engine warm up

Hi all,

I am a proud owner of a mk3 valver. Can someone please tell me if leaving the engine on idle for around 5 - 10 minutes on a freezing morning is the best way to warm the engine up. Some people think you should just drive off straight away. please can i have some advise.

Thanks

 

cant say I ever leave it running for any time before driving off but I never go above 3000 revs until the engine is warm (+/- 60oC)

 

The handbook which comes with your car states that you should drive off straight away, that's good enough for me.

 

Yes.

 

your not supposed to leave an engine running. Not sure of the machinical reason but i do not it drink petrol on tick over.

And, as said, the hand book does say to drive off straight away.

I have found that in my car if i drive a short distance, about 1/2 mile, then stop and a few mins later staert tje engine it heats up a lot quicker.

 

Leaving it to idle is the best thing.

70-80% of engine wear occours in the first 5-10mins of starting up, leaving it idleing with no load puts virtually zero wear on the engine.

Of course the manual says drive off straight away, can you imagine the grief customers would give VW if it said "before any journey start the car for 10mins".

 

You've definitely got a point Golden, VW wouldn't be popular if they specified a 10 min warm up

I usually try and let mine sit for a minute or two if it's really cold then stick below 3000rpm until about 75 degrees c.

I'm not good enough at getting out of bed in the morning to allow for a ten minute wait anyway

 

Mine Idles roughly so I normally give it a min to wake up. Then when temp comes to life (50) drive normally.

 

I do the same I have always believed in letting an engine warm up before you gun it, it gives it the respect and care its due! its apity the previous owners didnt think like that! I usually drive off straight away unless its freezing

 

But i read NOT TO IDLE this was because when you first start the engine the choke/injection system forces more fuell into the engine this washes oil off the bores & causes wear.
Hence why you should drive off & get the engine up to temp quicker.
I see the point of the views on here but really not shure which is best?

 

Personally I dont understand why everyone worrys, drive off straight away, once upto temp, belt it!!

Waste of petrol letting it warm up and who cares how carefull you are with the car, think about the 5 owners before you that didnt give a feck!!

 

If you let your engine idle for a while there is also the issue of the oil and water temps rising at different rates, surely it's better to just drive off

You are still putting more stress on the cam at idle too than if you drove it.

Just do what you have been doing, everyone obviously has their own opinions on this...

I know what I would do

 

In the winter, when the car screens are frozen, and its physical agony to sit in the car i usually just start it up and sit in the the sittin room with a cup of tea...by the time i get down (10-15 mins) the screens are clear, the car is warm, and then off i go!

Dont really mind the little bit of diesel it costs cos its prob safer to let the car de-ice than to drive it without being able to see clearly, and be shivering whilst driving!

If it causes damamge to the engine i may reconsider this in the future!?

 

It doesn't damage the engine. The worst thing you can do is start a car, drive it a short distance, then switch it off.

 

Why is that, is it something to do with the block expanding/contracting??

 

It fills the engine oil, exhaust, etc. with acidic condensation, which then sits there once you turn the engine off.

 

i`d love the privelage of letting the car idle for 10 - 15 mins .........
but round here whenever u came out to get into the car there would be nothing more left other than a dry patch ...............................

 

Let it warm up, as Golden said there is practically no stress on the engine when it is idling.