Letting Your Vehicle Warm Up

[99Yuk]

Do any of you guys that start up and let your trucks run for 10-20 minutes before driving have issues with your O2 sensors? I've heard that letting your vehicle warm-up and idle that long can cause premature failure of O2 sensors........

Any truth in that statement?

None that I can tell, been doing this for years on several vehicles. Two or so on the Yukon.

---------- Post added at 10:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:23 PM ----------

Usually in winter, I start it a few minutes before I have to leave. Doesn't really get too cold where I am. But I can tell how ready she is by how she drives when she first takes off. Normally I don't get out of first gear for a couple blocks by accelerating real slow.

Also, how often do you guys go WOT?

Easily two times a week day, also when jumping on the main Hwy. Never when the engine is still not warmed up though.

---------- Post added at 10:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 PM ----------

electric fans are a help with cold winters. thats for damn sure. you can drive basically anywhere within 20 min and not have your fans turn on.

Some mornings so far this fall/winter, they don't come on at all on the morning commute. The thermostat does the regulating, so the efans rarely come on at all, just when idling.

 

[Diller]

Do any of you guys that start up and let your trucks run for 10-20 minutes before driving have issues with your O2 sensors? I've heard that letting your vehicle warm-up and idle that long can cause premature failure of O2 sensors........

Any truth in that statement?

Probably not. Otherwise, every Police car on the planet would forever have a Check Engine light on.


Diller
'99 Yukon
'08 Hummer H3

 

[sumo]

Do any of you guys that start up and let your trucks run for 10-20 minutes before driving have issues with your O2 sensors? I've heard that letting your vehicle warm-up and idle that long can cause premature failure of O2 sensors........

Any truth in that statement?

i have remote starters in all my cars and not one 02 ever gone bad. One car has been over 7 years.

 

[Bad bow tie]

Your engine and trannies do need to warm up! Like stated before, oil needs to warm up in order for it to function properly as in lubricting parts efficiently...

Transmission...ever cold start and feels like the tranny is shifting...makes alot of noise before it shifts into gear...its because the fluid hasn't reach opersting temp and stall converter is locking up until it reaches operating temps in order for it to shift...

do what you want...fact is fact

ff40

I agree with this as well.

I let mine warm up for about 5-10 minutes before taking off on the cold winter mornings. In the summer I don't.

 

[black95]

I have had a personal standing rule since I started driving.
>40degrees, just get in and go.
<40 degrees, warm up truck for 5-10min while getting crap together for work.
<20 degrees, start truck, go back inside, take shower and dress, get on my way.
So far this has worked out really well, and I am always comfy when I start my drive to work or wherever. I can't always do this, but I do it as often as possible and personally feel it makes a difference.

I also ALWAYS warm up my boat before going out. 10min minimum. This lets me know if the raw-water intake picked something up and is clogged. Better to still be at the dock when you find out.

+1 on both topics, i work on boats and not many people let the boats warm up and wonder why they stall or run a little rough, 90% of boats here at least are carbuerated.

 

[clean454]

All u guys park outside overnight?
My hoes In the garge and here in Cali it doesn't really get cold
But I'll start it up get my iPod hooked up turn the lights on then just let the truck idle itself around the block
Then start smashn! She runs better when it's cold
Suckn in all that cold air!!

 

[the 18th letter]

I let mine warm up warm or cold cuz I'm pretty **** about taking off! LOL It's not my daily driver so when I do get in it I'm checking for shit, listening for shit, adjusting shit, finding music, making sure I didn't leave anything etc. etc. etc. I like my a/c cold and my heat warm before I pull off. On a good day I'll smoke a whole square before I get out the fuggn garage....

 

[AtomicHoe094]

All u guys park outside overnight?
My hoes In the garge and here in Cali it doesn't really get cold
But I'll start it up get my iPod hooked up turn the lights on then just let the truck idle itself around the block
Then start smashn! She runs better when it's cold
Suckn in all that cold air!!

TBIs dont smashh! haha

 

[moviewithnotitle]

....On a good day I'll smoke a whole square before I get out the fuggn garage....

Never heard that one before, funny stuff!

