warming up your car is bad???...Huh??

[82 GT]

My step daughter told me today that her Driver's ED book in school says that warming up your car is somehow bad for your car. How is that so? Somebody want to explain that one to me?

What the hell are they teaching these kids anymore?

I asked her the reason why but she didn't remember the technical explaination for it.

[stanger9219]

sounds retarded to me...maybe it was something about over heating the motor in the book. The motor has to warm up, its just what it does.

[Scrapla]

Well you just let the car sit at least a few seconds before taking off just to let the fluids circulate, some of these people at work are nuts, there car will be sitting for like 8 hours and they just get in and take off, its harsh on a engine when you do that.

[red82gt]

They're not talking to us guys with carbs. The thinking is that newer fuel injected motors have computers that richen the A/F to compensate and that by driving right away the car heats up faster to light off the catalytic converters, etc. Not to mention that the average person doesn't lean on their car like we might.

Us carb guys though...we know damn well that fuel doesn't atomize worth a #$@ when cold and we need to warm up our cars to prevent them from stalling, etc. For us it's almost unsafe not to warm the car up- pop in the clutch at the first stop sign of the morning, engine stalls, power brakes and steering no workie, roll into the intersection.

[Scrapla]

Well I have an EFI car and always let it sit at least a few seconds anyways I guess just force of habit but I remember growing up and my mom taking out my dads nova without warming it up stalling at almost every light.

[420nitro]

Originally posted by 82 GT
My step daughter told me today that her Driver's ED book in school says that warming up your car is somehow bad for your car. How is that so? Somebody want to explain that one to me?

What the hell are they teaching these kids anymore?

I asked her the reason why but she didn't remember the technical explaination for it.

Are you sure she didn't mean, that the initial start up is bad because of the oil starvation at the top of the motor for a few seconds? I mean, I also completly understand the letting the car warm up before driving it, but I was also told the start up is the hardest on the engine too.

[Maroon 5.0 LX]

It's harder on a carbed engine to let it run a long time at idle when cold. The choke doesn't know the mixture as does a computer controlled system. Too much fuel can reduce the oil density in the cylinders and thin it out, causing undue wear.

The thinking now, is to start up, idle for a minute or so, then drive slowly for a mile or two until the other systems get moving.

[Coupe50h]

Originally posted by Scrapla
Well you just let the car sit at least a few seconds before taking off just to let the fluids circulate, some of these people at work are nuts, there car will be sitting for like 8 hours and they just get in and take off, its harsh on a engine when you do that.

yep, i seen some college kids do that, before the starter can barely start the car, they already have it in gear burnin off? i was like omg, their parents will just buy them another i guess.

I let my car warm up everyday, sometimes only for a minute or two when im late for work, but still let everything circulate.

but since i have a 180 stat, it stays cold, and pop's when i step on the gas too hard, until it warms up.

[82 GT]

I gonna ask to see her book for myself so I can see for myself what the hell they're trying to say.

[Lethal5Oh]

I remember when i was in drivers ed they told us not to let the car warm up for two reasons. 1 the cat could over heat 2 exhaust fumes in the car. Personally i think its the best thing you can do for a car.

[rwhite65]

I would rather warm it up then not. I think it is harder on it to be cold and drive off, carb or FI.
Ryan

[QuantumMotorsports]

I remember some tree hugger dipshit in a drivers ed video saying that you shouldn't let your car warm up because the extra exhaust that's expelled while you're not driving is bad for the environment. They were saying, just start it and go. We all know this is a bunch of bullshit. All cars, carbed or not, run better while at operating temp. I think the lesson here is that sometimes things that children get told in school are just not true and children need to be taught that they can sometimes be smarter than their teachers. Anyone who has a very basic understanding of cars knows that they need to warm up before driving.

[Fox Body]

LOL

Funny.

I warm up both the EFI and carb car when it's cold and have been sitting overnight, but of course I'll warm the carb'd one up longer.


....sheesh, what a bunch of idiots in this world.

[Fostang]

I do a quick burn out to warm up my car.

[302 LX Eric]

Originally posted by Maroon 5.0 LX
The thinking now, is to start up, idle for a minute or so, then drive slowly for a mile or two until the other systems get moving.

That's almost exactly what it says in the manual to my new F-150.

E

[jonnyk]

Warmup is a critical process to ensuring the metals in your engine are lubricated and heated up enough so that the clearances are where they should be. NEVER RUN AN ENGINE HARD THAT IS COLD. You will break more stuff this way that just about any other. The minute idle, and then very EASY driving is a good idea if you need to get moving right away, until the temp comes up to operating range.