Subzero

[PliotronX]

Hey so when I wake up and get to work at 5:30 in the am every day here in balmy Colorado the temps are constantly below zero these days so I was wondering about the internals of a car. I let the thing warm up and defrost the windows but the motor is still below operating temps until I start driving her. Do the internals cause more wear at idle or driving her sooner? Bonus question: will 5W oil really adversely affect mileage?

 

[LTC8K6]

The best way to warm it up is to drive it. I wouldn't idle it to warm it up. With no load on it, it takes longer to warm up. I wouldn't run it longer than a minute before driving it.

Just take it easy until it's warmed up.

 

[PricklyPete]

I warm the car up for 1-2 minutes and then start driving slowly until the vehicle starts to warm up. Just don't hammer it until things are warm.

 

[ProchargeMe]

Here in SC the temps fluctuate so much. It's ranged from 14 degrees to 80 degrees this last month alone. But when we did have some frost and ice, I usually let the car idle for 5 mins then drive it normally wherever I need to go

 

[JCH13]

I wouldn't go from a 0w-xx to a 5w-xx unless you've got a summer-only sports car, but going down from a 10w-xx to a 5w-xx probably wouldn't kill anything. Probably

I haven't done it myself, but I know a lot of turbo Miata owners use 5w-40 instead of the original 10w-30 with no issues.

 

[darkswordsman17]

For some reason Lake Tahoe popped into my head. :awe:

 

[nerp]

Idling in the morning causes more wear that driving off right away. Turn the engine on, buckle your seatbelt and drive. The most wear occurs when the engine is cold and it will remain cold much, much longer at idle than driving off. Just baby the accelerator until warm air is blowing and the temp needle has begun to move. You can also hear engine noise, such as ticking or clicking when its cold. Generally, when those noises subside, the engine is warm enough to drive as usual.

 

[tortoise]

the thing

Year, make, model?

 

[PliotronX]

Thanks guys, I had a feeling idling cold is no bueno. My Suzuki SV650 (carbeurated) needs full choke to turn over and warm up... driving in the cold is just hard on our toys.

Year, make, model?

It's a 2006 Subaru Tribeca B9, no trouble starting in the cold *knock on wood* Heated leather seats... such a difference from riding my SV650 in -11 degrees

 

[ElFenix]

the thing

Year, make, model?

 

[PliotronX]

Hahaha, just about

It's actually this:

 

[SyndromeOCZ]

Volkswagen Thing

 

[TheUnk]

Wait.. Wasn't remote start designed so you could remotely start your car to warm it up for you in the winter?

 

[LTC8K6]

Wait.. Wasn't remote start designed so you could remotely start your car to warm it up for you in the winter?

Or cool it off in the summer...

But it takes longer than most people think to get the engine warm at idle when it's really cold out.

IIRC, for some diesels, it's just about never. :biggrin:

My Jeep has auto climate control, so that turns on when I remote start it. It also turns on the rear window defroster and the heated mirrors.

It takes the outside temp reading into account, too. It doesn't turn the rear defroster or mirrors on unless the outside temp is near or below freezing.

So if I remote start it and wait a few minutes, it will be warm inside and all the windows and mirrors will be clear.

But I rarely do that. When I have decided I need to go somewhere, I go.