Warming Up Your Car In The Winter...

[82CapriceClassic]

what is a good amount of time to warm your car up in the winter to get it to the proper running temperature?

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by 82CapriceClassic

what is a good amount of time to warm your car up in the winter to get it to the proper running temperature?

when the idle drops to 800rpm or less this would be when to drive vehicle..time depends on outside weather temps..

with a carb especially if snow/ice on road it is very important to do this as you could loose control..

[J-Ri]

As long as the rear brakes are adjusted properly, that shouldn't be an issue... reminds me of a funny story about driving my truck before I adjusted the rear brakes

I have a slightly different answer... turn the defrost on with the blower on high. As soon as it begins to melt the frost, you're good to go. If there's no frost, wait until the RPM kicks down a step or two. Just go easy on the gas and keep the RPMs under 3,000 until it's up to operating temperature. You waste a lot of gas idling to let it warm up.

[82CapriceClassic]

yes i do notice i lost alot of gas one day letting it warm up for about 10mins...

but as far as RPMs, where do I read that? where in the dash is that located...

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by 82CapriceClassic

yes i do notice i lost alot of gas one day letting it warm up for about 10mins...

but as far as RPMs, where do I read that? where in the dash is that located...

normally the engine sounds,, will give you an indication that the idle has dropped to a normal or slightly higher than normal sound...

when placing in rev/drive it should not jerk too much..

if it where 10deg f warm up is about 10-15 min...

at 50deg f 3min is good..but it depends also on how well your choke system is working,,,,as well as the heat riser on the exhaust...

this is where these [carb] vehicle's use excessive fuel and pollute the air .carbs are not very good at fuel management..

[82CapriceClassic]

ok, now i know exactly what you're talking about with the jerk...my car does that...

i do notice if i dont let my car warm up fully when i put it in the drive, its a weird sound that comes from under the hood, like a clicking sound

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by 82CapriceClassic

ok, now i know exactly what you're talking about with the jerk...my car does that...

i do notice if i dont let my car warm up fully when i put it in the drive, its a weird sound that comes from under the hood, like a clicking sound

with the use of regular engine oil, the oil flow is slow until warmed slightly. if you place the vehicle in gear with the high choke idle on , this would be the lifters making noises..this is because oil traped in the lifter is not at the proper amount and then the clearances are greater causing the engine to make this sound..

when it gets very cold out like lower than 20deg f. covering the lower 1/3rd of the radiator with a stiff piece of plastic will help with warm up and reduce de-icer chemicals from getting to the engine..

on your engine should be a air pipe that supplies warmed air from around the exhaust manifold to the intake of the air cleaner..with a vehicle of yours this in most cases fell off rusted off...if you lack this air pipe then warm up and fuel consumption will be increased..

[Blue Bowtie]

I usually wait until the temp gauge just starts to move (about 100ºF). It doesn't get very cold around here, only to about -30º (worst ever was about -42º). I've never had a need to block off the radiator. I just use a thermostat instead.

I also believe in synthetic lubes.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

I usually wait until the temp gauge just starts to move (about 100ºF). It doesn't get very cold around here, only to about -30º (worst ever was about -42º). I've never had a need to block off the radiator. I just use a thermostat instead.

I also believe in synthetic lubes.

with synthetic oils you have a faster starup/operation time..

with the block heater the advantage is your toes don't freeze. instant heat...in a nasty ice/snow storm this is something that is great to have ..especially if it is required to be at work/business during these conditions..

with a carb the block heater should reduce warmup time and less carbon build up..

on an 82 caprice your limited on dash gauges...IDIOT LIGHTS ONLY.

[82CapriceClassic]

yea my dasy only has the speedometer, the gas gauge, and the gauge that has the battery light in it...and a blank guage..