Warm up the car engine before driving? Really? Why

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armin59, Jan 7, 4:31am
My husband is always bitching at me that I just start the car up amd drive straight off. He says I need to let it sit there doing nothing for thirty seconds and this will save engine wear. Is this a load of bollocks or is he in fact correct. I find having to sit and wait for a car to do it's thing incredibly boring. Is my car going to blow up or die an incredibly painful death if i continue my wicked ways or is Mr Fusspot correct, if so explain please.
jmma, Jan 7, 4:34am
Old wives tale, 40 odd years ago maybe (o:

Reality: That might have been good advice for yesteryear's cars but is less so today. Modern engines warm up more quickly when they're driven. And the sooner they warm up, the sooner they reach maximum efficiency and deliver the best fuel economy and performance. But don't rev the engine high over the first few miles while it's warming up.
a.woodrow, Jan 7, 4:35am
What kind of vehicle! It is recommended because it gives the oil pressure a chance to come up and circulate the engine. In the past you really needed to, nowadays many cars just need a few seconds till the oil pressure comes up, on a diesel or larger engine I would be inclined to wait.
whqqsh, Jan 7, 4:42am
oil pressure is only part of it, clearances are correct when motor is at operating temp. I tend to start the car then do seat belt etc so only a minute or less of 'warmup' but drive conservatively until temp gauge gets out of cold range
hyphen, Jan 7, 4:43am
sounds like your hubby is trying to teach you patience (is a virtue).
franc123, Jan 7, 4:44am
With modern engines using very low viscosity oils and crank driven oil pumps, oil pressure/flow lag at startup is pretty minimal, what you want to be doing is firing it up and driving off straightaway, once it fires you need to be getting it up to temperature ASAP without putting it under too much load.
morrisman1, Jan 7, 4:44am
Just start it and drive, there is no difference between that and idling it for another 30 seconds. Just don't race the engine.

I guess in the days of primitive oil systems and primitive oils it would be necessary but not today.
kimbo88, Jan 7, 4:48am
As above, good fine balance is the way to go.Most modern engines do not like to just sit there idling for 10 mins or so as some people are inclined to do in the wintertime so that they will have a warm car.But conversely, do not drive off straight away and be hard on a dead cold engine if possible.I find that if I hop in and start the car, then put my seatbelt on, then attend to anything else that I may wish to to (eg, radio etc) and then drive off gently at first, without using hard acceleration, that works pretty well.Smooth driving is the key, and by not acclerating hard or using higher power settings until there is normal operating temperature showing on the temp guage, you are looking after your engine fairly well.
mrfxit, Jan 7, 4:58am
Yep thats the trick & with variations, has ALWAYS been the way (modern or old)

The ppl I worry about are the likes of owners with manual gearbox's who start it up IN GEAR & at the 1st sign of the engine firing .OFF they go
kazbanz, Jan 7, 6:09am
Do you love your Husband! Do you want harmony in the home!
If soright or wrong why not do what he says! We are talking 30 seconds of your life.
As others have said if you just change your sequence you will have used up most of the 30 seconds getting in and getting belt on etc.
Incidently I agree with your husband. Give the car a few seconds to get oil to where it needs to.
duke250, Jan 7, 6:12am
In my BMW manual it actually states not to idle the car to warm it up, but to drive moderately till it reaches operational temp. Hope that helps.
armin59, Jan 7, 6:13am
She is a Toyota Caldina and Mr is only talking about 30 seconds. I do not have the patience for that as I'm hyper. I don't have a lead boot, more of an over cautious Nana according to my kids. But hey, I've been t-boned of my motorbike so I do try and anticipate idiot drivers.
gammelvind, Jan 7, 6:28am
Open door, reach in, start car, then get in, check mirror, belt on, in gear then go. That should take 30 secs, only potential problem is if it's a manual and you have a habit of leaving it in gear, but you wouldn't do that would you lol.
hpaul, Jan 7, 6:40am
Leave at idle for a few seconds to let oil go round, drive gently until oil warms (10kms or 10 minutes), don't be fooled by the temp gauge, that's for water, oil and engine internals take much longer.
gypsyguy, Jan 7, 6:54am
1. Start car
2. Put seatbelt on, and do other pre-driving stuff like mirror and radio.
3. Drive, but moderately to start with, IE don't thrash a cold engine.

Simple!
zak1998, Jan 7, 6:58am
It's stoping when you have a turbo that matters minute or so to cool it down
40wav, Jan 7, 7:19am
Where do you think the water gets its heat from!
gammelvind, Jan 7, 7:23am
Shoosh, stop being so logical lol.
mantagsi, Jan 7, 7:29am
Having owned so many old shitters (still got a couple) I warm up the car as a habit, which I have great difficulty breaking! Granted, in my toyota wagon with its whizzbang (not so) modern technology, usually a minute then soft driving for the first few k's is my typical morning routine. So far so good!
nave12, Jan 7, 7:45am
I have always let my cars have 20-30 seconds to splirt some oil around the engine in the morning(imagine as you first open your eyes in the morning you instantly roll off your bed and start running around like a headless chook Lol) and have never had any engine troubles,and thats taken my last car past 500,000 ks,its just what i have always done,am i right or am i wrong,who cares its just what i do.
armin59, Jan 7, 8:51am
Kazbanz, that's weird. I am joking plus wanting a mechanical answer.
tigra, Jan 7, 9:55am
Yes I bet since seatbelts became compulsory its cost engine reconditionersquite a bit of work.
kcc55a, Jan 7, 9:58am
Its the young hoons in my neighbourhood that amuse me. Start the car, 5000rpm and off as fast as they can go. Seatbelt! maybe a few km down the road.
franc123, Jan 7, 10:47am
We in the motor repair trade get amused by them too, I recall one of your typical early 20 something know it alls driving a vehicle he shouldn't be, namely a B4 Legacy TT, bring it to me concerned about a noise from the engine and that the tappets need doing, what will it cost blah blah. When he came back and we told him that there was no visible oil on the dipstick and that the noise was a more sinister knock indicating maybe rod bearing or gudgeon failure and was going to be a couple of k to sort, what happens! Gets into it and gives it a quick trip to the redline in every gear down the road until we couldn't hear the thing any more on a stone cold motor.
kazbanz, Jan 7, 11:07am
In simple terms--Your husband is right. Give the car just a few seconds to get oil pumping where it should