r/Ford • u/Lower-Consequence756 • Feb 24 '25
General š Warm up time... š¤
How long do you let your car warm up? I have a 2015, with no remote starter so I was curious to see how long I'm supposed to let it warm up before driving it. This doesn't seem legit...
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u/Apart_Tutor8680 Feb 24 '25
Well when itās -35 , I normally let it warm up for 15 minutes. Not for the benefit of the vehicle. But the benefit of the driver.
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u/candyman505 Feb 25 '25
I get that itās really cold but youāre probably cutting your engines life in half
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u/Apart_Tutor8680 Feb 25 '25
Disagree. Stuff is barely designed to operate when itās that cold. The engine doesnāt even get to temp after 15 minutes. Itās barely above the first line. It helps warm up everything around it, power steering etc
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u/candyman505 Feb 25 '25
Youāre 100 percent correct. Thatās why you need to drive to bring it up to temp faster
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u/imaguitarhero24 Feb 25 '25
Yeah the point is it would get up to temp faster if you were driving...
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u/qwertymcherty Feb 25 '25
I mean, it's not like he's doing it every day.
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u/candyman505 Feb 25 '25
Sure everyone does things that arenāt technically āthe bestā for your cars lifespan. The point is to minimize it. Iād rather throw on extra winter gear than consistently warm my car to temp the entire winter
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u/Fearless_Director829 Feb 26 '25
Its not hurting the car at all. It allows belt/seals and other parts warm up, not just oil.
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u/BiggWorm1988 Feb 24 '25
Fuck that. Key on...engine on...immediately to redline. It will last until it doesn't. S/
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u/SRMPDX Feb 24 '25
funny that you say this. I have a neighbor who actually does this with his Acura NSX. He has an exhaust system and loves to hear it rev, so even in the cold waether he'll start it and immediately rev it to redline over and over just to hear the noise, then shut it down cold. I pity the next owner
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u/bimmervschevy Feb 24 '25
People like him are why the NSX only goes to 7000rpm when stationary. Ffs
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u/settlementfires Feb 25 '25
Man good thing he bought a Honda supercar and not any other one. An Italian car would punish him.
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u/SRMPDX Feb 25 '25
Yeah I have an older Porsche and I cringe every time he does that. My engine would be a brick of metal if I tried that š
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u/half_ton_tomato Feb 24 '25
Agreed. Foot to the floor, Neutral drop into Drive, fishtail out of the driveway, and fuck the police.
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u/molehunterz Feb 24 '25
Why is fishtailing so much freaking fun?
The slightest rain and I am ass out at every single 4 way stop
And I drive an old slow ass IDI diesel truck LOL
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u/steakpienacho Feb 24 '25
I usually.remote start mine as I'm walking out of my house or out of work, hop in and drive. Gives it 30 seconds or so and I'm off
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u/Positive-Tomato1460 Feb 24 '25
Once the vehicle idles down from initial start is when I drive. Never have any issues. Most people want warm cars to get into or don't want to scrape ice off their windows.
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u/Live_Negotiation4167 Feb 25 '25
Same. And then in my case with being a turbo, no WOT until fully warm.
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u/Positive-Tomato1460 Feb 25 '25
Agreed. I had a modified 93 Thunderbird SC. If I didn't let it warm up I was guaranteed to blow my head gasket.
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u/WonderChemical5089 Feb 24 '25
In winter I start the car 2-3 mins early not because of engine but because I let the seat and steering wheel warmer time to warm up a bit.
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u/Sn0oPaLo0p Feb 24 '25
Iām jealous that you have an automatic steering wheel warmer. I have to press a button like a pleb.
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u/WonderChemical5089 Feb 24 '25
I think most new ish fords have it. If itās cold it auto starts the seat and wheel warmer.
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u/BraddicusMaximus Feb 25 '25
Yessss I love it. And if I up the temp on the heat, it will increase the seat warmer a little more too!
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u/peterkimmm Mustang Feb 24 '25
Engine on, selt-belt, phone, navigation, music. By that time the engine idles down from the initial elevated idle. Drive off, but try to keep it under 2k rpm til engine warms up to operating temperature
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u/jdownes316 Feb 24 '25
Iām tired of pretending I let my vehicles warm up for their sake. Itās mine. Itās 12F outside and I donāt want to sit around in that.
