Engine warm up...?

**MikesVT** · 07-10-2006, 02:38 AM

I have a Ecotech V6, VT series2. Now every morning when I start my car the engine temp is cold for about 10 minutes of driving. I can't sit there waiting for it to warm up as there is always someone waiting for my spot as soon as I unlock it. When driving when its cold I try not to let it rev over 2000... Should I be tryng to keep it lower when cold? Also... should it be like this? The only other cars I have driven before have been V8's and above which arent cold when you start them up. Is it just a v6 thing? Anything I can do to get it to warm up any quicker? How should I drive when it is cold?

Thanks for any help!

**deserthead** · 07-10-2006, 06:56 AM

Mate I do the same thing. I dont take mine over 2k aswell, probly dont have to but its a piece of mind thing.
Also mine takes like 5-10 mins to warm up, its a pain in the arse.
My other halfs Mirage is warm in like 2 mins. . . . . .

**NVE_069** · 07-10-2006, 09:25 AM

I always thought an have heard with the newer car well from say the vn u didnt have to warm them up unlike the older ones. altho i warm mine up too but drive normal. does it depend on the oil ur usen? as i thought if u had good oil u should be able to start up an drive straight away? im sure there is mixed thoughts on this topic.

**1991_Vn2nV** · 07-10-2006, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by MikesVT

I have a Ecotech V6, VT series2. Now every morning when I start my car the engine temp is cold for about 10 minutes of driving. I can't sit there waiting for it to warm up as there is always someone waiting for my spot as soon as I unlock it. When driving when its cold I try not to let it rev over 2000... Should I be tryng to keep it lower when cold? Also... should it be like this? The only other cars I have driven before have been V8's and above which arent cold when you start them up. Is it just a v6 thing? Anything I can do to get it to warm up any quicker? How should I drive when it is cold?

Thanks for any help!

Nah theres no real need to warm a car up anymore. Not on more modern commodores. But I wouldnt start her straight her up and start revvin her to 5000 either

Maybe a new thermostat could help if your car is taking ages to warm up, but generally thats just how they are. My VN is the same basically. But dont try and keep it under 2000 if you dont want to as there is no need for it on the modern engines.

**MikesVT** · 07-10-2006, 11:59 AM

Ahh... sweet. Thanks guys! I don't think I'll be getting a new thermostat, I'm still waiting to save up $500 to spend on a new fuel sender unit which is stuffed!!
I think like deserthead said, keeping it under about 2000 is a piece of mind thing, but good to know its ok if i go a little over.
thanks again

**veclubby** · 07-10-2006, 01:42 PM

how long ago was it wen u replaced your radiator cap?

last service i did and makes the car warm up alot quicker, guess it's just coz it keeps it at a higher pressure.

but yeh they are only $10 and normally they need replacing every 2-3 years.

cheers
ryan

**deserthead** · 07-10-2006, 03:30 PM

Ah I should have mentioned that the times there for the car to warm up is normal driving not sitting there.
I only let it sit there for bout a minute when its on LPG to let the idle smooth out.

**sircruisealotVS** · 07-10-2006, 04:18 PM

hmm, 10 mins...that seems a little long-ish. mine takes about 2-3mins tops to get to running temp ( 1/4 up the temp gauge). 10 mins is a long time when you put in in perspective, id be a little concerned.

**MikesVT** · 07-10-2006, 07:17 PM

maybe a little less than 10, its not that it stays at 'cold' for that long, it slowly warms up, but i mean to the normal temp between 1/4 and half way. I'll try the radiator cap, I've only had the car 7 months so i wouldnt have a clue how long its been.

**pandaman** · 08-10-2006, 02:14 AM

Originally Posted by 1991_Vn2nV

Nah theres no real need to warm a car up anymore. Not on more modern commodores. But I wouldnt start her straight her up and start revvin her to 5000 either

Maybe a new thermostat could help if your car is taking ages to warm up, but generally thats just how they are. My VN is the same basically. But dont try and keep it under 2000 if you dont want to as there is no need for it on the modern engines.

I'd have to disagree, when the engine is cold the lubricants aren't up to temperature and aren't going to do their job as effectively, I don't care if it's a 1950's morris or a 2006 beemer that basic fact is not going to change. Also as engine components heat up they expand slightly, flogging the arse off it and putting too much force through cold components that aren't at their normal operating clearances yet just doesn't seem like a good idea. While newer cars definitely warm up quicker than older ones thanks to smartarse cooling system and the like and engine design's have improved to take more abuse, I still reckon it's good to take it easy till it gets up to temperature.

**1991_Vn2nV** · 08-10-2006, 02:35 AM

Originally Posted by pandaman

I'd have to disagree, when the engine is cold the lubricants aren't up to temperature and aren't going to do their job as effectively, I don't care if it's a 1950's morris or a 2006 beemer that basic fact is not going to change. Also as engine components heat up they expand slightly, flogging the arse off it and putting too much force through cold components that aren't at their normal operating clearances yet just doesn't seem like a good idea. While newer cars definitely warm up quicker than older ones thanks to smartarse cooling system and the like and engine design's have improved to take more abuse, I still reckon it's good to take it easy till it gets up to temperature.

