I hope this article hasn't been linked already on these forums, but I thought this could be some useful information to some people on here. It's an article about some common misconceptions about car care from cnnmoney.com

Have a look if you're interested.
6 car care myths and mistakes - Myth: Wait, it's still warming up (3) - CNNMoney.com

 

neat stuff. thx for the read.

 

yah, good advises there especially on motor oils and idling to heat up your car.

 

hahaha proved my comment wrong in another thread. (warming up the car), but I still warm it up so it drives a bit smoother. I've never been good on driving conservatively. hahahaha

 

it does drive smoother when the tranny oil's warmed up and your
engine. but at the same time, if you go slower and gently on
the drivetrain you can get a pretty smooth shift even when it's -7F
outside like this morning here... i start up the car and drive off
within 10sec.

 

I guess I'll have to try it

 

Damn kenchan only 10 seconds? I guess everyone has there own preference but i have to wait atleast a min even if im in a hurry. Thats just how i roll though. haha

 

hahaha man if i'm in a rush, it takes me as long as it takes from the point of starting my engine, to throwing it in gear. LOL. But usually i let it sit... i guess i'm just wasting gas... i should stop doing that...

 

I dont care if im wasting gas or not. My average is right around 36mpg and that is with my atleast 1 min after start up so i def cant complain. Thats the best average mpg i have had in any of my vehicles. I would get higher then that but i have a lead foot. haha. The article is a good read though but im stuck in my ways if they are good or bad.

 

hmmm, didnt know letting the car idle wasnt neccesary since thats what i usually do. I guess tommorow i'll just start my car up let it idle for about 30 seconds or so and then jsut take it easy till the light comes off.

 

yah, cause i can do about 20mph down sidestreets barely giving the
motor any gas which is pretty much the same as idleup in the cold,
then stop at the larger intersection to make the turn. i could be
sitting there for another 10-30sec depending on traffic.

i dont push the motor much when the water temp lamp is on.

that's how modern cars are driven... well, by me.

 

sounds like hippie propaganda to me. "oooh lets tell car enthusiasts that warming up your car is useless in hopes that a few cars will run for 5 minutes less a day"

 

I can see what your saying completely. I guess im just old school. Besides i live less then a mile and a half from the highway so i kinda like to be at a decent temp before i have to romp on it to get up to cruising speed. I guess either way as long as your good and dont push rpms it cant really hurt anything.

Hippie propaganda? LMAO!!! Nice Kelsodeez. I take it you dont like hippies then? Haha

 

haha. i'm pretty sure it's not propaganda. you can try searching for more information if you want. if you don't believe it, do as you please haha. i just put up the article so people can look at it if they're interested, but i expected that people would have their own beliefs about car care so it's all good.

i usually just let the car idle ~15 seconds and then i just drive the car easy for a few minutes until i feel like everything is warmed up.

 

hahaha i know its not propaganda. i was just being funny. but living in san francisco, ive heard some pretty weird, crazy things from those green hippies and i wouldnt be surprised if this statement came from the mind of a crazy ecologist.

 

I agree 100%. I live in Canada and it's around -19 here in the morning. Snow is everywhere and I do not warn my car up for more than 1 minute (Usually the time it takes me to scrap away the ice). Doing any more is a waste of time and gas. Just drive the car slowly until the light goes out. It is that simple. Warming your car when you live in a warm climate just does not make sense.

I also live close to the highway, but that is no reason to warm my car 5+ mins. I believe the Honda manual says not to race your car when cold, never said not to drive it.

My $0.02

 

Good info. Mostly common sense.

With the oil viscosity as it is, it gets circulating ASAP, just the same.

+1 Holiday Rep for you!

 

by the way, my car runs like dogshit if the oil isnt up to temp.

 

Ouch!

What year?

M/T or A/T?

 

it has nothing to do with the car. its the fact that i am turbo, my oil is heavier, my plugs are colder and i dont think my engine management was tuned for a cold startup. either way, its essential for me to warm up my car before i take off.