How many people warm up their Fiesta ST before driving?

[rexdriver85]

After driving the car will sort itself out. If it needs to, the fan will stay on. If not, it's not required...

That has nothing to do with cooling down the turbo, unless this wasn't directed at my post.

 

[Natedogg]

Unless you were beating the hell out of it just before you got to your destination, there's no reason to let it idle for a couple of minutes. If you know you're close to your destination, don't beat on it and you won't have to let it idle. Drive it easy shortly before you get there and shut it off. Also, water cooled turbos help solve the coking issue the idling (and turbo timers) is meant to remedy.

VW (and so does BMW and a few others) have an electric water pump to keep circulating coolant after you shut the car off if it knows it needs to. It really doesn't need it though because the coolant will help carry the heat away even after the car is shut down.

 

[dyn085]

That has nothing to do with cooling down the turbo, unless this wasn't directed at my post.

Well actually, it does. Modern turbos have water cooling, so once you've shut the engine down the water will continue to circulate through convection-keeping the turbo cool enough to avoid oil coking. While there is nothing wrong with extending your idle before shutting your car off, there's no real 'need' to do it or add a turbo-timer anymore.

Edit: Nate beat me.

 

[rexdriver85]

Thanks for the schooling. I didn't know this turbo was water cooled, and yes I was referring to oil coking.

I did however know about the AUX water pump though, I've come from many VWs that have had them, even the old MK3 VR6s had them.

This would explain why there's no one talking about turbo timers.

Thanks again guys and my apologies to bigshotdan. [emoji106][emoji106]

 

[BeansNCornbread]

Letting the car idle longer than 30 seconds to warm even in extreme cold will do more harm than good to the engine, oil, and fuel consumption. Unless you are running an oil out of spec for your ambient temperature you will have oil to the entire engine and turbo within a second or 2. Additionally, the oil left on the engine parts (no engine is ever dry upon tear down) from the last drive will be quite viscous providing a couple of seconds of lubrication before the cavalry arrive.

GM has pretty good documentation out there about idling engines started at -40 (I think) versus starting them up and getting on WOT on a track. The idled engines showed significant scuffing versus minimally accelerated wear on the latter. Load will create more beneficial heat all be it within reason.

The oil will never get anywhere near operating temp idling. So, you have oil thinned by fuel and what little heat was generated that likely will not cover the asperities of the engine parts and oil temperature too low for the antiwear additives to work or work well. As insult to injury this thinned oil will likely struggle to shed the excess fuel dumped into it contributing to its untimely degradation and possibly increasing wear because the engine now spends more time in the mixed or boundary regime of lubrication versus the hydrodynamic regime where parts are property separated by the oil film and the fuel may chemically impede the function of the antiwear additives even when at proper temperature. The exception to the chemical impedance would be boron as part of the antiwear package as it doesn't chemically or heat activate, but it can?t do all the work all the time.

Finally, you will pour more fuel at idle into the oil and into the CAT than you would under load with mapping and accelerated heating of the entire system. I know of at least one CAT that was melted due to excess fuel from prolonged idling when the driver got on it when traffic cleared and the CAT hadn't had time to slowly burn or expel the fuel.

 

[sleepycosmonaut]

Letting the car idle longer than 30 seconds to warm even in extreme cold will do more harm than good to the engine, oil, and fuel consumption. Unless you are running an oil out of spec for your ambient temperature you will have oil to the entire engine and turbo within a second or 2. Additionally, the oil left on the engine parts (no engine is ever dry upon tear down) from the last drive will be quite viscous providing a couple of seconds of lubrication before the cavalry arrive.

GM has pretty good documentation out there about idling engines started at -40 (I think) versus starting them up and getting on WOT on a track. The idled engines showed significant scuffing versus minimally accelerated wear on the latter. Load will create more beneficial heat all be it within reason.

The oil will never get anywhere near operating temp idling. So, you have oil thinned by fuel and what little heat was generated that likely will not cover the asperities of the engine parts and oil temperature too low for the antiwear additives to work or work well. As insult to injury this thinned oil will likely struggle to shed the excess fuel dumped into it contributing to its untimely degradation and possibly increasing wear because the engine now spends more time in the mixed or boundary regime of lubrication versus the hydrodynamic regime where parts are property separated by the oil film and the fuel may chemically impede the function of the antiwear additives even when at proper temperature. The exception to the chemical impedance would be boron as part of the antiwear package as it doesn't chemically or heat activate, but it can?t do all the work all the time.

Finally, you will pour more fuel at idle into the oil and into the CAT than you would under load with mapping and accelerated heating of the entire system. I know of at least one CAT that was melted due to excess fuel from prolonged idling when the driver got on it when traffic cleared and the CAT hadn't had time to slowly burn or expel the fuel.

I read all these pages thinking when is someone going to answer the question of when it is COLD (I mean -30 or 40C) and boom here is an answer.