As I said in my post anyway, "But I wouldnt start her straight her up and start revvin her to 5000 either

"

But you dont need to keep it under 2000rpm, normal driving is fine. Whilst it takes the car 10 minutes to warm up, it does not take the lubricants etc. 10 minutes to reach a reasonable operating temperature, it doesnt take long at all. Plus engines wear slightly as the km's tick on anyway, and 'operating clearance' shouldnt be a problem. Perhaps on a brand spanking new engine thats still tight, but on an engine with 50k on the clock thats already worn in, theres room to expand anyway because of the wear thats already taken place.

JD · 09-10-2006, 06:31 PM

mines a v8 and takes around 5mins to warm up so its not just a v6 thing its normal for all cars.
warm up times do differ from car to car though.

**Shounak** · 09-10-2006, 06:37 PM

I don't go above 2500rpm until my coolant temperature is at operating.

I want to get an oil temp gauge, to see when the car is properly warmed up. My mums MG has one and that car is treated very gently until the oil temp gets to operating and then I'll start floggin the shit out of it..

Even if it's not a huge thing, it's just peace of mind for me..

**KingDiamond** · 09-10-2006, 06:38 PM

I don't warm my VR up..
I start it, let it idle for like 5 seconds and off I go.

**AirStrike** · 09-10-2006, 07:00 PM

The SS gets warmed up for at least 5 minutes no matter what. The VR gets started and flogged straight away

AirStrike

**IBLOWN** · 09-10-2006, 07:21 PM

As said above, there is no need to warm up the engine before you drive away as newer engines are designed to start up and drive away (waiting a few seconds after the start then driving normally that is). Warming the engine up before you drive away is doing more damage than starting and driving away.

Sitting at idle while cold will take alot longer for the engine and oil to warm up than driving the car. The ecu runs in open loop for a longer period of time, which makes the engine run rich to warm it up. Too much fuel at idle can wash the lubricants from the cylinder wall while running and cause scoring over a period of time.

**MikesVT** · 09-10-2006, 11:41 PM

Hmm... I was just used to the VY SS, as soon as i started it up it was at normal running temp unless it was really cold, in which case it would only take under 5 mins, so I wasn't really sure... But thanks! And it's good to know I've been doing the 'right' thing

**pandaman** · 10-10-2006, 01:24 AM

Originally Posted by IBLOWN

As said above, there is no need to warm up the engine before you drive away as newer engines are designed to start up and drive away (waiting a few seconds after the start then driving normally that is). Warming the engine up before you drive away is doing more damage than starting and driving away.

Sitting at idle while cold will take alot longer for the engine and oil to warm up than driving the car. The ecu runs in open loop for a longer period of time, which makes the engine run rich to warm it up. Too much fuel at idle can wash the lubricants from the cylinder wall while running and cause scoring over a period of time.

I'm not reccomending idling to warm up, just driving relatively gently until it's up to temperature. Fairly sensible I think.

**Full Spectrum** · 10-10-2006, 04:09 AM

The manual says to not waste time and petrol warming up the engine.
But it doesn't hurt and it's your pocket lets not forget.
I like to let my car idle when warming for 4-5. I can drive off but it feel ticky and ruff. So warm it and then drive off and let the tranny work up some heat and drive like normal.

BMW introduced a lights out system so the lights go out one by one till it's at running temp everything, Holden should look into this system in the future it would be great.

Even my brother still warms his BA up. He believes in it as his EF had 350,000km plus and he warmed it everyday.
I warmed my mums VB up everyday and it ran close to 400,000km at best guess cause 12 years ago the clock stopped working with 245,000km.

**crazywog** · 10-10-2006, 05:06 AM

guys i only cop this in the cold months like winter spring and autumn. i think thats how ur car works u have to warm it up in the cold monthsm but in the summer i start and drive. i have no idia y this is but yeh its best to warm the car b4 any trip coz my mechanic said u can damage ur wear and tear of ur motor.

**Jamie_87** · 10-10-2006, 02:49 PM

I can usually tell when my cars warmed up fully as the exhaust tone changes. I geuss it changes as it leans out the fuel when it gets out of open loop mode and the exhaust heats up .

**AirStrike** · 10-10-2006, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by Jamie_87

I can usually tell when my cars warmed up fully as the exhaust tone changes. I geuss it changes as it leans out the fuel when it gets out of open loop mode and the exhaust heats up .

Correct. Both cars take around 2mins max for that to happen, I just let the SS warm up for abit more.
AirStrike

**Full Spectrum** · 11-10-2006, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Jamie_87

I can usually tell when my cars warmed up fully as the exhaust tone changes. I geuss it changes as it leans out the fuel when it gets out of open loop mode and the exhaust heats up .

Yep myn too i can here the drop in revs and note changes to more V8 note.

**Patrio7** · 11-10-2006, 02:36 PM

i'll drive my car normally from a cold start and not thrash it till it gets above a 1/4 but i think for me its a case of the thermostat not closing properly when cold, because if i were to take my car straight onto the freeway i'll barely leave the needle rest but if i were to do start stop, it shoots up ( no flow )

**somerandom** · 12-10-2006, 09:29 AM

hi, this is how i warm my car up.. might be different to different cars'....

get in driver seat, turn car on... flat foot till you hit the rev limiter for 40 seconds.. in about 40 seconds it should be warmed up.. this is not really recommened, but still impressive.

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