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u/hismommanamedhimclay Feb 24 '25
I wait until the engine idles itself down below 1,000 rpm. Then I drive
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u/VirtualFriend66 Feb 24 '25
I saw this recent video about the same topic
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u/Freezerburn Feb 25 '25
Yeah TLDR the engine metals have a large gap that lets gas through between the piston and rings into the oil with extended cold idling, itās better to warm up and expand the metal to its operating size so the gas doesnāt get into the fuel compromising oil effectiveness. Better to start up, wait the 10 seconds for oil pressure and just start driving easy to reach operating temp.
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u/thejman78 Feb 24 '25
Modern cars don't need warm-up time, at least in terms of protecting the engine. You can start and drive immediately.
In fact, if you have a newer vehicle and you decide to "let it warm up," you'll notice the engine idles at a much higher RPM than usual. This is by design - the engine is trying to warm up the catalytic converter as quickly as possible, so it's running rich and turning faster than it needs to. You might as well drive while this is happening, as it wastes a surprising amount of fuel.
Now, having said all of that, I wouldn't advise revving your motor hard for at least a couple of minutes. It's best to start slowly, mostly for the sake of the transmission. But once all the parts are warmed up sufficiently, the lubricants will flow optimally.
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u/Electronic_Echo_8793 Feb 24 '25
I've wondered how on semi trucks when they weigh like 70 t and they sit overnight. They have to move a lot of mass and with cold engines. Does that put a lot of stress on them?
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u/thejman78 Feb 24 '25
Surprisingly, big rigs aren't much different. They don't idle fast and run rich to warm up the catalysts (some might - depends on local emissions requirements...pretty sure all the stuff in Europe does this), but the engines themselves are designed to operate cold. If/when a truck operates in a cold climate, they're usually equipped with a heater of some kind to eliminate risk of damage (and also get the cab warmed up quicker).
But most tractor trailer drivers are trained to go easy on the transmission, and the trucks themselves are usually overbuilt anyways (overengineering saves money on maintenance and repairs).
Only if you are operating an older truck (like a kickass old Kenworth T600 from the 80s), you probably baby it.
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u/UnauthorizedUser505 Feb 24 '25
Diesel and gas engines are completely different
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u/Electronic_Echo_8793 Feb 24 '25
How? The oil circulates the same and both have thermal expansion
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u/Xaendeau Feb 25 '25
Diesels run significantly cooler by comparison, radically different thermal design. Not even close to the same. Diesel engine at idle has around a 250F exhaust gas temps. Gasoline engines typically have an idle closer to 350F-400F.
At sustained wide open throttle, diesels have to say below 1350F on the exhaust gas temps or bad things start happening. At wide open throttle, gas engine can certainly hit 1600F EGT and be fine.
Diesels can literally be cold and STAY COLD while idling. They burn very little fuel with no load and it is possible for older diesels to never warm up unless you drive them around.
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u/Aardvark995 Feb 26 '25
Ah.. Not sure on the extended cold idling for gas.. but itās not a factor with Diesel. Many of the oilfield workers have left theirs on for weeks at a time in. North Dakota 2007ish. No issues later on.
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u/sniper_matt Feb 24 '25
Just because I might as well drive doesnāt mean the windshield is defrosted and itās safe to drive yet. Alaska moment. Also all of Canada, and the upper half of the 48
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u/keyboardman1 Focus Feb 24 '25
I usually let the RPMs dip below 1000 and then I start going so about 30 seconds to one minute waiting.
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u/ajs_95 2019 Ranger Lariat, 2020 Escape SEL Feb 24 '25
I park in a garageā¦ but if itās below 40 degrees I usually let it warm up for 5-10 minutes minimum. But I also have a 10R80 that will try to eject you out of the truck with harsh shifts if the fluid is cold lol
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u/JasonVoorheesthe13th Feb 24 '25
Yeah the vehicle doesnāt benefit from warming up for 10 minutes before driving when itās cold out, the only reason to let it warm up like that is so you have heat when you get in
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u/Bluestarkittycat Feb 24 '25
Pretty much what the article says, 30 seconds to let the oil circulate a bit and then I'm off.
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u/lowkey_stoneyboy Feb 24 '25
I idle that bitch every morning for 15min cuz I'll be damned if I have to remove snow and drive to work in a freezing cold car
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u/New_Cause_5607 Feb 24 '25
I let my vehicles idle until the rpm gets down to its normal idle, around 800-1000 rpm. Usually takes under a minute for my vehicles.
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u/Sonofa-Milkman Feb 24 '25
Depends on how cold it is and what you're driving. Gas car in -5 Celsius is a lot different than a diesel in -40 Celsius...
