I've been searching this site for recommendations on "warming up" a cold engine but have so far found nothing...any recommendations or suggestions on the best way (i.e. length of time, etc.) for me warming up my new ES350? Thanks in advance.

 

I usually start my car 10 minutes before I have to leave... Mb 15 if it's super cold.

 

I do not believe there is a recommendation from Lexus. Modern vehicles do not need to be warmed up, just drive reasonably until the engine warms up. You are also creating less emissions and saving gas. If the seats are cold, use the seat warmer if you have it.

 

This seems to be the prevailing method with modern vehicles. It might not hurt to check the owners manual to see if it says anything.

 

10 minutes is probably way too long to warm up an engine. Idling an engine puts more load on it.

Even in cold weather, it's better to idle for about 1-2 minutes, and then try to keep the RPMs below 2500-3000. This way, you warm up the engine much quicker and the engine spends "less time" running with its cold parts.

 

10 seconds during cold days.
5 seconds otherwise.

 

^^ Agree

 

I also agree. Modern engines are built with so much tighter tolerances, and modern lubricants are so much better than they used to be. The result is that, not only are long warm up times unnecessary, but they are wasting fuel, and extended periods of idling may actually be doing more harm than good.

 

Ah cool thanks for the insight!

 

What's your goal? You don't state any. If your goal is a warm interior then idle the engine 5-10 minutes in the driveway so that the heater will put out warm air when you are ready to drive off.

If your goal is long engine, engine gasket and exhaust system component life then idle the engine 10-30 seconds after starting and then drive gently for the first 3-4 miles; i.e. avoid driving situations that require a heavy throttle; e.g. rapid acceleration, steep hills and road speeds over 60 MPH

Idling 5-10 minutes in the driveway will not deminish engine, engine gasket and exhaust system component life as long as it is followed by a 5+ mile drive that will evaporate the water that had formed inside the exhaust system and in the engine oil.

 

Correction, a cold engine idling 5-10 minutes in the driveway will have more engine wear.

 

I have tested a few engines with this, If the weather is below 30 degrees and you just start and go you will cause damage to your transmission and the fluid has to reach a certain temp to have The optimum protection that it offers. Also notice that your engine is a little louder on really cold days... This is because oil hasn't fully coated certain parts yet until it thins out. it won't be good to put it under any load other than idling. When parts warm up they expand so if this is don't too fast I don't see this being good for your engine gaskets. Just like your body... You can't just start doing things without warming up unless you will end up doing permanent damage eventually.

 

if you are experiencing long cold spells, a block heater might be worth while. It pre-heats your coolant so you can get to operational temperatures faster. Coolant warms up quicker than oil so effectively it will warm up your oil quicker too.

Otherwise, 10 seconds of idle and grandma style driving till coolant temps come up to operational temperature.

I've never had any issues with transmissions due to cold starts. The recommended 75w90 is very heavy in both its cold viscosity weight of 75 and operational viscosity of 90. The transmission would have to be underfilled and not used for a year for enough oil film to drip off and be unprotected.

 

Only time my vehicle warms up more than a few seconds, is on the rare occasion its parked outside and the windows get frosted up. I will let it run for however long it takes me to scrape the frost off. Otherwise its the few seconds it takes to buckle up and set the seat heaters then drive rationally until the temp gauge comes up. I drive my cars well over 100k and never had any engine or transmission problems related to cold weather.

 

How long does it take for the main catalytic converter to get warm enough to reduce emissions? I guess that should be the minimum idle period, after that you should drive away gently to warm up the rest of the drivetrain.

On the hybrid, I've noticed that the engine will fire up on really cold days even with a lot of battery charge, but it runs for a short while only. It's like they programmed the ECU to get the cats to operating temperature while stationary, instead of having a cold engine start up when the car's moving.