Warm up on idle or Start and Go (1 Viewer)

[Jim]

I have just seen this mentioned on another thread. I have seen conflicting advice. What is the consensus? In the cold should we let the engine idle till it warms up before we pull away. Or should we just start up and go. Also what about the few of us that have petrol engines motorhomes, is the advice the same?

 

[laneside]

laneside

I just bet that you do not get a definitive yes or no answer to this one Jim.

Cheers Alan

 

[Larrynwin]

Oil pressure will be up to normal quite quickly and as such all bearings etc should be protected. Just dont rev the guts out
I normally start and then drive after about 1min . Petrol

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[DESCO]

Always on modern engines start and drive don't bother with warming up.

Have always done this on petrol and diesel.



Dave :thumb:

 

[robnchris]

take it easy

Thinking about it you have two different engines, petrol and diesel, i`m thinking from cold the petrol should be warmed up first, reason, you are pumping a richer mix of petrol in the cylinder head, engine is cold, not a lot of oil around the piston / rings etc.
petrol washes away the oil so lubrication lessened.

Diesel engine, well the fuel you`re pumping in is oil so lubrication from the start, hence diesels doing greater mileage, my only thoughts outside of the engine care would be all the components warming up thus lessening the thermal shock on the system.

You wouldn`t leave the house on foot and break into a full speed sprint without warming up first would you.

Mind you I wouldn`t get up to full speed if you threw me off a clliff..

 

[ingram]

Start and go definitely. One thing that really annoys me; it's mostly 'tuggers' but motorhomers too, is, while sitting outside eating my breakfast on a nice sunny morning they start their engine then leave it running for five or ten minutes while hooking up the caravan or just furtleing about ............ and then there are those who leave the engine running while 'checking in' to the campsite .........

Harvey

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[Dodgey]

Personnally, never start and drive. If a manual trans not so much but I prefer to let the engine settle, just a short 30 secs ish depending on time of year. Often the gearbox can be a little stiff, oil cold and thick so gentle is the watchword in my book and as said above, go easy on the revs.

Now auto trans, these really do need a minute or two depending on temperature. Example, cold day, start our Grand Cherokee and engage drive, nothing, no movment! Even given a minute or two reverse generates a nasty noise (from the torque convertor) when cold, so common sence in my book don't rush until she's warmed up. Even with a few minutes alot of autos are a bit strange with their shift patterns until warm and at the end of the day, in my book at least, rushing these things could cause damage, and expensive damage at that. Just remembered, the no drive when cold, I had a Laguna that was the same, though it was a company car:Blush:

And another thing, I have read a few handbooks were it specifically states for autos to let them warm up a bit, one, which I can't remember what car it was for, that specifically stated 2 minutes.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerened, I like to go gently when cold as it's my pocket the repairs come out of IF I did damage just because of rushing....

 

[hilldweller]

I just bet that you do not get a definitive yes or no answer to this one Jim.
Cheers Alan

On a forum you would not get a definite yes or no to "Is this Wednesday".

 

[Jim]

On a forum you would not get a definite yes or no to "Is this Wednesday".

Yes, my mistake, I suppose the words consensus and forum don't sit happily together

That's why forums can be so interesting

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[Jim]

On a forum you would not get a definite yes or no to "Is this Wednesday".

Its not Wednesday everywhere is it?

 

[laneside]

laneside

Quite definitely its Wednesday Brian, surely that will get a definitive answer.

Cheers Alan

 

[JeanLuc]

I thought the advice, for modern diesels, was not to let them idle for long as it can lead to the risk of cylinder glazing. I try to 'start and go' - perhaps allowing 30-60 seconds for oil circulation.

Philip

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[Jim]

Quite definitely its Wednesday Brian, surely that will get a definitive answer.

Cheers Alan

Its Tuesday in the Cook Islands http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=279

 

[Larrynwin]

Guvnor is now the Speaking Clock

 

[froghopper]

is it wednesday

morning brian,, well it is in sunny winchester, not so sure wed has reached you yet,,, well it is a long way,,, but please, when it gets there, realy enjoy it,, :thumb:

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[IrasciBill]

My Twopenceworth

Hi Guys,
It's definitely Wednesday up here North of the border.
Re the original question, I was always told that a diesel would not warm up significantly when idling because of two factors
1. - Diesels don't generate a great deal of heat when they are not working hard.
2. - Diesel engines have a higher thermal mass than comparable petrol engines.

Personal opinion is that all engines should be given a minute or so to settle down before setting off and will only run efficiently when up to normal operating temperature. Difference is that a petrol engine can achieve normal operating temperature while idling for 5 mins or so but a diesel can run for over an hour without moving the temp gauge needle much at all. Certainly our MH (diesel) needs to be driven a couple of miles before the temp rises significantly.

Of equal or even greater importance, if you have a turbo, is to let the engine idle for a few minutes before switching off to let the turbo cool off a bit; but then that's a different topic.

So there we go - my first post on this site - and I can say without fear of contradiction that it is definitely Wednesday here (I think) and as for warming up - "Don't really know for certain"!

Regards all,
Bill

 

[Spacerunner]

I would have thought by the time you have faffed about getting off the pitch/drive then the 'shotgun/navigator has fought the seatbelt and settled that would be quite enough for the engine to warm up on.