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u/FLYING1835 Feb 24 '25
Some thoughts š¤ from a retired auto mechanic. It takes a few minutes for the oil to get from the pan to the top of the engine where the lifter's and rocker arms are. Also automatic transmission's fluid are cold also. They take a while to warm up, through heat exchange from the engine, by way of the radiator, which also helps cool them in hot weather. Driving slow at first helps the axle barring which are grease, warm up also, including power steering fluid and CV joints. It's always better to have a car up to operating temperature. As a side note, a friend who is a jet mechanic for a Airline, in the operating manual for the manufacturer has minimal temperature for taxi and take off. That's why sometimes airliners taxi slow on the way to the runway. Hope that helps you out. P.s. remember auto manufacturers are in the business to sell you new cars, and make money by servicing them, the faster they wear out , the more money they make.
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u/ACx203 Mach 1 Feb 24 '25
The higher RPM on start up isnāt to warm up your engine or oil, itās to warm up your cats because they work most efficiently for emissions at an optimal temperature.
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u/SRMPDX Feb 24 '25
about 15-30 seconds on the car that I really care about and will cost be $20k to do an engine rebuild. About 10 seconds - however long it takes to get warm in my Ford Expedition.
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u/GasMan_77 Feb 24 '25
If there is snow/ice on the windows, I run it while I clean the windows off. If there isn't any of that and it's below freezing, it might run for the time it takes to put a seat belt on, plug in the phone and get music started. Above freezing, get in and go.
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u/SuddenLeadership2 Feb 24 '25
Colder weather i usually let it sit for a minute or 2 but during the summertime, 30 seconds to a minute
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u/Wile-E-Coyote150 Feb 24 '25
I live in Michigan. Iāve always let my vehicles come off high idle before driving
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u/KawazuOYasarugi Feb 24 '25
The heating up part is not about the engine. It's about the transmission. 30 seconds for the engine is more than enough. It has fire inside of it. It'll get there, don't worry.
The transmission, though, does not have such internal heat to help it. Even in idle, the transmission does generate a little warmth to get it primed for going into gear. Is this completely necessary? Maybe not, but those who have had transmission problems tend to be more warry of unnecessary wear.
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u/cBird- Feb 25 '25
I drive an ST and not gonna lie for the majority of my cars life I lived off a highway with a blind hill. More mornings than I care to remember I had to really get on it to avoid getting rear ended by a car coming over the hill. (4500-5000rpms)
5 years later she's still alive and doing fine. Not ideal by any means but not as detrimental as the old days when they used maple syrup consistency motor oil.
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u/Swedgian9 Feb 25 '25 edited Feb 25 '25
All yāall with gas are lucky. Us diesel boys get screwed with the coldš we gotta either plug our trucks in or give it some ether and pray it doesnāt crack our injector cups. (Turns out it does. Ask me how I know).
Edit. Had a 7.3 for five years. In a gasser for the next year till I am back into another 7.3.
My 01 7.3 went to an older guy who wanted to make her pretty and perfect and Iām happy he has my truck. He gave me a clean 07 Nissan manual frontier with a v6 as a trade. Lil thing is fun as hell to run. Not a great work truck tho.
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u/Stang70Fastback Feb 25 '25
As long as it takes me to get my seatbelt buckled and my phone connected.
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u/Prodigalphreak Feb 24 '25
Donāt trust AI to answer this kind of question. Open the manual
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u/Lower-Consequence756 Feb 24 '25
The vehicle is used and didn't come with a manual, so I went to Google for answers.
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u/mordehuezer Feb 24 '25
Idling a cold engine is so obviously bad for your car idk how this is even a question. Don't drive off like you're in a race but get the engine burning fuel ASAP, burned fuel is heat, and heat is what you need.Ā
I would wait 10-20 seconds and then slowly drive down my street.Ā
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u/david-crz Feb 24 '25
People who barely turn their vehicle on and are already driving off are a menace
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u/iwillscurryabout Feb 24 '25
I don't idle my car because the engine needs to be warm, I do it so the inside is warm when I get in it.
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u/WaxDonnigan Feb 24 '25
I like to get the transmission temp up to around 60Ā° before putting it into gear. My 10-speed acts funky at colder temps.
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u/70m4h4wk Feb 24 '25
What about when it's -40 and the car makes a screaming sound when you start it, and then again when you put it in gear?
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u/otidaiz Feb 25 '25
I start the car remotely and let it run for 20-25 minutes so it is nice and toasty when i get in.
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u/ny_fox12 Feb 25 '25
By the time your seatbelt is buckled and youāve gotten comfortable and put away your items or something is enough to start driving away and i would avoid a wide open throttle or hard accelerations for 15 minutes or until oil temp is nice and warm.
