Posted on 01/08/2011 8:20:04 PM PST by cunning_fish
Old habits die hard, and one of the oldest — still rigorously enforced by many drivers — is that "warming up" the car for a few minutes is necessary to avoid some kind of unspecified damage.
But idling is totally unnecessary, which is why many communities have enacted ordinances against the practice.
Don't take my word about idling being ineffective, but do listen to my mechanic, Rob Maier, who runs Maier's Garage in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
He says, "You don't really need to idle your car, because of the efficiency of modern fuel injection, which eliminated carburetors and chokes. The only reason to let the car idle at all is to get the oil circulating, but after 30 seconds that's a done deal. My truck has 150,000 miles on it, and I just throw it into gear and go."
Here are some quick facts and tips that should put the idling question to rest:
(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...
I have an automatic starter because we’ve been using the garage for storage for the past couple of years and the car sits in the driveway now. Living in Michigan, it’s soooo nice to get into a warm car in the morning, after work, and at various other times.
I have never idled my car for more than a few seconds. Has nothing to do with ecology.
It saves gas and I am impatient. I live in Northern Florida but it does get cold here.
I idle mine in the summer to cool it off.
Can anybody from South of the (Canadian) Border speak authoritatively about block heaters?
Used to have one on my truck. I had a switched outlet in the garage and (don’t laugh) the switch in my bathroom. When I got up on a cold morning I would switch it on and by the time I was ready to leave the motor was warm enough to start well. Mine was a tank type that circulated the water
through the block. It was 1500W so it warmed up quickly and
saved over leaving one on all night.
“Can anybody from South of the (Canadian) Border speak authoritatively about block heaters?”
I love mine. The truck starts with little or no distress and the interior heat is just a minute away.
Warming up any vehicle should include placing the transmision into neutral after being started to circulate all of the vehicle’s fluids,
Works for me....
The only reason I idle my car in winter is because I have no garage, and I have to be able to keep the windshield clear when I drive. This can require several minutes of running the engine. I wonder how this kind of situation will be handled in places with no-idle laws.
If you try and wipe it off the windows it just fogs back up.
If you try to use the defrosters before the engine heats up it still won't get rid of the problem.
So I guess if they pass such a law around here we will just have the police come down every morning and sit in the passenger seat of my wife's car and continually wipe off the window while she is driving until the engine warms up.
IMO, in some parts of Europe it is a petty crime, but they have advanced digital block and interior heaters using car’s own fuel in less volume priced at about $1,500 as an option by most dealers.
I think if you don’t have one idling is justified. That article is true on heating is much faster while you are riding a car. Thus, it barely fits occasions if the outside temperature is too low. For example transmission is very vulnerable. Using conventional fluids and no idling in Alaska or Siberia in winter is a proper way to ruin it in a month.
How about to get rid of the ice on the windshield and the 15 degree temp? Well worth any added idling wear and tear
I am not getting into a freezing car in the winter.I am warming that baby up!
I left my car idling outside the bar for at least an hour a week or so ago. What was I supposed to do? People were buying me drinks.
Eight Facts About Warming Up Your Car in Winter.
1] It’s harder to drive a vehicle when your teeth are chattering.
2] Blower fans create wind chills
3] If your windows aren’t defrosted you can’t see the road or pedestrians
4] When your windows freeze up and you can’t get them down you create a hazard getting toll tickets to enter the highways
5]If it’s snowing your window wipers will instantly freeze ice on a window that is not properly defrosted.
6]When your whole body is shaking from the cold your attention to the act of driving is reduced.
7]Ice encrusted windshield wipers are less likely to work.
8] It’s cold out ~ Warm up that car - unless you drive an old VW bug ~ The heater won’t work anyways. Good luck.
For the purpose of protecting the engine upon startup in real cold temps, get a magnetic external heater and clap it on right under the oil pickup tube in the oil pan's sump.
I wouldn't leave it there.
To heat the coolant (block) you need a lower radiator hose or expansion plug heater...or a tank heater that goes inline with the heater hose.
A diesel would probably want both the oil sump and one of the coolant heaters.
I think they enacted these laws because people were stealing cars that were outside running, and getting into accidents. Thanks to slimey lawyers people have been sued for leaving their car run unattended, then having it stolen, and then run into someone.
More “green” twaddle.
If I do not warm up my 1978 El Camino it will stall.
If it stalls in traffic it will get hit.
Yes, it has a carburetor, nothing I own uses F.I., I will never own anything new enough to have F.I.
Every time these dweebs bleat their PC crap I resolve again to build an even nastier “gross polluter” for my amusement.
It may be time for multi-engine single seater!
Oh, I'm sure it's just frigid. How do you cope?
I hate a stalling car. GM’s take so long to have the choke kick off. I feel your pain.
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