As long as you don't go straight up to 70mph then just letting the engine idle at a standstill is IMO a complete waste of time and fuel.

 

[MAUBRI]

Well its still Tuesday in Alaska.

getting back to topic, Slightly different I've got LPG / Petrol. I start up and idle until the LPG kicks in which takes between 5-10 mins dependant on the weather. But I concur with the previous.

Petrol a short idle then go. Diesil go at start up, which is good as its the worst pollutant.

Brian

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[JJ]

OH MY LORD! It is wednesday... I have to go to work...

JJ

 

[ehuplad]

The worst thing you can do to a engine is let it idle to much. Start up and go but not to many revs until it warms up.

 

[dazzer]

Personnally, never start and drive. If a manual trans not so much but I prefer to let the engine settle, just a short 30 secs ish depending on time of year. Often the gearbox can be a little stiff, oil cold and thick so gentle is the watchword in my book and as said above, go easy on the revs.

Now auto trans, these really do need a minute or two depending on temperature. Example, cold day, start our Grand Cherokee and engage drive, nothing, no movment! Even given a minute or two reverse generates a nasty noise (from the torque convertor) when cold, so common sence in my book don't rush until she's warmed up. Even with a few minutes alot of autos are a bit strange with their shift patterns until warm and at the end of the day, in my book at least, rushing these things could cause damage, and expensive damage at that. Just remembered, the no drive when cold, I had a Laguna that was the same, though it was a company car:Blush:

And another thing, I have read a few handbooks were it specifically states for autos to let them warm up a bit, one, which I can't remember what car it was for, that specifically stated 2 minutes.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerened, I like to go gently when cold as it's my pocket the repairs come out of IF I did damage just because of rushing....

You need to change the transmission fluid.....pronto!!!! oh:

Our Jeep did the same till we had the gearbox oil flushed and replaced, now drives like a new car and no waiting for it to warm up :thumb:

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[Dodgey]

You need to change the transmission fluid.....pronto!!!! oh:

Our Jeep did the same till we had the gearbox oil flushed and replaced, now drives like a new car and no waiting for it to warm up :thumb:

Mmmm, had her a couple of years and approx 10K miles and done not long before we got her, that said I've heard that before especially re the torque convertor noise when cold.

Maybe I'd better plan on getting covered on auto trans fluid then

Cheers:thumb:

 

[camper69]

Surely if there was a big problem with start and go there would be millions of vehicles breaking down every day. Most people just don't even think about it.

Any way an engine warms up much quicker when driving than stationary. Think of all the wasted fuel waiting for the engine to warm up.

Derek

 

[johngee]

Switch on, stab it & steer!!

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[pappajohn]

best of both worlds on a hilux.....

hit the idle-up button and increase the idle revs to around 2000rpm. :thumb:

still no load on the engine though and it is recommended to lightly load a cold engine. oh:

 

[Peter James]

I am no expert, but from what I have read elsewhere, its more important to let a turbocharged engine idle for a minute before switching off when the turbocharger has got very hot, like after climbing a hill on a hot day - to let the turbocharger cool down whilst the engine oil is still flowing through the bearings. Because when the turbocharger gets that hot, the heat from the turbocharger fins can damage the bearings when they don't have oil pumped through them to cool them.

 

[Heyupluv]

Always on modern engines start and drive don't bother with warming up.

Have always done this on petrol and diesel.



Dave :thumb:

I agree with Desco and Larrynwin...in my Fiat hand book it is the new shape Fiat
it states not to run on tick over when the engine is started........
I am not you saying you can speed off like a racing driver...just pull away at a gentle speed and increase the speed slowly....for the first 3 to 5 mins........I think John (pappajohn) also said the same thing in a earlier thread.

Mel

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[dealgan]

Someone said it earlier: Start, stomp, steer.

 

[frogijock]

You lot in the UK who advocate idling your engine for a few minutes to warm are going to be buggered as I read a couple of days ago that some councils are now going to impose a fine/charge on drivers who sit with their engine idling, idea more than likly came from lovable Gordon :thumb:

 

[imprint]

In reverse order... HeyupLad, of course racing drivers go off harry- flatters, it's because the mechs have been pouring in warm water and warm oil long before, then bringing it up to temperature. Even starting a racing engine from cold could wreck it!

However, I'm glad Irascible confirms it's Wednesday up here. Another measure of time is that the day before yesterday our MH roof was white, then yesterday it turned grey as the cover that had been there since before Christmas appeared, and today the cover came off and we were back to Mr Swift's white.

I'm delighted, though, to learn about the heating thing, as I was concerned that after ten minutes or so without the temp gauge leaving the stop area, and I'd checked some of the engine piping, it did eventually condescend to nudge up towards the tepid. Thanks you guys.

Now for something completely different.
A) The whole of the USA, and most of the civilised world as well, think WW2 Act 2 began with the Jap attack on Pearly Harbour. Not so, me hearties. As a result of the International Date Line, and a minor cock-up by the local Jap Air Commander, they attacked British forces in the North of Malaya before the Pearly strike.

B) Not a lot of people know there's no midnight in the forces. Because of the difficulty of knowing what date midnight is, the timing goes to 2359, then 120 seconds to 0001.

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