How long before driving off
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 30,341
Likes: 9
From: Cambridge, Ont. Canada
Originally Posted by randman
Saw that in the manual too. There's another school of thought, which I read somewhere a number of years ago. Suppossedly, if a car has been sitting parked overnight, the oil settles, and certain parts of the engine may not have sufficient oil. So, it is best to get the car moving soon after starting the engine, in order to get the oil evenly distributed. However, the car should only be driven very slowly to do this; for example, backing out of the garage slowly should be sufficient to get the oil going - do not drive the car off right away. You should still "baby" the car for the first 30 seconds - i.e. move the car after starting, but go very slowly, and once it's moved a little, you can keep going slowly or even stop for the remaining 30 seconds.
Anyway, that's one school of thought. For a personal convenience issue, I find it much more convenient (and takes less patience) to follow this school of thought. Also, leaving the car running inside the garage for 30 seconds will just build up carbon monoxide in the garage.
Anyway, that's one school of thought. For a personal convenience issue, I find it much more convenient (and takes less patience) to follow this school of thought. Also, leaving the car running inside the garage for 30 seconds will just build up carbon monoxide in the garage.
To my mind, you can drive off almost right away as long as your windows are clear and don't fog.
If they do, you'll need some air conditioned heat to clear them which would take a few minutes of warming the engine.
Remember too that hi revs on a cold engine is very bad, so driving while cold is fine but no high rpms.
C.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 392
Likes: 3
From: Aurora, IL
Originally Posted by jimmyc13
I personally play it safe and NEVER drive my car until the temp gauge starts to rise, especially in COLD weather.....in warm weather, I'm not as conservative.
Originally Posted by JMZ_blkobsidian
Ditto here. Sometimes I end up waiting 4-5 minutes for the needle to start moving when it is 20-30 degF outside. I just listen to music and clear my head.
. Man, do I love that thing!Msedanman - Is that true?...it doesn't do any harm whatsoever to drive your car right after you start it (assuming it's 10 degrees Fahrenheit out)? The oil really is thicker then and just thought it'd be bad for the engine.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
From: Columbia, SC
My understanding is that the clearances in the engine are designed for operating temperature - so if you're driving the car before it warms up fully, certain clearances may be off as the different metal alloys warm up. This is particularly important for aluminum block engines. Today's oil pumps are very effective in moving the oil to all parts of the engine quickly, assumimg it's not extremely (read Greenland) cold. I assume Nissan filters for the G also have the check valve that holds some oil in the filter for faster lubrication too.
To answer the question, I don't drive the G or the Q until the temperature has gotten into the normal range - and won't top 3000 RPM until it's to full operating temperature. It's also important to not lug the engine when it's cold, so in the Q I keep it locked down in 3rd. The G (with all electric fans that I assume stay almost off during warmup) seems to warm up much faster - so it's already up to operating temperature before I get out of the neighborhood.
Heath
To answer the question, I don't drive the G or the Q until the temperature has gotten into the normal range - and won't top 3000 RPM until it's to full operating temperature. It's also important to not lug the engine when it's cold, so in the Q I keep it locked down in 3rd. The G (with all electric fans that I assume stay almost off during warmup) seems to warm up much faster - so it's already up to operating temperature before I get out of the neighborhood.
Heath
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 30,341
Likes: 9
From: Cambridge, Ont. Canada
Originally Posted by jimmyc13
I just use my viper remote starter 5 minutes before I decide I want to leave and then get in the car..... . Man, do I love that thing!
Msedanman - Is that true?...it doesn't do any harm whatsoever to drive your car right after you start it (assuming it's 10 degrees Fahrenheit out)? The oil really is thicker then and just thought it'd be bad for the engine.
. Man, do I love that thing!Msedanman - Is that true?...it doesn't do any harm whatsoever to drive your car right after you start it (assuming it's 10 degrees Fahrenheit out)? The oil really is thicker then and just thought it'd be bad for the engine.
Our oil should maintain a good, even consistency and thickness/thin-ness all the way down to -20 to -30F
In that kind of weather I'd warm it for a few minutes for sure, but for milder temps in and around freezing, to me it's just a waste of gas.....
but like I said, don't horse the engine at all until completely warmed.
Those guys out west have block heaters to help with that kind of weather and from what I understand, some have more than one block heater..
and must keep gas tanks full to prevent moisture buildup in the tank.
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 30,341
Likes: 9
From: Cambridge, Ont. Canada
Originally Posted by kraqcommando
How bad is it to redline your car?
..... real bad...
-- you don't get proper lubricating until the engine and oil reach normal operating temp....and without proper lubrication, you'll destroy bearings leading to major engine work.
Avoid it like the plague.
C.
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