 

[FiSTofNoVA]

If you look hard enough, you can find an article supporting any damn answer. I've owned plenty of cars, a motorcycle, a boat, dirt bikes, scooters, go karts, a space ship etc etc. I always let it warm up. No problems. Do I need to? IDK. My FiST, 4 bars and let the RPM's drop, I'm gone. Cool down? Don't beat it before I reach my destination.
-drops the mike-

 

[dyn085]

If you look hard enough, you can find an article supporting any damn answer. I've owned plenty of cars, a motorcycle, a boat, dirt bikes, scooters, go karts, a space ship etc etc. I always let it warm up. No problems. Do I need to? IDK. My FiST, 4 bars and let the RPM's drop, I'm gone. Cool down? Don't beat it before I reach my destination.
-drops the mike-

Mic*

The majority of 'what's best' answers occur at such a technical level that most people will never fully see benefits over the lifetime of their vehicle anyways. I liken it to break-in discussions, where people think that doing 'x' is going to make a statistical difference over 100k miles-realistically speaking there are far too many other variables in that timeframe to state that the one-single aspect of the cars' life will make a drasticly meaningful impact.

 

[TrickSTer]

This is a perfect example of how great this forum is for the community!

My FiST was new January 21st, middle of of a fairly cold winter.

I treated the car like all my other cars and allowed it to warm up for a few minutes before driving.

Then I read a thread on this subject elsewhere in the forum; and contemplated my personal experience:

After several minutes of warm-up in the cold, I might have one or two bars on the gauge. Drive away carefully and car would warm to half in little more than a block.

On advice, I modified my regime to: start it, drive away, don't lug it (1500 rpm min), don't rev it (shift 2000 - 3000 max depending on circumstance). Car will warm to half in the same "little more than a block". Don't get into it for several minutes allowing the heat to soak through and even out in the engine.

I believe my new SOP will be beneficial to the well-being of my FiST.

Originally I would have voted "I always do", but I just went in under "I don't".

And I thank the FiestaSTforum community!

 

[JasonHaven]

My general rule is to drive, but take it easy, until the engine is warmed up. If it's really cold (like below freezing), I'll let the car "warm up" to the point where idle stabilizes, then drive-take it easy until operating temps are normal.

 

[pelotonracer2]

Unless it is extremely cold, I just start the car up and drive (albeit tenderly). With that said, I take it easy on the mechanicals until they are fully warmed up (I just don't let the car idle). Keep in mind that as metal parts warm up they change shape. This is especially true in some applications where piston skirts start out oval shaped and go round as they heat up to operating temps.

 

[pelotonracer2]

This is a perfect example of how great this forum is for the community!

My FiST was new January 21st, middle of of a fairly cold winter.

I treated the car like all my other cars and allowed it to warm up for a few minutes before driving.

Then I read a thread on this subject elsewhere in the forum; and contemplated my personal experience:

After several minutes of warm-up in the cold, I might have one or two bars on the gauge. Drive away carefully and car would warm to half in little more than a block.

On advice, I modified my regime to: start it, drive away, don't lug it (1500 rpm min), don't rev it (shift 2000 - 3000 max depending on circumstance). Car will warm to half in the same "little more than a block". Don't get into it for several minutes allowing the heat to soak through and even out in the engine.

I believe my new SOP will be beneficial to the well-being of my FiST.

Originally I would have voted "I always do", but I just went in under "I don't".

And I thank the FiestaSTforum community!

^^^ This.

 

[Connor]

Manuals advise against it now.

 

[GAbOS]

Manuals advise against it now.

This is true but it is also recommended to drive easy and at low rev shifts until all fluids are warm.

 

[PhoenixM3]

I know this is something not really required with newer cars, but sometimes its a hard habit to break. I always find myself letting the car warm up for about two minutes before driving in the mornings. Curious to see how many people get in their cars and drive right away while others let it sit and warm up a bit before driving.

What purpose does this serve for you, other than wasting fuel? I don't drive my car hard when it's cold, and to me 2 minutes is an eternity sitting in the garage with the engine running

 

[MKVIIST]

What purpose does this serve for you, other than wasting fuel? I don't drive my car hard when it's cold, and to me 2 minutes is an eternity sitting in the garage with the engine running

To me it's not wasting gas, the two minutes is to give the A/C enough time to pump out cold air.

 

[InsTwin]

I start it up and usually let it it sit for 10-15 seconds before pulling out.

 

[JR4821]

I used to let my cars warm up, then I read that break-in 101 post after I picked up my FiST and I haven't been since then lol. I hate how easy it is for a post in an online forum to influence my behaviors.... Such a sheep....

 

[pelotonracer2]

I used to let my cars warm up, then I read that break-in 101 post after I picked up my FiST and I haven't been since then lol. I hate how easy it is for a post in an online forum to influence my behaviors.... Such a sheep....

The longer it takes for the motor and drivetrain internals and lubricating fluids to warm up to operating temps, the more wear that occurs. 90% of all "frictional based" wear happens in the first 5 minutes of starting your vehicle. It's best to start the engine and drive away, albeit gently than to just let the engine idle.

 

[pelotonracer2]

The only exception would be on days where it is 20 degrees F or colder. Then a short idle period can be of benefit.