Warming up your engine
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 4
From: foothills of Northern California
I live on a high speed country road that I have to back out onto with my DD in the vette.
During rush hour I will warm vette for 5 min in case I need a very quick launch once I back out.
During rush hour I will warm vette for 5 min in case I need a very quick launch once I back out.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,548
Likes: 609
From: Southeast, WI
How long do you let it run? Do you get right in and go? A few minutes? Until temp needle starts to move? Until temp needle is above 150?
I was wondering if it's different with today's engines? I remember back in the day, my parents used to let the car get good and warm and you were taught never to gun a cold engine.
I was wondering if it's different with today's engines? I remember back in the day, my parents used to let the car get good and warm and you were taught never to gun a cold engine.
Just drive gently for the first few miles, until the temps go up. It's never good for an engine to sit and idle to warm up. Lot's of ware problems etc.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 24,129
Likes: 1,038
From: The Beautiful Pacific Northwest
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
When I was a little kid back in the '50's, I remember my dad would always be in the car first to "let it warm up." It wasn't a matter of heating up the interior, we lived in California. He'd sit there with the motor running listening to the radio while waiting for us to finish getting ready and get into the car.
For a long time I thought he did that just to get away and be by himself for a few minutes. Now I know that he was a car-guy and was doing what was best for the car. They sure lasted long enough...
For a long time I thought he did that just to get away and be by himself for a few minutes. Now I know that he was a car-guy and was doing what was best for the car. They sure lasted long enough...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,726
Likes: 46
From: Waukesha WI
St. Jude Donor '15
Start and go but keep to lo load until at least the coolant is warmed up. With the early Z06 oil cooler, it takes a very long time to warm up the oil in the fall/winter/spring so I still do hit the throttle with the oil below 150* but I try to keep it to a minimum.
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,313
Likes: 25
From: Tucson Arizona
I live in Arizona so for much of the year the car is already warmed-up before I even start it. 
No real warm-up period is necessary...I pretty much start it and drive. That said I don't go WOT until the engine has warmed-up.
No real warm-up period is necessary...I pretty much start it and drive. That said I don't go WOT until the engine has warmed-up.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,308
Likes: 123
From: Raleigh North Carolina
There are plenty that get in, start it up and drive off like they stole it. I don't do it but know plenty that do and I don't hear them having to get engine repairs done. What you do at startup and below normal operating temps is probably more of a problem in the long term, since most vettes are "high mileage" at 30000 miles who knows what a lot of engines are/will be like at over 60000 miles.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,838
Likes: 6
From: San Diego CA
How long do you let it run? Do you get right in and go? A few minutes? Until temp needle starts to move? Until temp needle is above 150?
I was wondering if it's different with today's engines? I remember back in the day, my parents used to let the car get good and warm and you were taught never to gun a cold engine.
I was wondering if it's different with today's engines? I remember back in the day, my parents used to let the car get good and warm and you were taught never to gun a cold engine.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 45,380
Likes: 892
From: Texas
CI 1-4-5-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '10, '17
Most engine wear occurs when the engine is cold because the various components are at different temps and expand at different rates. The best thing you can do is get it up to operating temp ASAP. Idling prolongs that. The best thing to do is what most here are saying. Start it up. Let it idle for 30 seconds or so until the rpm drops. Then drive it easy, keep it below 3000 rpm until oil temp is at leat 150. I usually wait until it's 180.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 838
Likes: 0
From: Long Island NY
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: GTA Ontario
Anyone else get a lean surge between 1000 and 2000 rpm while say cruising out of a parking lot with a cold start on the engine? My 2009 manual coupe exhibits this symptom for about 3-4 minutes after a cold start with only about 5000 miles (8000 kms), once speed is up everything is fine.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,776
Likes: 11
Normal driving? No real need.
Hammering it hard? Probably at least 5-10 minutes of normal driving. I'd want it warmer than 170 before hitting it really hard.