How long should I let my car warm up before driving?

[exodus.eco]

Hey y'all,
Just wondering how long you guys let your cars warm up before driving..? Is there a certain temp I should be looking to surpass before I take it out?

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[Muhnopoly]

If you DD it just start it up and wait maybe 30 seconds to a min. Just don't gun it before it's fully warmed up. If you barely drive it then definitely let it warm up to operating Temps.
I DD mine and if I remember at 6am to start it from my phone 10 mins before I leave then great but sometimes I forgot and it's just alil jerky when shifting till I get to op Temps

I have a 20 GT and live in condos/apartments and I have corsa extremes so I try to start with my phone so I don't have to hear the start up because it's suuuuper loud in the AM

 

[traktrbeam]

I wait till the oil temp is in the normal range and the head temp is around 190 degrees, but don't really get on it until the trans is warmed up.

 

[77Highboy77]

I let mine drop down to a normal idle before driving, then stay out of boost until the oil is up to 140 degrees, which is just about the start of the "normal" zone on the dash.

 

[Orange devil]

When it's cold ,like to give at least 3 to 5 before I drive off ,mostly because I want it comfortable while I drive. I hate being cold while driving.

 

[sdsteele2]

This is one of those questions like “which brand of motor oil is best?”. Everyone here is going to have an opinion and they are all generally going to fall into 2 camps. Camp A; start it up and drive (maybe wait till the fast idle stops). Camp B; never drive it till it’s fully warmed up.

My 2 cents worth of advice, just don’t beat on it till the motor and transmission are warmed up. That has served me well for 20 years and countless cars and trucks.

 

[PRG3k]

The only important thing you need to mind is the oil temperature. When you first start the car, you can start driving right away if you want. I like to sit for a minute or two, but thats personal. It does not matter.

What matters is oil temperature. Don't boost the motor until the oil is properly warmed up. The Ecoboost holds 5.7 quarts which is a ton of oil for a 4 cylinder. The coolant and block can heat up in just a few minutes, but the oil will often be way behind. The dash indicator for oil temp switches over from from showing 'Cold/Low' to 'Normal' when the oil hits 142 degrees which is still not a great heat range to start boosting. Give it another couple of minutes of driving after that and it will probably be around 160-170 degrees which then you can start boosting to your hearts content. If not, then your accelerating wear on things like turbo bearings and rod/crank bearings.

 

[andyturbo2000]

As long as you're not canning it cold, you're fine to use boost. The car is designed to do that.

 

[ICU812]

Todays cars are designed to not sit and idle as this is waste and when the vehicle makes the most emissions. You can get in and start it and go, just not get on it till warm.
If it is 45* or lower, I start it remotely and by the time I have my jacket on, and locked up , it's been 3-5 minutes and the seat is warm and frost off the front glass.
I not a fan of the door glass automaticly opening 1/4 inch when you go to open the door, for those that daily these, and have snow,ice you'll have to remember to clear off the side glass really good before opening the door, or the iced window doing a number on the rubber seal at the top of the door.
waiting on oil temp is not needed if you have the correct oil in the pan for your temp/season and you are not a throttle junkie till it gets warm.

 

[Radiation Joe]

Start it. Drive it. Keep the rpm low until the oil pressure isn't pegged. Pressure at 90 psi means the oil pump is in bypass and the engine is not getting full oil flow.

 

[jwt]

If you're really bothered use synthetic oil, stays more viscous at cold really really really bothered 0W-whatever, but I guarantee you the car will be sold or something else will break long before any damage you cause by driving easily for the first few minutes until it has warmed up.

Hell your tires will be cold never mind your oil so save the diggs until everything has warmed up

 

[ihasnostang]

how high of oil pressure is bad for the turbo seals etc? i have seen mine peg the gauge at 100psi when leaving the garage at 60 degrees while load at 2k.

 

[Son of SVO]

Things have changed significantly in regards to turbo cars over the last 30+ years. There was no real synthetic oil for instance, maybe Mobil 1? Cooling of the turbo bearings has always been key to longevity. Agreed you should not hop on it until temps are up, just drive easy. I typically run mine in Normal until then. I also do not shut the car off right away especially after highway or spirited driving. Let it idle for a minute or two. The oil needs to circulate out of the turbo bearings.

 

[coz0502]

This is what I do, not saying it's the right way, just my way. I start the car and let it idle until the RPMs hit the normal idle range once warm, usually 30 - 60 seconds. Then I drive the car conservatively until it reaches normal operating temp. Conservative driving means easy on the throttle and shifting around 3,000 to 3,500 RPMs. This takes around 10 mins, then drive normally.

 

[Dave TBG]

I don't think it matters how long you let it warm up before you start driving, that only warms up the engine. Don't start flogging it until all the driveline components have warmed up a bit. Your trans and rear need to warm up too.

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