Warming up Engine? Debate here at work...

[Powerslave]

I start it up, put it in gear and go... Did the same with the Avenger, no issues ever, so I will keep doing what I do. These jeeps warm up pretty quick anyway.

Running your car to warm the engine before driving is no longer necessary. Today's cars have computer driven performance systems that compensate for outdoor temperatures and cold engines. You can head out after just a couple of minutes of running the engine in the morning or after the car has "sat" for a few hours. Today's technology has eliminated the need for a thorough warm-up before driving.

You are not using 10W40 anymore, it's 5W30, a lighter oil, designed for the new engines, it's fine... Doesn't matter, you can all do what you want to. Me? As I said, I start up, adjust the radio and go...

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Me personally I let my KJ fully warm up in the winter months(I have a remote starter).That way if fully defrosts my windshield(I hate scrapping ice) and my trans is also warmed up since I have a in the radiator cooler before the AUX cooler.If you ever noticed when it's like -10 degrees out and just start your KJ and then take off your trans will not shift very well,it's a limp mode that locks out gears until your trans fluid temps increase to near normal operating temps.Before my KJ growing up in South Dakota sometimes I would not shut my vehicle off for days at a time,just let it idle all day and night when it was -35 degrees out as a high temp.

In the summer months I generally remote start my KJ when I'm walking to it(I have a 1/4 mile range on my remote starter) and when I get in I just put the key in and go then.

+5 on all counts, but replace SD with MI and subtract remote start

 

[Jeepin05]

Appreciate all the feedback, good discussion. It sounds like its good to warm it up but not critical, more important not to hot rod it until warmed up.

TJ - thats crazy you left your KJ running for days!

 

[kb0nly]

Appreciate all the feedback, good discussion. It sounds like its good to warm it up but not critical, more important not to hot rod it until warmed up.

TJ - thats crazy you left your KJ running for days!

This past winter we had one full week of crazy cold weather, air temp was -20 or colder, wind chills were reaching -40 or lower. Everyone who owned a diesel was dumping in the fuel additives and letting it idle all week. I can see doing it on a diesel, they can handle that no problem. But we had people with gas engines running them for days at a time to keep them going as well, i told them plug them in if they can, if not just let it warm up when you start it.

Our car started right up at -40, no block heater, cranked slow but fired up. Didn't have the KJ then, but the minivan fired right up, it has a block heater and was plugged in so that helped it warm up a bit faster, still cranked over slower than heck.

I always know when its really cold, i can hear 2-3 diesels clattering away all night.

 

[Powerslave]

Appreciate all the feedback, good discussion. It sounds like its good to warm it up but not critical, more important not to hot rod it until warmed up.

TJ - thats crazy you left your KJ running for days!

I had a Geo Tracker, and worked as an I.T. In Cleveland, Ohio (Phonetel Technologies). I was leaving the office, got down to the parking garage to notice, I did not have my keys. So, I figured I locked them in the Tracker (locked? Nothing is locked with a soft-top). So, as I approach the car, not only did I leave them in the car, they were in the ignition, and the car was running... Dunno how things like that can happen, but, there ya go, was very well warmed up for me...

A friend of mine always tells his stories, how, when we all left for work, he always listened to Metallica, not by choice, but because that was what I was playing. You could hear it all through the parking garage, and from about 3 blocks away...

 

[tjkj2002]

Appreciate all the feedback, good discussion. It sounds like its good to warm it up but not critical, more important not to hot rod it until warmed up.

TJ - thats crazy you left your KJ running for days!

Didn't do that with my KJ,now my '75 Cutlass I did since it was extremely cold blooded with not having a choke on the carb(1050 Holly Dominator),that got expensive since I had to run 116 octane race gas.