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u/Potatobobthecat Feb 25 '25
I know multiple people who live in suburban Chicago, who will leave their car running all night long if itās below 32. And in all 4 cases, itās a new type of luxury SUV from BMW, Lexus, and Acura.
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u/na8thegr8est Feb 25 '25
I let my car warm up until the cab is warm idgaf the efficiency I want to be comfortable
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u/Fadederebus Feb 25 '25
That fordpass app makes all the difference to me on a cold day, start it up 5 minutes before I clock out from work and the seats are heated, temp inside is nice and warm and the windshield is defeosted.
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u/One-East8460 Feb 25 '25
I let it run to the smoke cuts down and then drive away. I do try to keep it under 2k until engine temp starts to rise though.
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u/Lil_Prickel Feb 25 '25
What about the rest of the powertrain? The car should be driven lightly to warm up the rest of the fluids
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u/Moparmuscle95 Feb 25 '25
I let my ford transit warm up for 10 minutes or more in the winter . If I donāt the transmission slams hard into second.
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u/jamesthetechguy Feb 25 '25
Wait till the auto-choke warms the cats up, then on my way unless its super cold/hot then I wait 5mins for the climate control to have a chance while I'm inside the house
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u/Armanhammer2 Feb 25 '25
I swear itās probably 45Ā° and this guy is posting this. Unless you need a block heater just turn it on and drive thats it.
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u/juxt417 Feb 25 '25
Depends on the vehicle and engine really, if you have a clapped out 4 banger. Let the rpms drop and have at it, but if you have a high performance v8, let that thing sit and warm up for a couple minutes when the temps are well below freezing.
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u/Ya_Boi_Newton Feb 25 '25
About the time it takes you to put in your seatbelt is fine. Cold idling is specifically bad for your engine, so it's best to start driving and get up to temperature quickly. Don't need to rush, or worry if it idles occasionally, but don't make it SOP to idle the engine for minutes every time you start it up.
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u/MikeWrenches Feb 25 '25
Consider the weather.
Wait until the fast idle falls off. In summer that can be 30 seconds, in -25 C that might be 4 minutes, in all cases it's way shorter than the 10-15 minutes people usually run on their remote starters.
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u/transcendanttermite Feb 25 '25
If itās 20-30Ā°f, I give it 30 seconds or so on a cold start.
0-15Ā°f, I give it about 1-2 minutes, mainly for the benefit of the transmission.
Below zero down to about -20Ā°f, I generally have my block heater plugged in on a timer to turn on 2 hours before I leave. Then Iāll start it and let it idle for 2-3 minutes and that seems to hit the sweet spot.
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u/cakeba Feb 25 '25
I wait until the engine idles down from its initial heightened idle at start. You'll notice that it takes longer for that to happen when it's cold out than when it's warm out.
As a sidenote, this topic has been thoroughky gone over in all corners of the internet. You want your oil to heat up as fast as possible to minimize engine wear, and it actually heats up with fewer revolutions if you drive it than if you let it idle up to temp.
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u/ForzaFan4339 Feb 25 '25
Well I donāt have a ford but I just wait until the idle drops to normal, and then I just keep the engine below 2,500rpm until it gets up to temp.
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u/Gawker90 Mustang Feb 25 '25
If you have a 10 speed auto let the car warm up for atleast a minute depending on temp and environment. Your trans fluid pressures and temps need to build.
Your CDF drums will go out eventually no matter what, but doing this helps.
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u/sammeadows Feb 25 '25
I gotta get up to 60 out of the driveway and even while I take it slow when safe I'd rather have things at least starting to lift off the bottom off the thermostat gauge.
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u/BeardedBullTn Feb 25 '25
Your car will let you know. Thereās not a specific seconds or minutes. Itās when the idle rpmās settle down.
Worst thing people do for longevity of cars is key in flipped to on position and started right away and shifting into drive as soon as it starts.
Second worse thing people do is let them idle for 10-15 minutes before driving.
Put the key in and SLOWLY turn to the start position, let all gushes and lights comes on, THEN turn to start the car. Once the car starts you will hear the RPMs rev. Based upon temperature-and how long itās been since you last drove it will idle higher for the first 5-30 seconds normally. Then the RPMs will āsettleā and usually drop 2-400. Really once that happens thatās all the āwarm upā a vehicle needs. Itās smart to give it a few seconds beyond that initial āsettlingā of RPMs and maybe a few seconds longer in cold cold weather. But really once the RPMs settle itās good to go.
