I was reading an article on yahoo autos and one of the gas saving tips says?
January 27, 2010 by Savings Fanatic
Filed under saving article
Bonus tip: Don’t idle your engine to let it warm up before driving. It does your engine no good and it wastes gas. Instead, start driving right away, but drive gently until the engine is warm.
Is it just me or does starting a cold engine and throwing it in gear with no oil in it for lubrication sound like a good way to tear up a good car?
that was true for older cars, you just have to drive gently til the temp gauge is in the nomal position…
Thats crazy, you should ALWAYS check the oil on the car, coolant level etc then let it warm up for at least 2 min’s before moving it. and even when you do that you should take the first few km’s slow before you roughly accel and reach ur normal driving speed.
I have to agree with you.A cold engine has no oil in it to lubricate the engine.That is one piece of advice I’d Never follow.I also agree with Bajan Speed Guy.Always wait a couple of minutes before putting it in gear then drive slow until it’s warmed up.
I’m not a mechanic but this is something I learned many years ago.Times are a changing though:-)
Older cars need to warm up but with the newer cars and the way oil is made now the viscosity of oil will keep all the parts of your engine coated and ready to roll at a moments notice. If it was mandatory to warm you car up befor driving they would make all cars with remote starters. But if you want to use about a 10th of a gallon of gas before moving anywhere go right a head and warm you car up befor you leave
Once the oil pump is pumping, you have lubrication. If you are concerned with cold starts, install a block heater and plug it in at night. Otherwise, until closed loop is achieved, you will be burning a default mixture whether idling or driving.
If your cars engine isn’t fully lubricated within 1 or 2 seconds after you start it, there’s something wrong with your car.
No, you don’t need to let your car warm up before you drive it. Think about it – the engine is running either way and requires oil for lubrication either way. How is it running when it’s sitting still any different than when it’s moving? Just drive slow and don’t rev up high until the temp gauge reaches normal operating temp. In my car this takes literally about 60 seconds.
The myth that it takes a minute for the oil pump to cycle oil into the heads is from old cars. If your car was made in the last half century then it shouldn’t take more than a half second or so for the oil to pump into the heads. And even on the old cars there’s still no real benefit to letting it idle to warm up – again, the engine is still running either way.