 

[Bikeflyer]

I never made a specific warm up routine although I do observe the idle drop before driving. In the winter it lives in the semi warm(50 deg) garage because I leave for work at 6am and hate having to de-ice. My wife gripes at me for having it inside and she gets the cold car, but she gets to leave a 8am or work at home. In the morning I have a mostly downhill commute on a 35mph road so its gentle anyhow.
Never had a problem on any of my vehicles from that. My father in law has a late model Ram Magnum and he warms up like 10 minutes minimum. He insists it is better for it although all it does is commute 3 miles across a 30mph town each way. My personal opinion is that it is a big waste of gas and emissions to do that with such a large machine. He has also gone through several radiators and thermostats in the last couple years. Related? Hard to tell.
The emissions at work(in the auto auction) is nausiating at times. In particular the mercedes and other "high Performance" big engines. We move them in short durations and the emissions are often Visible, even in the summer. In the winter it is even worse.

 

[Powerslave]

Windchill does not lower the temperature of cars or any object that does not "sweat." Windchill only refers to the combined effect of temperature, and evaporative heat loss of an object exposed to moving air. Objects not giving off moisture, such as your car, will never will be at a temperature lower than the ambient air temperature. The wind's effect on an engine is to cool it faster, not to go below the air temperature. So, if it is -20 with a windchill of -40, guess what, the car/engine block is -20 degrees.

 

[LibertyTC]

warm ups

Warm ups I do always, to where the temp needle moves up one quarter and drive slowly off.
In the -15+ winter, I defrost, remove snow, and let KJ warm up fully before driving off.
More important is the winter preparation. It makes only common sense to use Synthetic motor oil that flows better. ( I always use mobil 1 and K&N filter)
Next is the Hoat anti-freeze flush and testing to ensure -45+.
In -20, I also will use gas line anti-freeze. This ensures that any water either coming from the pump or condensation, will not freeze if additive used.
Block heater not necessary if under -10 but if you have a battery that is not sealed, check your water levels frequently, and add distilled water, also do a trickle charge on that battery if it's cold outside.
I went to jump start a lady last winter when it was -16 at night. It was a good thing her battery had died on her Ford v-8 Econoline. Before jump starting her, I checked the antifreze and it read -10 after the vehicle sat 3 days in bone chillin cold. She made the wise decision to tow it to a warm shop, before starting it. I saved her thousands. We had dinner, and she could drive another day..LOL.mj.gif

 

[kb0nly]

Windchill does not lower the temperature of cars or any object that does not "sweat." Windchill only refers to the combined effect of temperature, and evaporative heat loss of an object exposed to moving air. Objects not giving off moisture, such as your car, will never will be at a temperature lower than the ambient air temperature. The wind's effect on an engine is to cool it faster, not to go below the air temperature. So, if it is -20 with a windchill of -40, guess what, the car/engine block is -20 degrees.

Yep, realize that... I said it to emphasize how damn cold it was!

-20 air temp is cold enough for anything though, engine or human.

 

[Dave]

Yep, realize that... I said it to emphasize how damn cold it was!

-20 air temp is cold enough for anything though, engine or human.

..brrrrrrrrrrr.......I'm getting a chill here just reading.....

Dave

 

[TAHOE]

I usually wait until the motor stops knockin then I can take off....
Serioulsy, I do a little warm up, turn the key, listen fo rhte fuel pump to prime, then shut off, then I start. If it's warm I may let it warm up for 15-20 secs, winter, it is usually much longer.... I usually have to scrape windows anyway!

 

[HoosierJeeper]

What is the "cold weather we speak of???

I have none here.....

 

[kb0nly]

..brrrrrrrrrrr.......I'm getting a chill here just reading.....

Dave

Yeah i'm getting a chill sitting on my couch this morning, sure has been cool for August, we dropped down below 50 last night again, this morning we are struggling to get past 60.

Winter is just around the corner!

 

[sleeve]

Personally, I don't think there is a real need to "warm" up the KJ.

In the winter the warming up happens when I start the Liberty, get out and go scrape the ice off the windows.

In the summer I start the KJ, wait a few seconds and then I am off.... No need to warm up the oil. The KJ warms up plenty sitting in traffic with the A/C running.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Yeah i'm getting a chill sitting on my couch this morning, sure has been cool for August, we dropped down below 50 last night again, this morning we are struggling to get past 60.

Winter is just around the corner!

Lucky.....