdi · 09-13-2005, 06:24 PM

Just for reference..........I thought that my Camry ran cool, but this '95 Prizm is almost scarin' me.

The thing stays waaaaay cold!! It takes a good 10 minutes to get up to warm and that's here in So Cal summer!!!!!!!

It usually sits below the halfway mark putzin' around town, but if I get on the freeway, it'll even come down a little bit. I'm not really complaining, except for the warm up part.

I don't know if it's my belts or not but I hear a slight "tweety-bird" sound from the motor when it's cold. Then if I listen after it's warmed up, the sound's gone. Only hear it when I open the throttle so I wonder if it's the injectors echoeing back thru the intake???

TOYOTACOROLLA · 09-13-2005, 06:44 PM

yea canadian winter at least 10 minutes or until your rpms drop to about 1000

karugs · 09-13-2005, 06:58 PM

When you start the car usually the RPMs are above 1000rpm. When it dips below that, then you can move on. Just my thoughts.

RedAE102 · 09-13-2005, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redgtxdi

Just for reference..........I thought that my Camry ran cool, but this '95 Prizm is almost scarin' me.

The thing stays waaaaay cold!! It takes a good 10 minutes to get up to warm and that's here in So Cal summer!!!!!!!

It usually sits below the halfway mark putzin' around town, but if I get on the freeway, it'll even come down a little bit. I'm not really complaining, except for the warm up part.

I don't know if it's my belts or not but I hear a slight "tweety-bird" sound from the motor when it's cold. Then if I listen after it's warmed up, the sound's gone. Only hear it when I open the throttle so I wonder if it's the injectors echoeing back thru the intake???

If it comes down (and stays down) when you get on the freeway, then you may be in need of a new thermostat. It is normal for a car that's just reached operating temperature to drop a little bit when revving a bit higher in order to get on the freeway, but it should quickly return to the same hair below halfway mark as the thermostat adjusts to changing cooling needs. Other than that.... once my car's warmed (iron blocks are notorious for taking their sweet time in warming), it holds its needle right at that happy place just below half, whether I'm visiting my uncle in Colorado in the winter and it's 5°F (-15°C) or idling at a traffic light with the outside temperature exceeding 120°F (49°C)... that's what modern cooling systems are supposed to do, as temperature fluctuations mean emissions fluctuations... and we can't have that, can we?

89molavi · 09-13-2005, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redgtxdi

Just for reference..........I thought that my Camry ran cool, but this '95 Prizm is almost scarin' me.

The thing stays waaaaay cold!! It takes a good 10 minutes to get up to warm and that's here in So Cal summer!!!!!!!

It usually sits below the halfway mark putzin' around town, but if I get on the freeway, it'll even come down a little bit. I'm not really complaining, except for the warm up part.

I don't know if it's my belts or not but I hear a slight "tweety-bird" sound from the motor when it's cold. Then if I listen after it's warmed up, the sound's gone. Only hear it when I open the throttle so I wonder if it's the injectors echoeing back thru the intake???

As mentioned you probably have a thermostat that is stuck open. That will reduce your engine life and also your gas mileage due to the engine not running at optimum temp. Cheap and easy to fix too.

20vstarlet · 09-13-2005, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedAE102

If it comes down (and stays down) when you get on the freeway, then you may be in need of a new thermostat. It is normal for a car that's just reached operating temperature to drop a little bit when revving a bit higher in order to get on the freeway, but it should quickly return to the same hair below halfway mark as the thermostat adjusts to changing cooling needs. Other than that.... once my car's warmed (iron blocks are notorious for taking their sweet time in warming), it holds its needle right at that happy place just below half, whether I'm visiting my uncle in Colorado in the winter and it's 5°F (-15°C) or idling at a traffic light with the outside temperature exceeding 120°F (49°C)... that's what modern cooling systems are supposed to do, as temperature fluctuations mean emissions fluctuations... and we can't have that, can we?

My 90 corolla 4afe sedan would not heat up at all either summer or winter even after a thermostat change. In the winter I had to put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator just to get my heater to work! Dunno WTF.

redgtxdi · 09-13-2005, 09:47 PM

Perhaps that's why the overflow container is always low no matter whether the engine is hot or cold????

(When it's cold & I open the radiator cap, the water level's right there by the top but if my radiator was truly stuck open, I can't imagine that'd be the case, would it??)

miss_biss · 09-13-2005, 10:34 PM

Usually I elt my ae92 warm up in the witner for about 10 minutes... when I start driving is the real test though..if my cars quiet It's warmed up..if my speedo starts shrieking and such, I pull over and let it warm up some more.

White89SR5 · 09-14-2005, 12:15 PM

I usually just let mine come up to normal operating temp. before I move as long as I have the time. About 5 minutes in the warmer months and about 7-8 minutes in the colder months.

01loadedLE · 09-14-2005, 03:49 PM

I just start up and wait a few seconds until the rpms fall down then drive away in the summer. in the winter with no garage I ran it for 10 minutes just so the heater would have the interior warm by the time I got ready to leave. now with a garage though I only have to run it 5 minutes to heat up the inside during the winter.