ClutchOne

I was Told that since I have a
Older Model Car '93 that I should Warm
It up before I drive it ...

Is this True ???

If so How Long and Why should I ?

Alexis-LS

It is never a bad idea to warm up the engine especially in cold weather. How long, that's $1,000,000 question. In summer, I wait like 10 sec. In winter, ranging between 2 mins to 4 mins or until my windshield is defrosted.

Schnitz

iTrader: (5)

For me, 30 secs regardless of season. From what I know that's more than enough to get the motor lubricated and an engine is designed to be most efficient in motion.

Lexozz

At least 5 minutes in the winter. From what I've experienced, the tranny takes longer to shift when it is freezing cold.

desert400

Mine sleeps in the garage, so warm-up beyond how much time it takes to find a song on my Zune is unnecessary. However, when cold (32 degrees or less), 1-3 minutes helps my tranny shift a little smoother.

JAndersson

I use a block heater and a interior heater so normally it's no need to wait more then a few seconds before I can start driving. But like today when it was -29 degrees Celsius (-20 Fahrenheit), I started the car and let it run for a few minutes when I removed the snow from the car.

avalon42

iTrader: (1)

I let it warm up for about 30 sec to 1 min in So Cal.

Wreckless

Mine sleeps outside. I'll give it at least 10 seconds or so, but never much more than that unless it's freezing outside. If it's snowy or icy and i need to scrape & brush her off, I'll start the car and let it idle as I'm doing that.

For the most part, 95% of it is choosing the right oil for your climate and keeping it changed. Since the 1UZ-FE specs for 5w30 to begin with, if you stick to a quality 5w30 you're well set all year round. If you live in particularly cold climates a 0w30, (that is much thinner than a 5w30 when cold) isn't a bad idea.
It only takes a couple seconds at most to get full oil pressure, but it's how rapidly that oil gets where it needs to go that really counts. Generally speaking, thicker oil moves slower. Also, thinner oil tends to get up to operating temp faster.

Last summer I worked on an SC400 belonging to a friend's mom. It had almost 240k miles on the original engine & trans, and apparently it's never seen anything but Mobil 1 5w30 every 5k miles with a new Napa Gold (Wix) filter. I was doing some simple stuff, I replaced a seeping valve cover gasket and when I got the valve cover off, it looked like a 30k mile motor tops. Just a light bronze patina and all the bearing surfaces on the camshafts, etc looked great.

The fact is that the 1UZ-FE is an outstandingly engineered engine with tolerances intended for thinner 5w30 oil from the get-go. Warming up is generally more critical with older engines or built engines that require thicker oil due to specific bearing/ring tolerances. I'm no professional, but I've worked on several 1UZ-FE's and I've seen an example that literally didn't have oil changed for over two years of daily driving, possibly as much as 30k on the same batch of oil. It must have been good oil because the inside of the engine looked nasty but no worse really than most older engines. Once the basics were replaced like the oil, sparkplugs, air filter, etc, it ran smoothly and quietly. I was shocked, considering it had around 130k and hadn't seen an oil change in two years.

So, all that being said, I think a brief warmup isn't a bad thing, but so long as you have a quality oil appropriate for the climate you're in, it isn't nearly as harmful to the engine to drive while it's still cold compared to most other cars.

3UZFTE

Up in Minneapolis, It's freezing for 6 months, and heatwave of the other 6. Anyways, it really depends on what your time consist of. If I have like a 10 minute window to start and warm up the car, I usually try to get a few minutes of it warming up before I go anywhere. That being said, have I just hoped in the car and started it and taken off, yes. Does it change anything, no. Simply put, if you have the time, it's not a bad thing, however the car/fluid will warm up quicker if the vehicle is moving. The reason why it shifts sluggish and firm when it's cold is that it is forcing the thicker fluid through the same holes as when it's at op temp. So yes, it has some effect, but it isn't good or bad. Here is what I tell my friends, when you start the car, you will have a high idle, around 1,500 or so, when it starts to drop back down from 1,500rpm is when I take off, which is about 10-20 seconds. Hope this helps.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

i give mine about 10-20seconds before i start driving it, but i keep it under 2500-3000rpm until the fluids warm up.

lowKut

iTrader: (3)

I guess i am the only one who warms his car up for over 10+ minutes. I usually do the remote start before I am ready to leave the house which is automatically set to shut off after 15 minutes, I let it run the entire course.

In the winter before I exit the car I always leave the heat at 75 - 80 degrees at mid range this way when I do the remote start for 15 minutes and enter the car is all warmed-up

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

haha me too Mark...i also use remote start and let it run for like 7 mins or so, this way its nice and toasty when i get in the car.

hypervish

I warm up my RX at least 5 mins. every morning. I'm in NJ and currently temps in the morning are high 20's or low 30's.

omarg

its been pretty cold here in GA recently. I try to start my car about 5 minutes before i leave. mainly so i'm comfortable on my 6 min. drive to work.

Li Ls4

iTrader: (12)

me 2 i wait till its nice at toasty in the car b4 i even think of getting in it lol ill let it warm up anywhere from 5-15 min.