Warmup process...

[groundzero]

I know everyone warms their car up when its cold. I live near the beach which means my car gets very cold during the night... When I wake up in the morning and warm up my car I warm it up for about 5 minutes. Is it necessary to warm up your car for that long or is that too short...And also during the day when I haven't drove my car in like 8 hours or so, do I still need to warm my car up? Is it better for my car to warm up? The question is how long should I warm my car up regardless how cold it is?

(Edited by groundzero at 1<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>6 pm on Sep. 22, 2001)

[my240likenoother]

i let my car run for about 5 min in the morning
and the same in the afternoon after work
\my father works for ford and he says any time you let the car sit for more that 4 hours give it 5 min. to warm up it is not just warming it up it gets the oil flowing (the most important)
after i let the car sit for an hour i give it about 1 min also

I usually just wait until I see the oil temp. gauge starts rising. Once it's between C and it's normal operating temperature, I start going, but am sort of gentle to the car &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>. Sometimes it takes more than five minutes to get it to move, it gets cold up here.

[AJ]

your suposed to warm ur car up&gt;?.. i nvr knew this.. &nbsp;lol,, i just bundle up and run out in my car and start driving... &nbsp; hmmm,, maybe i should start warmin her up?.. how important is this... ?

[whateverjames]

i let it warm up until the needle on the temp gauge is even with the first line, then i know it's ready to go and plenty of oil is in the cylinder head. takes about 3-5 minutes in the summer and about 10 in the winter. i hate it when people jump in their car and take off when it's cold. it's bad for the cam(s)!

[my240likenoother]

you guys drive you car in the winter
man that must suck
my car has never seen the snow

[transient]

my car's seen snow, but not too much (while i've owned it anyway) and it never will again if I have anything to do with it <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[groundzero]

Yeah, my car never seen snow either and if it did I'll probably not allow it to run through it. Sometimes in the winter it just get freakin cold, but no snow... I hate when I hop in my car in the morning and then I wait till it warms up...I think about how late i'm going to be for school or work...That's how you know I care about my car...

[misnomer]

I'm sure you've heard my snow rant, but you get it again. My car saw 'bout 5 inches of snow all over the highway they day I bought it, in the middle of freaking April. Anywho, you should let the car warm up, as s13girl said, to get the oil flowing. Engine turning with no oil == bad engine wear. Worse when it's colder, 'cause the oil is thicker and doesn't move as well.

[Archangel]

I knew it was good to let your car warm up, especially in the winter, but I had no idea that it takes 3 to 5 minutes for the oil to get warmed up and flowing well.

Also, I envie those of you who live out in Cali or down in florida who never have to take your car out in the snow. &nbsp;Not to mention actually driving in it.

Wow, lucky you guys. I KNOW my car has seen snow because the lady who had it B4 me lived in Chicago's suburbs--and that's a good place to live in the winter cause the streets get cleaned really well really fast. (I also noticed a few rust spots by the doors and by the wheels.) I live in Chicago, and it snows A LOT. And it never gets cleaned properly and that sucks. I'm really scared to drive my car this winter, and have no idea what am I gonna do about it.

[amir]

cool i didnt know your suppose to warmup your car ... i just start it up then idle for 1 min. then i gun my car and you will freak out your car run will good when its cold!!! but i guess ill start to warm up my car now

LOL yeah, you probably should! <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[groundzero]

yeah, it's like warming up for a game or strecthing before running...

[drifterx]

my cars sees snow alot..... last yr during our blizzards, the snow was always higher than the gas tank... boy did that suck... also, never stop or it is hard to move again

[JeffNJ]

The snow almost killed my last 240 and some friends. &nbsp;We were cruisin' down a highway at modest speed when all of a sudden, the back of my car started sliding out of the lane. &nbsp;I turned the wheel a hair to the other direction to straighten the car. &nbsp;This made the back slide out just a hair more than a hair to the other side, so I adjusted the steering wheel a barely negligible amount back the other way. &nbsp;Now, we've got the back sliding even further still, but out the other side.

I cannot explain how scared I was. &nbsp;It occured to me my friends all probably were too (the car was full), so I announced very calmly, &quot;I'm not kidding around here folks - I've actually lost control&quot;. &nbsp;Personally, I seem to recall announcing that in a panic-stricken scream, but everyone in the car has applauded how calm I remained, maintain enough composure that they weren't even scared.

Well, meanwhile, the #### thing has slid back and forth again and again, while I'm constantly trying to keep the #### thing as steady as I can making hair-line adjustments to the wheel. &nbsp;I start looking around to see what we're going to hit, now convinced we're going to hit something. &nbsp;There was a steel guardrail on my left and a tractor-trailer behind me, to the right.

Are you trying to imagine the fear? &nbsp;Because I know you all love your cars as much as I do - if not more. &nbsp;Well, as all of this racing through my head, the back is sliding ever-so-slightly farther and farther to the outside as it swings from one side the next.

All of a sudden, as if by the grace of some unknown force, dry pavement. &nbsp;Traction. &nbsp;Actual steering response. &nbsp;The car straightened out, and we all made it home. &nbsp;I breathe easier just finishing the story.

So, in conclusion, how long do you wait to warm up your car in the snow? &nbsp;Long enough that the snow has all melted by the time you go out. &nbsp;=)

[RacNgi]

Hey Jeff I didnt know you where from Hackensack. &nbsp;I too was caught in that snow. &nbsp;By the way I work In HAckensack NJ

[silvia240]

you poor guys and gals, i live in SUNNY SAN DIEGO and my car has never seen snow. &nbsp;Just some rain and fog. &nbsp;
And i always warm up my car untill it hits the first line, then i drive it pretty easy for a couple of miles. &nbsp;

I'm still debating on whether I should drive my car or not. My boyfriend just bought a '91 Sentra SE-R to drive in the winter and he let me borrow it today since my control arm is in not too good of a shape, and this Sentra rides awesome! It's so lightweight and fast. ARGH I want THAT as my winter car!

dont accelarate in the snow, cuz u'll get noting more than wheel spin, not fun, not fun @ all &nbsp;i got stuck 5 times in 4 inches and my friend in his accord didnt get stuck once GRRRRRRR hondas are good for snow driving <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> I'm gonna see if I can save some money and fix my credit history by winter time so I can buy something nice and sweet like a WRX. Awww.... dreams, dreams...

[HippoSleek]

Warm up: &nbsp;Owner's manual says let it run 30 seconds, then drive w/o high revs until it is in the temp zone (30 sec's is to get oil moving, reving is bad for valve train).

Best snow car: &nbsp;88 Nissan Sentra - FWD, about 12&quot; of ground clearance, skinny all season tires, and no power! &nbsp;I will miss FWD this winter, but I don't drive to work anyway. &nbsp;SE-R should be okay b/c of LSD, but power and wider tires may be a problem (my buddy in his FWD Civic Si has about as hard a time as a Mustang in snow b/c of his suspension and power).