Hi, I read alot about the IS model telling me not to warm up or maybe 20 secs or so DO NOT IDLE the car. I wonder if this apply to the RX350 as well.. thanks

 

I notice a lot more power available after around a 4 minute warm up (ie 4 minutes of easy driving before any highway acceleration). I suspect that the computer retards the spark advance until it is warmed up.

 

Well, given that the oil is all settled at the bottom of the block and is not cold and even more sluggish it only makes sense -to me- to warm the car up some before driving off, accelerating with less oil flowing in a cold block.

I personally let mine warm up a good 3-5 minutes before driving off. This is when I get things organized in the car, get the radio/cd together etc. maybe review my schedule on my Treo etc. while the car is warming up.

I think we need MMarsahll to chime in here.

 

In my RX300, from a cold start, it takes 13 minutes for a full warm up (with the temperature gauge at its normal maximum normally right at or just a tad above the center mark). When I take it to the track, I give it 3 to 4 minutes from a cold start, otherwise it will not let me into the the higher gears. There is also and emissions reason for this (ask me if I care).

 

I guess the RX and the IS is totally different in term of warm up. Thanks guys

 

I warm up all by vehicles by driving it at slow to moderate speed.

I read it somewhere that idling for more than a minute is just a waste
of gas and more importantly bad for the catalytic converter.

 

Read the manual.

In nutshell, you intention is to get to the optimum operating temprature as quickly as possible. The key is not to stress the engine before that point. When you drive, the engine and the rest get warmer sooner. The lubrication takes less than 3 sec to be fully active. If you stand still and warm up, you are not warming up the transmission and the diff/trans_axle.


Salim.

 

I agree with this. You want to warm up the car and get all lubricants to optimal operating temperature ASAP without stressing the engine. Sitting in idle warming up takes too long. Driving moderately warms the car up faster without adding undue stress on the engine, saves gas, and gets you to your destination at the same time. However, if it is freezing cold out there you do need to warm up the car in idle a bit so I'm told. It rarely gets below 60 degrees were I am so I wouldn't know about that.

 

hey when you guys start your car in the morning does the car start "hard" kind of like a start and the engine going right to 2000 rpm?

 

nope. mine is an easy start and rpm rises to about 1200.

 

Now I just wait 20 seconds after I start and then I am ready to go, just need to drive in low speed for about 10 mins and then I can rock this baby!!

 

That's the way to do it.

Turn ignition to on, confirm all indicator lamps turn on, twist to start & let go, confirm all lamps go off, confrim all occupants have the safety belts on, [optional: make a prayer], engage gear and bear off.

Salim

 

good step man..

 

Actually if you read 95% of all vehicle manuals you will find they say to warm up a vehicle for only 10 or 20 seconds and then drive moderately for a short period after that. This is pretty much just to let the various lubricating fluids start flowing and not to stress cold components. For those of us that live in northern climates of the country we may warm our vehicles up for 5, 10 or even 15 minutes before putting it into gear. This is not so much as to warm up the fluids but rather to allow the engine to generate some heat so as to get the interior of the vehicle warming up. When your vehicle has been sitting outside either overnight or while at work and the outside temps are below 0 degrees it's nice to let the vehicle run awhile so it starts putting out heat into the interior. On many occasions I do this but a few times I have just started it up, let run 20 or 30 seconds and started off at a slow speed. When I have done this the heater usually isn't even running yet. It's not unusual for the blowers to not start running for 30, 45 or even 60 seconds after I start it on very cold days. Might be part of the way the system is designed to keep it from just blowing out very cold air from the vents at start up. During warmer weather (above 25/30 degrees) I just start it up and let run a few seconds while fastening seat belts, and doing any other little adjustments. By the way for those of you who have never really experienced really cold weather, here's a good example of "cold": When you get in your vehicle and start off you feel like you have 4 "flat" tires", the vehicle just thumps along for a few blocks. That's because it is so cold that your tires freeze a flat spot on them that takes a few blocks of turning before they warm up enought or rotate enough to make them round again!

2005 RX330 Thundercloud
Thundercloud Mist, Gray/Black interior with Black Birdseye Maple Trim, NAV, ML, HID with AFS, Rain sensing wipers, Headlight Washers, Tow Package with OEM Hitch, 18" Thundercloud rims with Michelin MXV4s.

 

It never gets that cold down here

The vent blower being in Auto is smart to realize that it wil lbe blowing cold air as well as it will not let the engine heat up quicker, runs at low speed. [In hot country we can use the blower to prevent engine from over heating too ]


Try this ...
IN winter start the car and idel for 10sec or so and start moving. See how sooner the engine warms up as compared to standing and idelling.

If the occupants stay indoors (not in RX) then I can understand you would prefer the cabin to get warm before stepping in. On the contrary, if the occupants are already in the cabin, it would be better to roll and warm up the engine quicker.

Salim