# Wam up the engine True or false **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 18, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535 "2008-06-18T22:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JorgeT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JorgeT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JorgeT)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/1 "2008-06-18T22:58:35Z")
Hi there my dad teach my like 10 years ago that you should never start the car and then start moving without waiting at least 3 minutes /i have been following that until 2-3 months ago i alway wait 30 secods when i am in a rush but no more i dont have time to stay 3-4 mins sometimes what are your toughts here? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/2 "2008-06-18T23:01:34Z")
On a modern car you’re better to give it 30 seconds or so for the oil pressure to build and then drive conservatively until it’s fully warmed up. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/3 "2008-06-18T23:40:59Z")
Although the newer cars say that you don’t NEED to warm them up, it absolutely can’t hurt. One practice I use that helps to not need to sit and wait is to start the truck when I first get in…then…scrape the snow off, put the packages in the back seat, let every one else get in, put on the seat belts, adjust mirrors or seat or many other activities which end up giving you warm-up time anyway. ---
**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/4 "2008-06-18T23:52:22Z")
I’ll opine that all you’re doing is wasting gas by sitting for three minutes idling. The engine will warm up quicker if you drive it, though do so gently. Additionally, there are other components that need warming up (transmission, rear end, etc) and they won’t get anything out of a three-minute wait. Most of the time your best bet is to start it, let it run for ~10 seconds to let oil get circulated, and then start rolling. One exception is if it’s really cold outside, then make it 30 seconds. Be gentle with the gas pedal until it’s warmed up, then drive as normal. ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/5 "2008-06-18T23:55:21Z")
If you have stable oil pressure it is time to drive. Start it up, put on your seat belt, scan the gages or lights and then go. ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/6 "2008-06-19T01:54:17Z")
good call. start the engine as soon as you get in and then do the mirrors, windows, etc, etc,. let the oil hit the top of the engine before you take off. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/7 "2008-06-19T02:06:21Z")
Simply turn on car and drive it gently for the first 3-4 mins or until warmed up. I have done this on all my cars that have lasted into the 200k+ range. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/8 "2008-06-19T12:01:59Z")
Well if you need to scrap windows, then I suggest doing it while the engine is warming up so you will have defrost available. But for normal driving, that 30 seconds suggested is fine, and maybe a little overstated. Idling, especially when it is cold is hard on any engine. When it is winter and cold out, it is a good idea to drive it easy for a few minutes to not only warm up the engine but also to warm up the transmission and suspension parts that will not be warm when the engine is by letting it idle. ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/9 "2008-06-19T13:13:25Z")
I warm-up only about 30 seconds then coast out of my driveway to the highway . . . about a minute total. How about COOL-DOWN? Does anybody believe that it is a good idea to allow an engine to cool-down before shutting it off? If so, how long and under what conditions? Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![JorgeT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JorgeT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JorgeT)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/10 "2008-06-19T13:29:42Z")
Recompiling ideas basically the best bet will be start engine wait around 30 secods to let the oil pressure to build up and then start driving the car gently for 4-5 minutes to avoid iddling the engine as it could be hard for it . the only thing that i dont understand is about the suspension and the transmission warm up that joseph mention , i cannot think of a way to warm up a manual transmission or the suspension compents , do the oil on the shocks and struts need to warm up to give good perfomance? ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/11 "2008-06-19T13:38:00Z")
All lubricated parts wear a little faster when the lubricant is cold and unable to flow. This wear is worse if the parts are stressed with a heavy foot on the accelerator. I would be more worried about the transmission than the suspension. The friction of the parts moving against each other is what heats up the lubricant. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wam-up-the-engine-true-or-false/15535/12 "2008-06-19T13:42:03Z")
There is no need for a cool-down period with modern engines. There WAS a need for a brief period of idling with turbocharged engines from a decade or two ago, to allow the turbocharger to slow down to prevent the oil in it from overheating and coking up the bearings. This is no longer a problem.