I have always let me vehicle warm up to operating temperature and have never once had a problem. Working in Prudhoe Bay Alaska where the winters are averaging months of below freezing temperatures (currently -40 ambient right now) we leave the vehicles running 24/7. I see some valid points made in the Yahoo article but I would rather walk out to a warm truck than a cold one and hope it warms up quickly on the drive to my destination. Jumping in a cold truck and taking off is also a safety hazard. Trying to operate a vehicle while you are shivering and holding on to a cold steering wheel is damn near impossible.

Another thought is if it was bad for vehicles why do so many vehicles come equipped from the factory with a remote start?

 

I have to agree with many of your points OKSierra11
I've also try to allow my truck to warm up before I drive away. Although in our northern Ont winters here my truck can't reach it's normal operating temperature by just idling. But it does get warm enough to defrost the windshield. My factory remote start will only allow my truck to idle for 10 minutes which is more then enough time to pre warm my motor oil and the tranni enough to start my trip safely without doing any damage to unlubricated parts do to thick cold oil.

I though you guys might be interested in this article. A good debate topic

 

Yea mine will never reach the main operating temp just idling but I at least let it get the ice off the windshield. I am usually parked in the garage so not to much of an issue but I know when out in town or at a friends house I truly enjoy the remote start and climbing into a nice warm truck with the heated seats on.

 

I think a little warm up time is good, but I would not go to full operating temperature. in fact, here in MN, it takes me about 5-8 miles of highway drving before i get to full temp on some days.
Most importantly is when you do start driving, to go slow and steady. Even if your operating a full engine temp, the block is not fully and uniformly heated. Also, your transmission, axles, differential, bearings, and everything else are still ice cold. I idle for a minute or two, and then drive really gently for a couple miles.

 

I normally run mine for about a min or so..just enough to let it idle down..if i dont have time to do that..i just take it very slow and accelerate to speed slowly...Doesn't hurt to be cautious

 

You should drive your cold truck like you have a full glass of water standing on the dash. (drive it gently)
I feel that there is a lot of holes in what this Jeff fella from Yahoo has to say in this opening post.

No matter what you do on a cold start, there is always going to be wasted fuel in a cold start. Whether it happens in the driveway or while your going down the street in a frosted up truck. I think it would be a lot more vehicle friendly to let your windows clear.
In doing that, this will insure you are now getting good lubricant circulation to begin driving. (still drive it gently) to minimize ware.

 

IMHO, another good reason to use oil and other fluids that flow well in cold weather.
I like the idea of the glass on the dash!

 

I think the author of the article should become refamilure with basic engine mechanics. Clear windshields and warm cabs are all good things, however, even with propper fluid viscosities for the climate, cold oil is still tough on engines. Cold oil = thicker oil = higher pressure and possibly lack of oil where tolerances are tight (more present in tighter engines). Oil takes the path of least resistance.Putting a load on the engine 1 minute after starting puts a strain on the components that are seperated by oil damaging internal components such as crank bearings.

Secondly, any basic mechanic knows that the fuel managment systems since the late 90's, control the fuel/air mixture decreasing the chances of the failures mentioned in the article. When these problems he has mentioned start to arise, then you know there is a problem with the system, not idle running.

Personaly I think the article is poorly researched and gives bad info.

My cab may not be warm when I get going, but the engine has ran for at least 5-10 minutes to get the fluids warmed up in the tranny and engine.

 

Well put Jon Well written I wish I could have put it that way. Then I would reply to this Yahoo

I think if it was as this guy says and that the catalytic converter would fail as he said Wouldn't it have given a CHECK ENGINE light?

 

I figured I would give some advice from what i"ve learned by trial and error.

1. count how long it take's to walk out to you're truck. (walk out side, start counting 1.2.3. lock house, till you get to truck (I use this for the remote start) It takes me about 15 seconds so the truck would be running for 15 seconds.
2. add time around 10 sec. per 10 degrees, 30 deg. 30 sec after remote start. (15+30=45) add more time in colder weather. For those in the - temps I would do 2 min.
3. If you live in a cold climate and have a block heater USE IT. IT IS THERE FOR A REASON
4. YES, warming you you're vehicle (GAS and Diesel All Makes and Models) DOSE INCREASE FUEL ECONOMY. A fuel Injection system will shoot more fuel into a cold engine to warm it up faster so it will use more fuel when cold. So let it idle for at least 30 sec. when it's below 50 oF.
It WILL Increase the miles per tank full
5. I would also add some time when you're oil is nearing a change.

I know this is from the F-Word repair guy but this is a great fuel economy video.

 

you need to at least get the trans. up to near op. temps and then drive it easy .

 

forget all the counting, get in, turn the key, start it and go. You ain't gonna save any noticeable amount of gas by sitting there idling, let it warm up as it runs down the road where you are actually getting miles out of the gas instead of sitting in your driveway.

 

Counting down to the second? Trying to science it out that much might translate into the need to be driving a Prius.

 

If I use the remote start, its becuase I don't want to sit in a freezing cold truck. Other than that, get in turn key, get things situated, and pull off..maybe a minute. If its really cold I just take off easy..

 

Brian your in Georgia?
I start the truck when I get in it, I put one heater in the console and carry the other in my pocket. I fasten my seat belt, look at the gauges and put it in gear and go, if it is zero or below I might give it a extra 15 seconds to idle before taking off. Drive it like you have a egg between your foot and gas pedal for the first couple of miles until the temp gauge starts to move upwards and your fine. No need to let it idle for 10 minutes unless your afraid of being cold for a few minutes while the truck warms up. But then again I don't put a jacket on until it gets down to 20 degrees outside. I do carry one on the backseat just in case I am going to be outside for awhile.

