I know that you're suppose to let it warm up before starting to drive but I don't always have to time to wait 5 mins or more now that its winter. I'd never turn the car off before letting it warm up but, other than the chance of flooding when the engine is still cold and you accidently stall out, is there any reason you can't start driving right after starting up?

 

I usually wait about a minute before driving, and then keep it under 3.5k until the temp guage has started moving up. I will pre-start it sooner on really cold days just to get some heat!

 

I always let it complete its warm up cycle, even in the middle of summer. It takes slightly longer in the winter and settles at a higher idle. Keep it to low revs until the needle has been in the middle for 5 minutes. Then it's warm.

 

DITTO :: I give it chance and then drive easy until the temp idiot needle moves.

 

on cold mornings, i wait until the tach has settled to around 1500rpm (temp needle still cold) before i drive off GENTLY, early shifting to keep it under 3000 rpm until the temp needle rises to normal operating position, then i keep it relatively easy (keep under 4-5000rpm) for another good 5 minutes before finally driving the full RPM range

 

This may not be healthy, but I developed this habbit warming my bike & putting my glvoes & helmet on before I ride:

I start the engine and go outside for a smoke. By the time I'm finished, the needle is just before the middle mark. Then I drive.

 

I get in and drive, but I make sure to keep the revs below 3000 rpm until it's warmed up. My reasoning is that I really don't want the engine to spend more time at lower oil temperatures than it has to. Cold oil is bad for engine wear, so I try to get the engine up to temperature as quickly as possible without overstressing it. I know that when I lived on the East Coast, it would take 5+ minutes to get a (piston) engine up to temperature just idling it, versus about 2 minutes if you drive it with light below 3000 rpm loads. Make your own judgement.

 

FYI (just because this is a good thread for it):

The temp needle moving just means the water has warmed up. Those housings are thick, and alternate between steel and aluminum. They take a while to heat soak, and expand at different rates. Coolant channels run through them. So think about these things when you consider short changing your warm up. You can warm the car up on the road, just make sure it's actually warm before getting on it.

That's pretty much what I do.

 

i just turn it on and drive. haha. just don't push it hard right away.

 

I usually just keep the RPM's low until it's warm, but I like your idea.

Maybe you can start an ad campaign for Phillip/Morse about how smoking cigarettes is good for the rotary.

I mean, they used cartoons to target kids, maybe they can use this to target rotorheads.

No, but seriously, I like the idea of doing some last minute things in the morning while waiting for the car to warm up.

 

I understand the temperature gauge is just coolant temperature, but I'm concerned about oil temperature, which is one of the longest things to warm up. I suppose my example with the temperature gauge was flawed, but how fast the gauge changes is indicative of how fast the rest of the engine is warming up, just not the exact temperatures.

 

About 1 minute, or normally when the rpms settle to 1500 or below. I keep the revs under 3500 with light acceleration. I almost never get on it, but if I did its after 15 minutes of driving, and im not even at full revs.

 

^^ What I do exactly. Drive off after revs drop below 1500 then keep revs 3500 and under until its been in middle for 7-10 miinutes usually until I go past 5k.

 

I turn the car on and then either go back into the kitchen to finish my coffee or pick out and put on a tie. By the time I get back to the car it's been 2-4 minutes and the car is ready to go.

 

I turn it on and wait for the rpm to settle at around 1500 or so then drive below 3500 rpm until the temp needle is at normal operating temp. Gets the engine up to temp quicker and gets the oil circulating faster. That's my thinking.

 

My dealer salesperson instructed me to rev the engine to 5k and hold it for ten seconds when starting and parking the car, this seemed a little fishy to me. Does anyone else do this?

 

I do it to 3K. And only if I moved the car "real-quick."

 

I start it and then drive, not hard or fast, but just drive. It uses 5-20w oil so the oil should be flowing easily even when cold. The RX-8 sucks down gas at idle so the less idling, the better the fuel mileage. BTW I have 44k miles and not a single engine issue.

 

I start it then let the clutch out and let it idle for a bit, but I am too impatient to wait long, so I drive it conservatively, not much above 3K, until it is warm, then I give it hell.

 

I'd like to hear rotarygod's take on this.

 

I always wait till everyone is in the car before I start it & immeadiately let off the clutch & go . IMO its silly to warm up any modern car by idling it . Best way is to have it under light load until completely warmed up .
The less time spent warming up the better .

 

Brettus has it right: just start it up and go. Don't rev it too high until it warms up.

Idling is bad for an engine. Once the oil pressure is up and the various lights have finished their test cyle, you're ready to roll. The best way to warm an engine is to drive at low rpm and moderate load.

Ken

 

i follow the Brettus method...time is money...can't be sitting around waiting for cars to warm up.

 

I was thinking about why people let cars idle to warm up .
I think it comes from years ago when carburettas ruled the earth . Cars used to take an eternity to warm up & If you tried to take off cold, your car would fart & splutter ,often completely dieing on you at the worst possible moment .

Thankfully Modern computers & EFI have completely solved those problems & we don't have to worry about being T-boned while stalled in the middle of an intersection.

 

Most carbureted cars were OK to drive when cold. If the automatic choke was clean and worked, they weren't much different than today's cars. Manual choke, as long as you worked it right, were also OK. Maybe there were people who'd let their cars warm until the choke could be turned off.

However...some cars did need a warmup. My first car was a 1958 Alfa Romeo Guiletta Spider. That car really needed to warm up. Unless I sat there letting it warm under idle before driving off, there was just no power. Don't know just what the deal was, but it was common to all Alfas of that series.

Ken