You mean one of those that open and close at the temperature it is supposed to. Yep.
I guess when I say fully warmed up, I mean the heater is working and the choke (on those vehicles that have a choke) is off.
I guess when I say fully warmed up, I mean the heater is working and the choke (on those vehicles that have a choke) is off.
I let mine run a few minutes when its real cold.
I have used a piece of cardboard to cover 1/3 of the radiator to get it up to temp faster. Have to watch the temp gauge when you start out to ensure you dont overheat it by covering too much of the radiator.
I have used a piece of cardboard to cover 1/3 of the radiator to get it up to temp faster. Have to watch the temp gauge when you start out to ensure you dont overheat it by covering too much of the radiator.
I had to break out the broom to sweep the sand off the windshield.
In garage
1. Start up
2. Open garage door
3. Wait 2 minutes and go.
Outside
1. Start up
2. Clean windows
3. Go
Evening before
Cover windshield with newspaper. Lightly dampen paper to hold on windshield.
When you get window clean, inside is toasty and ready to go.
First of Dec, change oil, put in 0W5 or 0W10 synthetic oil and cold doesn't matter.
1. Start up
2. Open garage door
3. Wait 2 minutes and go.
Outside
1. Start up
2. Clean windows
3. Go
Evening before
Cover windshield with newspaper. Lightly dampen paper to hold on windshield.
When you get window clean, inside is toasty and ready to go.
First of Dec, change oil, put in 0W5 or 0W10 synthetic oil and cold doesn't matter.
I've had 20 year old vehicles, lived in much colder climates. Cold starts are also a big concern if you want to keep a vehicle a long time. Not trying to negate any of the advice here.
Heat is generated not from combustion (unless you have a Stanley Steamer or the rare Chevy Nova with an External combustion engine) it's generated by friction, the enemy of all engines.
If you have an older gasoline vehicle that is EFI (electronic fuel injection) they will start at "high cam" and operate at a higher RPM for 30 or so seconds (about 1200 RPM) then slow down to 600 RPM. Let the engine run the routine, if it goes longer tap the accelerator and the engine will idle slower. You should be good to go, just drive sanely and keep the revs down like others have stated.
Carbureted Engines are a different animal. May want to let it warm up for a few minutes for proper cold throttle response without stalling.
Oil and your engine can heat up while driving, you will have wear regardless of the car idling or driving. If your really finicky, let it idle for 5 or 10 minutes. If you have an automatic transmission driving helps to heat that up to. Avoid short trips, let everything get to operating temperature (typically when I have watched transmission temp and oil temp about 15 minutes.)
Change your oil often, moisture, idling, cold and hot do make your oil break down faster. Make sure you have the proper antifreeze for the time of year, as well as the proper thermostat. For oil changes if the Manufacturer recommends 10,000 miles, I change the oil when it's dark or at 5,000 miles. Have an older car with a shorter interval? every 2,000 to 3,000 miles. If the manufacturer recommends a lighter oil for winter use, do it, otherwise just use what is recommended in the owners manual. Check the oil level often as well. I try to do it once every two weeks if I am driving often. 20 y/o vehicles tend to leak and burn oil. Newer turbo motors tend to burn oil, even Toyota's.
Hate the cold? Let your car idle (low cam) and let it warm up to blow hot air out the vents. Just remember, running time is one factor in how many miles your car will last.
I hope to keep my current vehicles a long time, or get a lot of miles out of them. Many have good ideas here. The goal is not to abuse the car or truck. Be gentle when starting, occasionally run it high speed.
Worst cold weather experience I had was with a 1970 Delta 88 two door, turbo 400 transmission, Olds Rocket 350 with 110,000 miles. After sitting outside in single digit temperatures all day the timing chain slipped and bent every valve in the engine.
I've had many cars. The ones I have driven sanely and taken care of lasted many miles.
Heat is generated not from combustion (unless you have a Stanley Steamer or the rare Chevy Nova with an External combustion engine) it's generated by friction, the enemy of all engines.
If you have an older gasoline vehicle that is EFI (electronic fuel injection) they will start at "high cam" and operate at a higher RPM for 30 or so seconds (about 1200 RPM) then slow down to 600 RPM. Let the engine run the routine, if it goes longer tap the accelerator and the engine will idle slower. You should be good to go, just drive sanely and keep the revs down like others have stated.
Carbureted Engines are a different animal. May want to let it warm up for a few minutes for proper cold throttle response without stalling.
Oil and your engine can heat up while driving, you will have wear regardless of the car idling or driving. If your really finicky, let it idle for 5 or 10 minutes. If you have an automatic transmission driving helps to heat that up to. Avoid short trips, let everything get to operating temperature (typically when I have watched transmission temp and oil temp about 15 minutes.)
Change your oil often, moisture, idling, cold and hot do make your oil break down faster. Make sure you have the proper antifreeze for the time of year, as well as the proper thermostat. For oil changes if the Manufacturer recommends 10,000 miles, I change the oil when it's dark or at 5,000 miles. Have an older car with a shorter interval? every 2,000 to 3,000 miles. If the manufacturer recommends a lighter oil for winter use, do it, otherwise just use what is recommended in the owners manual. Check the oil level often as well. I try to do it once every two weeks if I am driving often. 20 y/o vehicles tend to leak and burn oil. Newer turbo motors tend to burn oil, even Toyota's.
Hate the cold? Let your car idle (low cam) and let it warm up to blow hot air out the vents. Just remember, running time is one factor in how many miles your car will last.
I hope to keep my current vehicles a long time, or get a lot of miles out of them. Many have good ideas here. The goal is not to abuse the car or truck. Be gentle when starting, occasionally run it high speed.
Worst cold weather experience I had was with a 1970 Delta 88 two door, turbo 400 transmission, Olds Rocket 350 with 110,000 miles. After sitting outside in single digit temperatures all day the timing chain slipped and bent every valve in the engine.
I've had many cars. The ones I have driven sanely and taken care of lasted many miles.
Start and let it run. Y’all like freezing behind the wheel, apparently
I park in one of those junk rooms often called a garage. It rarely gets below 60.
I have a 2024 Corolla hybrid and I went out to start it after not driving it for two weeks and it was a no go. Dash lights flickered and looked odd. I put the battery charger on it for 30 minutes and it started right up. I'm taking it to the dealer, under 3,000 miles and something is definitely wrong here. Battery, alternator or...
On my diesel I plugged in the block heater the night before. On my gas engines Iet them run about a minute and then don't do any high revs until the vehicle warms up.