 

For me remote start has always been about not getting into a cold truck and trying to drive with frost/fog on the windows or while shivering cold. Like someone mentioned above, it can't be very safe to be driving while shivering, you're reaction time will be adversely affected and you may also be distracted by it..

I don't know about the fuel economy of a vehicle moving with cold fluids, but I would assume when they are very cold they do no circulate as well as intended at normal operating temperature. And the additional stress of being under load can't be good for the moving parts of the engine and transmission if lubricant performance is affected.

 

Funny thing is my 05 Sierra that sits at 170000 miles has around 5300 hours on the engine..... because I idle that truck a lot. Now I suppose my difference was the truck would be warmed up as I would drive it but then over the course of cold days I just never shut it off..... like the guy from Alaska when its below -25 C I don't shut my trucks down if they are outside.... and it routinely hits -40C where I am so it's not uncommon. For one I like a warm cab to return too especially if I have a job outdoors but I also work remote and like to know it's running and ready to leave. That particular 05 used to cool off at idle which annoyed me but being a 1500HD it had that big stupid clutch fan on it. When it's cold that thing whirls and roars under the hood and cools the truck at idle. I threw it away and installed the oem e fans like the half tons have and never had that issue again.... stays at full operating temp at idle even at -40C.

Swapped my factory plugs from that trucks LQ4 at 120000 miles and they were still fine.... could have just regapped and reinstalled.

A cold engine can be driven and will warm up faster but remember some simple things. Your pistons will expand a whole lot faster than the cylinder they are in.... pushing it hard before warmup from sub zero temps can lead to scuffing..... my buddy runs an engine shop and sees it a lot on front wheel drive cars with V6's. The rear 3 cylinders will be mint but the front 3 facing the rad core support have scuffing damage.... that constant blast of cold air at low temps doesn't do you any favors.

Idling excessively in an attempt to warm up which it never will as mentioned is not the best.... but idling in cold beyond environmental implications isn't actually hard on the engine to the point it will ever fail.....

 

Do any of the guys who shiver do any outdoor sports in the winter like ice fishing or snowmobiling or do you just wait it out huddled under your blankie inside?

 

Do any of the guys who shiver do any outdoor sports in the winter like ice fishing or snowmobiling or do you just wait it out huddled under your blankie inside?

I don't dress the same way I dress to ice fish or snow mobile ride as I dress to go to work or the grocery store.

 

I start my truck when it is cold, let it run until the Idle levels out. If it's going to use more fuel when cold, I at least want that fuel being used to move the truck to it's intended destination. It will take twice as long to warm up idling as it will moving. I don't jump in it and fire it up, mash the throttle to the floor and be on my way, I back out of the drive way and slowly move along until everything is moving and loosening up, then I carry on my way.

Being in Canada, when the Temp hit's the -25 to - 30C range, it's plugged in. I start it and let it run until the trans temp comes up a bit. Just use due care, the colder it is, the more fragile components get. Give them a bit of time for the oil to move around and everything to loosen up before driving away.

Car's and Trucks are Very Complex and have a lot of moving parts, Tolerances are getting tighter and tighter. Most people are just to Lazy to get off their @ss and clean the windows off etc, So let them waste the fuel letting the windows defrost instead of braving the Chill for 5 minutes and scraping the windows and clearing the snow off.

Too many people have to let their vehicles warm up to Sauna heat before they will even get in. It's a waste of fuel, and wear on the engine. Man up, Take the cold, drive it nicely for the first couple of miles until everything loosens up, then carry on your way.

Also people don't understand that cranking the Defrost all the way up in a cold vehicle makes the Windows fog up. Leave it on low until the Temp Gauge starts to climb. That's why your Auto Climate control shuts off the Fan until the temperature starts to climb. Cranking the Fan on Defrost with a cold engine just blows around the moisture in the air making the windows fog up. Leave the fan on low until the temperature starts to come up.

 

I always allow my vehicles time to warm up in the winter, sorry but I am not all that worried about the environment being harmed because I need to let my vehicle idle and come up to temperature. Since it seems like the OP is buying into this "green movement" save the environment hype, maybe the OP should not own a truck and purchase an electric powered vehicle?

It's not good to get into a freezing cold vehicle with freezing cold fluids and just start driving. I like to allow the oil & transmission fluid to come up to operating temperature before driving anywhere. If somebody wants to get into their cold vehicle and start it and start driving that's fine but I just don't do that, never did. There is nothing wrong with letting your vehicle war up before beginning to drive.

 

I work on a lot of Heavy Equipment and have personally seen U-Joints Snap, Pump shaft's and PTO shafts snap off, or Crack. Seal's have had Pieces ripped off from being frozen to shafts, etc.
Simply from not allowing enough warm-up time before operating.

Usually from Green Operator's that have no Mechanical Aptitude what so ever.

It's a Machine. Let it warm up before you put it to work. The Machine and The Owner/Operator will be that much Happier for it.

The Bigger the Machine, The longer you have to let it warm up.

 

You can let the engine run all day and night long sitting in the driveway and the ring and pinion and driveshaft will be just as cold as the ground the truck is sitting on. Start it up let it idle for a minute or two and gently go about getting where your going. If you know your truck you will be able to feel it warm up though movement and feel when it is ready to stretch its legs.

 

Do any of the guys who shiver do any outdoor sports in the winter like ice fishing or snowmobiling or do you just wait it out huddled under your blankie inside?

 

For 3-5 minutes: Yes
For 20-30 minutes: No