So ever since I got my Tacoma I made it a habit of warming my truck up until the needle passed the bottom mark - part of my OCD I guess.

I have heard a TON of different opinions on this but never any definitive data or analysis - which will be very hard to obtain.

I think the warm up process would be more important on an older rig versus a newer one like mine.
I also think synthetic oil would do better with quick start ups just by nature.

What do you guys think about this?
Is it worth it for me to let my truck warm-up for several minutes until the needle moves or is it fine to just start it and go?

Fink

 

I always warm it up to get the oil moving, I will start moving when the idle drops from 1500 to 1300. I have heard both schools of thought. I am interested to hear what others think as well.

I am pushing 195k as well, I am trying to baby it a little, won't have money to think about upgrading for a while.

I think it helps, but I have no scientific data to base it off of.

 

AFAIK, modern engines are built to be able to take starting and going within a few seconds.

Personally, I never do. I let it warm-up for at least 30 seconds, no matter the temp. Obviously, when its -40F I have to let it sit for 10-15 minutes to warm up.

 

Pesonally I never really have the time or extra gas chips to let her warm up every time.

That being said, my truck won't go into it's last gear (A/T) until it's completely at operating temp (when the temp gauge is at exactly half). If I let the truck warm up on it's own it takes somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 minutes to get to operating temp. but I usually have to drive slower through town til I hit any stretches anyways.

Just changed the A/T filter about six months ago so I'm probably going to wait on a flush til the next filter change.

 

That's the plus to living in Orlando now - it's warmer here more than it was back home so it takes less time for the needle to start moving.

I used to just get in and go in my other rigs but after thinking about it and letting my OCD get the best of me I started waiting a ridiculous amount of time before taking off.

I even find myself getting stressed when I have other people in the car who don't want to wait and I end up just having to start driving - crazy, I know.

Fink

 

I've always been a crank-and-go driver. And have heard both arguments (not vehicle related) but it seems my cars/trucks have always lasted longer than theirs. Even back when I always let maintenance go by the way side and they were anal about it. My motto used to be "screw it, I'll rock it til the wheels fall off" but now with making sure I keep my cars well taken care of, I have even less problems with my rides.

I think there may be something to the case of letting it warm up ie. Warping or maybe cracking of plastics or other components. But arguement is usually about what happens when you pour hot coffee in a glass straight out of the freezer or vice versa. But IMHO engines aren't made of glass and are built to withstand a certain range of stresses.

Great thread. I'm looking forward to hear arguements from both sides, should be interesting :thumbsup:

 

I let my wrx warm up all the way to make sure the oil is movin to the turbo, but the toyota I just kinda get in and go... unless its below like 50 out

 

Waste of gas.

The damage done is done regardless of if you're moving or sitting in the driveway.

That said, I wouldn't start it, and then burn rubber. Driving nice and easy for the first few miles (and unless you live on a freeway onramp, that's going to happen regardless) is the best thing.

If you have a turbo, a "cool down" is FAR FAR FAR more important than a "warm up".

 

No matter what, I let it run for at least 5-10 seconds. If I'm going to drive hard, I let it warm up. After the second series of RPM drops, I'll start driving. If I just need to move it, I'll give it those 5 seconds and then let the idle move the truck. Same when leaving school. Since theres kids everywhere and a line of cars to leave, I just let the car move at idle. By the time I turn onto the road, it's already dropped the series of RMP's. Once on the road, I can still the idle move it. When I get passed the stop sign that lets the traffic move at about 5mph, it's dropped that second series of RPM's and is ready to go.

 

ok so i gues im the oldie here. Warming up a vehicle was an old car habit due to having a choke cable attached to the carb. Once the chock was pulled it would richen up the mixture and thus keep the engine running, Driving like this was a pain and the vehicle was sluggish. Engines with electrocin injection and even the early to mid 80's truck come with auto choke so you dont have to worry about it. So starting and running is fine, I would warm up in the winter months in the northern areas to give the oil a chance to get to its viscosity but other than that crank it and run.

 

Fink,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news,but,that truck,whether you warm it up or not,is probably going to outlive you.

Because its a Toyota,thats why!!


Maybe I can be buried in mine when I go.

 

ill try to find the link, but, it states that you should at least wait tell the fast idle comes down. this is about the time your temp needle just starts to move.

on the other hand, if you have over 100k miles it is safe to assume that tolerances in the motor have grown and you should give the motor enough time to "swell" or heat up and expand. an old friend of mine who I believe is pretty much a god when it comes to automotive motors once told me that he believed not waiting for the motor to swell is one of the biggest causes of blown head gaskets.

IMHO, start it before you get in. sitting down, putting on your seatbelt and all that will give you plenty of time..

 

Hijack - will be deleted.

Thanks man, I appreciate that.

Some good info in here for sure - it sounds like waiting isn't a bad idea but waiting until the needle is all the way past the C mark is a little overkill.

Let's keep this thread going - some great opinions in here.

Fink

 

when I start my truck for the first time each day I make sure I let her warm up for a minute or two, other than that it usually depends on the last time I drove it

 

I always give it a min or two, just to get the juices flowing. Don't wanna pull a hamey

 

since my '81 is old and temperamental i have to let it warm up for a little while or it will run kind of sluggishly for a little while but that is the world of a carb (rebuilt) on an engine with who knows how many miles on it...

I miss my '05 taco

 

In my 87 Toyota and 08 S2000CR, I do a 'rolling' warm up, shifting a bit early and keeping the RPM down, just being easy on them. The S2000 has a cut off, that until it gets to a set temp, it will not rev pass 6k.

 

Sounds like we all have a similar routine - that's good to know.

Fink

 

ECU makes adjustments for cold engine, I usually just start and go

 

i look at it like letting your car sit and idle is only warming up the engine, what about your diff fluid, transfer case and tranny. What i do is start it up, buckle, get the radio on and take off nice and easy. the first few shifts are very smooth and gentle and when i get to the first stop sign i ease the brakes to make sure they are working still. once i hit operating temp which takes like 5 min i start getting on it. Remember if its cold out all the gear lube in your truck is gonna be very thick like glue and settled to the bottom, the only way its gonna get loose and where it needs to be is by moving.