 

[puckhead]

All u guys park outside overnight?
My hoes In the garge and here in Cali it doesn't really get cold
But I'll start it up get my iPod hooked up turn the lights on then just let the truck idle itself around the block
Then start smashn! She runs better when it's cold
Suckn in all that cold air!!

Yup, no garage here. Gets to sit through all the storms and freezing weather up here. Wish I had one though

 

[Bad bow tie]

I'm not privelaged enough to park inside so my hoe sees everything the weather can produce.

 

[steamroller]

Your buddy is right, unless it's below zero, there is really no need to warm up a vehicle anymore. With todays tighter tolerances, better oils, and computer engine management, warming it up is really only good for creature comforts.

With that being said if it is below zero then a couple minutes of warm up would be advisable. Notice I said a couple minutes, not 15-30 like a lot of people do. The point here is just to get some heat in the oil so it flows through all the passages and galleys freely, making sure that all parts are lubricated properly.

I get in and drive most of the time. Only if its below zero do I start my vehicle a couple minutes early. Driving nice and easy until the vehicle warms up, is always best.

Engine management and oil technology has come a long way, this isn't the 60's anymore LOL. By the time I'm done backing out of the driveway the oil is circulating enough. Letting it sit there and idle is the worst way to warm it up.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/4213313

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Warming_up_your_engine

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/idling/warm-up.cfm?attr=8

http://www.motherearthnews.com/ask-our-experts/car-engine-warm-up.aspx

 

[drowndindreams]

never really do it, doesnt get too cold down here. even if it does, it would be running at over a 100 degrees in a jiffy. i have a big douche of a friend that has an 04 yuk and he always lets it "warm up" for 2 minutes in his driveway, even though he has one of the cleanest rides ive seen

 

[THE-HOE]

Little rule of thumb i use that i was told from a very reliable engine builder. Every 60 degrees below 70 wait a minute before driving. So if its 60 I wait a min, 40 i wait 3 min. At 70 or above he said you should be good to go, but i still wait a min. Even if you dont wait long at all at least wait for the vehicle to idle down in park, I hate to hear people start ther vehicles and put them in drive and go before the starter is even done turning.

 

[TahoeJim]

31 degrees this morning, my Tahoe sits outside. Fired it up and I could hear/feel it "settle in" comfortably at 2 minutes 37 seconds. It took half that time to get the outside mirrors cleared of frost and the windshield to where I could see through it well enough. Not a big deal to wait a few in the morning during the first start up of the day.

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

let mine warm up when its cold outside. the hoe lets you know when its ready... the vortec knock goes away. 185,000 miles.

i have a garage but the Hoe no longer fits in the current garage door.

 

[chevyguy17]

i usually just get in and go yeah the leather seats are cold but i put up with it

 

[the 18th letter]

Never heard that one before, funny stuff!

The funny part is I treat my DD with no such regard! HA It's a 4cyl 5 spd and I get in, start, and POP clutch..cold or heat it don't fuggin matter. I've effectively turned my hoe into a housewife with the care and concern I show her.

 

[moviewithnotitle]

This topic is super interesting to me. Yes there are a lot of myth's regarding this, and many of us have or know people that have extensive knowledge about this type of question.

New question to this.

Has the 5.7L block that was installed in so many OBS trucks, really changed all that much over the years? I'm thinking that some of the old-school tecnhiques really do come into play over a new 5.3L with all the fancy engineering.

 

[Danny_Z56]

If its 30* or less i will run my vehicle for a good 15-20 minuts before taking off.If its 35-40* i will idle it for a good 10-15 minuts.If its 40-50* i will run for a good 5 minuts before leaving.Im just **** like that.... I will also run my heater on "low" as to not rob to much heat from my motor.

I have noticed that when its really cold out,my Tahoe will run @ 2000RPM untill the tranny warms up,then it will drop down to 1500RPM.This is going down the road @ 55 MPH.

From what i was told its just the PCM holding the lower gear untill the trans reaches a certen temp,it will then allow the trans to shift into OD.

Their have been times in the past (with a few of my shit beater cars) that when i would just take off without letting the vehicle warm up,i would get this "burning smell".Never could figure out what that smell was but i knew it can't be good.I would only get this smell when i did not let the vehicle warm up before taking off.