mine usually only gets to warm up for as long as it takes me to brush/scrape the windows, then im off.. slowly at first of course. thats usually plenty of time to get a little heat going in the cab.

The block heater is a good idea if you live in a cold climate area, if nothing else it will save fuel as well as prevent some cold start wear. When oil is cold it takes longer for the oil pump to pump it thoughout the engine. I have also heard and agree with the idea that on an engine with both aluminum and iron parts, waiting for the engine to gain temperature may prolong the life of the gaskets.

Automatic transmission fluid is a super light oil and isn't as affected by cold as motor oil, and the converter and pump always circulates some fluid even in park, so that with the added heat of the engine and exaust does warm the trans when in park.

I always run all of my vehicles long enough to get at least some warm air out of the heater, at least enough that I can drive without the glass fogging up.
On any truck it is important to take it easy when its cold for a few miles simply to help warm up the gear lube in the rear axle though.

Cold weather can contribute to steel and iron failures too, like any thing else, the cold makes it more brittle so to speak. Cold temperature operation can also allow the blow-by gases to condense in the crankcase. Thus putting water and acids in the oil which can lead to premature wear.

Pistons are made of aluminum and the block of iron, so they too expand at different rates and the machined tolerances in an engine are designed for proper operation at higher temperatures. Keep in mind that there is greater piston to cylinder wall clearance on a cold motor due to the fact that both are made of different metals. When the engine warms up, the alloy pistons expand more than the iron block.

While new vehicles do run better cold and handle cold starts better, it will always be better for the longevity of your engine to let it warm up a bit, even when it's not below freezing.

I would gladly sacrifice a bit of fuel to prevent any unneeded wear and tear on my engine. Most of these newer trucks run super clean as well, so added emissions isn't a concern either.

I dunno i just hit my remote start and let it warm up for liek 15min so its an oven when i get in

this morning was the first morning i let it warm up in the driveway... it was about 24 out when i left for work... i started the truck up, put on the heater, and let it sit for 5 mins while i went back inside and skimmed thru today's paper real fast... went back outside to a nice warm truck...

letting it warm up is totally worth it in my opinion.. i don't care about the little amount of fuel it's going to burn while idling in my driveway for 5 mins... it's worth it just getting into a warm truck! plus, my truck gets horrible gas mileage during the good seasons anyways, lol... no need to start worrying about it now.

remote start baby..

push some buttons leave the heater on the night b4..never go outside but to climb into a warm truck..

we had to scrap today..i didnt..defrost on..melted away..

Usually I start mine up, get my smoke lit, and my seatbelt on then go. This morning it was about 5, and I had to pull the wifes car out front so I started it up and got in abou 2 minutes later.

I then drive abou 5 miles on city streets before I hit the freeway. I could get the freeway sooner, but Id rather take it easy in town for a bit before getting up to 70

remote start FTW!

I like getting into a warm truck.......if only my steering wheel had a heater in it, cause it is soooo cold, you cant hardly hold it. lol

I let my cobra heat up for about 5-10 mins on cold days, may ranger gets about 5. My ranger actually warms up pretty quickly.

Best invention EVER made.....

I will never own a vehicle without remote start

Rocky

Only way to go! I second that!

I could care less if the car is cold when I get in it. If its less than 40 degrees out then I will give my car enogh warm up time to see the temp needle move, then I take it easy for a few blocks until the heater starts to feel warm.

The truck is a different story. I start it, it dies, I start it again, if im lucky it will stay on, but I have to hold the gas to make it high idle (damn thing worked fine until it got cold), then after it stops spewing its huge cloud of unburned feul, and its just oil smoke, I can go. :biggrin: Otherwise it'll just stall as soon as I put it in gear.

You have an '84, right? It should have an automatic choke and high idle. That was the one thing that actually worked properly on my old '84. If it isn't, then fixing it should be pretty simple. It is just a temperature driven vacuum solenoid.

Oh, and for those who's trucks are not warming up after 5 minutes or so, you might want to replace your thermostat. It is probably stuck open.

It depends what kind of mood I'm in. If I don't mind sitting in a freezing truck that day, I'll let it warm up for about 10 seconds before putting it into gear. If I'm feeling sluggish, I'll go start it up, put the defroster on, eat some breakfast, get a shower, drop a load, then about 40 minutes later go drive to work. But really, warming it up isn't necessary for engine life. I use synthetic oil (mobil 1) for whatever help it may give me.

My old 02 ranger came with a block heater and battery warmer...I never used it though.

It depends on the motor and how cold it is. My Buicknever gets very warm. It's the nature of the beast, It maybe gets to 185 on the temp in the winter. This has been consistant through two Roadmasters and at leats half a dozen thermostats. They have a Factory 160 thermostat. Can't really tell you why they run cool but they do. It's great in the summer, sucks in the winter.

~HJ

I've got this. :biggthump

http://static.flickr.com/51/12611667...014689.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/50/12611667...93922d.jpg?v=0

Haven't had a chance to use it though since I'm living in an apartment complex.

I always let the ranger warm up in the mornings (cold mornings) I let it warm up from anywhere between 2-10 minutes. Depending on how cold it is outside. Any vehicle runs smoother after warming up.

I let mine warm for about 5min as long as I'm not on a hill, my e-brake sucks. lol

It does, I just havent felt like finding out whats wrong with it yet. Every vacuum operated part in that thing is shot... someday ill fix it. :P

I leave my efan off. Only took 3mins till my water temp gauge actually moved.

well i need a motor in it anyway.. as well as a tranny.. so i just start it up and pop it in drive.. doesnt get to cold here though.. 26 is about the lowest so far

In severe snow and cold areas, where the truck is left in the open , it can take 15 minutes just to get the ice and snow off the windshield. A half hour before you can even get the windows down (usually frozen shut)..I worry about my safety first-I can always buy another truck..

Mine was the same way. It was like a gift from heaven when I finally got it all to work properly. Then I blew up the engine. Then I replaced the engine. Then a month later I plowed it into a tree and crushed the whole truck. It was just doomed from the day I bought it.