Only reason to “warm up” a car is for buttocks,not the engines in modern cars. For $18 you can buy a seat heater that plugs into the cigarette lighter, works fine, and pays for itself in a couple days worth of idling, and doesn’t pollute.
I used to live and work in tropical Asia. The drivers would idle the cars for about 45-60 minutes every morning. It was damned hard to try to convince them that cars that never get cooler than 22 C do not need more than a few seconds before driving off, if that.
What say you, Trusted Mechanic? It makes sense to allow an engine to idle long enough to allow the oil to circulate before adding rpms, but who’s to know with today’s engineering?
However, the point is still a good one. It drives me batty to hear people complaining about the price of gas, when they’re using their air conditioners when it’s 70 degrees out. Another neat trick I’ve seen way too often is to leave passengers in the car while shopping. I can’t tell you the number of suburban assault vehicles I walk by in parking lots in the summer with their engines running and the windows open.
I asked the “how long to warm up the engine” to a friend who was an engineer and a designer of racing engines. His response was, "it only takes a few seconds for oil to get to the heads of the engine. Drive normally until the temperature is in the normal range and that’s it. There doesn’t need to be a significant warm up unless you want the heater to be pumping out hot air…
Well done, Tigger. Gridlock does several things; it adds air pollution, whether some posters believe in that or not. It feeds frustration and anger/road rage. It wastes gasoline. It increases commuting time and therefore reduces time available to get things done.
The best way to reduce all of these (and more) effects of gridlock is to improve our infrastructure, which was what I was led to believe that the Stimulus was supposed to do. If it’s happening, it’s not happening around here.
Regardless, once again, we’re at the point of having finite funds and seemingly infinite wants and needs. Once again, someone needs to create priorities that make sense and move forward to accomplish well-understood goals.
Once again, it ain’t getting done. Blame whoever you want to, because everyone is complicit. Remember, with those fat salaries/benefits/pensions come power and responsibility to use it wisely. Unfortunately, people are taking those benefits and using their time in office to campaign or make speeches.
The Congressman who represents my district has not responded to my question about why, with all the crap flying around, he feels the need to read the Constitution aloud on the House floor. I can read the Constitution myself; I have on many occasions. That’s not what he was elected for. The time for grandstanding is long past. I will again vote against him again in two years; I do my part.
I’m a courier, and so I’m pretty much obligated to leave my vehicle idling when making drops; with as old as my vehicle is (1990), it doesn’t make sense for me to shut the engine off just for a 30+ second delivery.
When your Prius needs a new hybrid battery, spend a few hundred to get a used one from a junker that died for some other reason. They often last for more than ten years.
Dtroutma about 11 years ago
Only reason to “warm up” a car is for buttocks,not the engines in modern cars. For $18 you can buy a seat heater that plugs into the cigarette lighter, works fine, and pays for itself in a couple days worth of idling, and doesn’t pollute.
Ottodesu about 11 years ago
I used to live and work in tropical Asia. The drivers would idle the cars for about 45-60 minutes every morning. It was damned hard to try to convince them that cars that never get cooler than 22 C do not need more than a few seconds before driving off, if that.
rockngolfer about 11 years ago
I run mine until the tach drops to 1,000.
I Play One On TV about 11 years ago
What say you, Trusted Mechanic? It makes sense to allow an engine to idle long enough to allow the oil to circulate before adding rpms, but who’s to know with today’s engineering?
However, the point is still a good one. It drives me batty to hear people complaining about the price of gas, when they’re using their air conditioners when it’s 70 degrees out. Another neat trick I’ve seen way too often is to leave passengers in the car while shopping. I can’t tell you the number of suburban assault vehicles I walk by in parking lots in the summer with their engines running and the windows open.
Mickey 13 about 11 years ago
I asked the “how long to warm up the engine” to a friend who was an engineer and a designer of racing engines. His response was, "it only takes a few seconds for oil to get to the heads of the engine. Drive normally until the temperature is in the normal range and that’s it. There doesn’t need to be a significant warm up unless you want the heater to be pumping out hot air…
I Play One On TV about 11 years ago
Well done, Tigger. Gridlock does several things; it adds air pollution, whether some posters believe in that or not. It feeds frustration and anger/road rage. It wastes gasoline. It increases commuting time and therefore reduces time available to get things done.
The best way to reduce all of these (and more) effects of gridlock is to improve our infrastructure, which was what I was led to believe that the Stimulus was supposed to do. If it’s happening, it’s not happening around here.
Regardless, once again, we’re at the point of having finite funds and seemingly infinite wants and needs. Once again, someone needs to create priorities that make sense and move forward to accomplish well-understood goals.
Once again, it ain’t getting done. Blame whoever you want to, because everyone is complicit. Remember, with those fat salaries/benefits/pensions come power and responsibility to use it wisely. Unfortunately, people are taking those benefits and using their time in office to campaign or make speeches.
The Congressman who represents my district has not responded to my question about why, with all the crap flying around, he feels the need to read the Constitution aloud on the House floor. I can read the Constitution myself; I have on many occasions. That’s not what he was elected for. The time for grandstanding is long past. I will again vote against him again in two years; I do my part.
Ironhold about 11 years ago
I’m a courier, and so I’m pretty much obligated to leave my vehicle idling when making drops; with as old as my vehicle is (1990), it doesn’t make sense for me to shut the engine off just for a 30+ second delivery.
donotemailme about 11 years ago
Not all of us can afford a modern-day car with a modern engine.
Some of us are joblessly enjoying the Obama recovery at home. This is the new American Idle.
Randy B Premium Member about 11 years ago
When your Prius needs a new hybrid battery, spend a few hundred to get a used one from a junker that died for some other reason. They often last for more than ten years.