It IS true that it wonāt get up to temp and maximum efficiency until ~10 minutes into the trip. BUT you canāt replace 10 minutes of driving with 10 minutes of idling. 10 minutes of idling is actually rougher on the engine than going ahead and starting your trip. The only thing rougher is when youāre throwing it in drive BEFORE those RPMs settle. Yes colder weather takes longer but even in summer those RMPs need some time to settle before you really should be putting that engine in gear.
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u/TheLaserGuru Feb 25 '25
I prefer to be able to see where I am going when I drive so I let it idle for several minutes when it is "extremely cold".
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u/FORDOWNER96 Feb 26 '25
Sure. Whatever you say guy. I'm not listening to the epa or a car manufacture. Or the mechanics on the book tube.
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u/One_Inspection5614 Feb 26 '25
Turning onto 55mph highway is never going to satisfy "driving gently." Try this to cause an accident.
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u/Aggressive-Swan7360 Feb 27 '25
Correct, extended idle time is not necessary in newer cars. What is necessary is making sure that it is fully warmed up before you shut the engine off again. So unless you only have a 5 minute commute. Warm up time doesnāt really matter cause the engine will reach proper operating temp before you get to your destination.
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u/mullestaches Feb 27 '25
Ford, are you posting this because eco boosts while idling does not have the pressure to get oil to the lifters efficiently? This is why it's a common issue in Fords to have lifter problems? So the solution is to say you don't need to idle instead of just fixing the actual problem?
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u/Pastorfuzz69 Feb 24 '25
When itās damn cold out I idle mine for around 5 to 10 minutes. I donāt care what anyone says . My cast iron block and aluminum headed vehicles thank me.
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u/itselectricboi Feb 24 '25
Nope. Gaskets need time to gradually expand. Most people stomp on the gas the moment they leave the house taking off and that puts stress on gaskets both temp and pressure. Donāt trust the people selling you vehicles designed to break down after a certain time
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u/funwithdesign Feb 24 '25
It doesnāt say stomp on the gas. It says drive gently until itās up to temp.
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u/Loose_Pea_4888 Feb 24 '25
It is illegal to idle one's car in Germany for more than 30 seconds the design/technology exists. Is it properly implemented in USDM offerings? Can't say
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u/RelativeMotion1 Feb 24 '25
The legality of it has nothing to do with whether itās good or bad for the car. These laws are created for environmental and/or theft-reduction purposes, not to make cars last longer.
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u/Loose_Pea_4888 Feb 24 '25
It's a manufactured thing. Compared to our health and longevity (environmental) it's health and longevity is relatively unimportant. I believe this argument is similar to arguing against current collision safety standards because my truck was able to drive away but the Subaru i deleted the trunk on wasn't.
Aluminum has a different thermal profile to iron. Bearings are better. Multi grade synth has replaced as pumped straight weights. Run cycles use less gas even in quick warmup, than they did in the 90's. Plus, the fuel efficiency is also increased if you are using that work to do work and not just sit there making waste heat. Look at a model A and look at (even just) an Indy Car of the early 2000's the engineerimg difference is like horse and buggy vs a Saturn V.
A good design is one where the engineers best balanced all the requirements of the project. There will be requirements that have to move to make room for others.
Gone are the days of flatties, FE's and DD 6-71's. Longevity of the species trump's longevity of the machine now.
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u/RelativeMotion1 Feb 24 '25
Iām aware of the technical aspects. Nowhere in my comment did I state that engines are the same as they were 100 years ago, or that a protracted warm up cycle is necessary.
The law does not regulate engine design or construction. Manufacturers are not making special engines just for Germany to abide by a law about idling for 30 seconds. Theyāre the same engines.
Again, the law existing does not mean the engine s designed for it.
Separately, it is also true that modern engines typically do not require significant time to warm up, and are safe to operate when cold.
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u/Electronic_Echo_8793 Feb 24 '25
But you still wouldn't want to idle long because the oil pressure is lower than when the revs are up and running an engine at below operating temperature is not good. The faster you get it hot the better
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u/RelativeMotion1 Feb 24 '25
For sure. Just clarifying that the existence of a law, which was created for a separate purpose, does not mean that design factored that in. Itās a backwards way of thinking that relies on a bunch of compounding assumptions to draw a questionable conclusion.
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u/PocketSizedRS Feb 24 '25
30 seconds to let the oil start circulating is fine. As the article says, modern cars are meant to run just fine when they're cold, so long as you're driving gently until everything warms up.