Re: Warming up the Engine

[David Ritter <dritter@mich.com>]

John C. writes:
 > Another question from the ignorance department.  Now that I've moved to
 > colder climes I notice that almost everyone starts their car and lets it
 > idle to warm up before they take off.
 > 
 > I had always been told that one should take off immediately and just keep
 > the revs low until the engine reaches operating temperature, and conversely
 > that idling is the worst thing for an engine?
 > 
Hi John,
Yes, there are plenty that will let them warm up completely before
driving off, but I can tell you that this will cause problems once we
get some "real" cold weather. 
If you let it warm up sitting still, moisture will build up in the
intake and eventually cause some problems, with ice being where it
should not be, like in fuel injection metering valves etc.
Best advise I can give is to give it a few minutes to let the
hydraulics warm-up slightly. If you only let it warm up a few minutes
the moisture buildup will usually not be a problem, and the hydraulics
are less likely to blow seals and hoses. I also try not to really
crank on the steering until the car is warmed up slightly. So far, I've
been pretty lucky with the cold weather hydraulic problems, maybe
luck, maybe warmup helps.

 > Is the warm up just for creature comfort
Yes

 > BTW, has anyone used Mobil 1 - 0W30 yet.  I saw somehwere that people were
 > experiencing increased leaks in older engines?

I don't think I would ever run 0w anything unless the book said it was
approved.

David Ritter
89 200Q
90 200QW