To Idle or Not Idle

[Sazabi19]

Over in the JT forums years ago the issue of idling was brought up. While I didn't think much of it at the time since I had a 'tested' and 'proven' Pentastar V6, now I'm wondering if I should change how I warm up my vehicle since I've got the 2.0T. I'll start out by saying I'm not a mechanic and can only listen to each side of the argument and take whichever sounds more correct to me.

Basically it all boiled down to:

1. Let your vehicle idle and warm up before setting off in cold temps. Not only does it warm up the cabin but it gets the engine to proper operating temps and thus makes it easier on the engine.

2. If you're able, start it and then drive. Do NOT let it idle in cold weather to warm up. Idling in cold weather doesn't provide enough pressure to get the oil from the sump(? still not a mechanic) to everywhere in the engine it needs to be, thus not lubing everything as it should until it gets warm enough, possibly damaging the engine in the long run. The convention of needing the engine to get warm to run properly is outdated and new engine specs and tolerances mean you can get in and go.

So what do you guys think? Should a turbo'd (or any, really) engine be ran/warmed up because the magic snail has some other parameters that should be met before driving normally? As long as my windows aren't iced over I can usually stand to start driving and just turn the heat on when I start and go.

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[Anonymous]

3.6 here. I have always gone off the rpm’s. When first starting the Jeep, the rpm’s will be a touch higher and then settle after a minute or so (never timed it). Once settled off I go. Now in extreme cold I’ll let it warm up until the cabin is comfortable.

 

[Sazabi19]

3.6 here. I have always gone off the rpm’s. When first starting the Jeep, the rpm’s will be a touch higher and then settle after a minute or so (never timed it). Once settled off I go. Now in extreme cold I’ll let it warm up until the cabin is comfortable.

Do you let it warm up in extreme cold only for comfort or anything mechanical? Or have you ever thought about it? lol.

 

[Wbino]

My JLU is my first remote start vehicle so the answer is obvious.
Heated seats on/ auto temp on/engine warm.
I wish I had this when I was working.

 

[Turaven]

Proper process is to start the engine, wait the 30-ish seconds for RPM to "settle," then take off. Engine doesn't matter. The goal is to get the vehicle to operating temperature, which happens significantly faster if you're driving.

Idling your car just to heat it up isn't good for the engine (doing it a few times obviously won't make it explode but it's poor practice in the loooong run), wastes gas, and pollutes the air.

 

[sconrad24]

Proper process is to start the engine, wait the 30-ish seconds for RPM to "settle," then take off. Engine doesn't matter. The goal is to get the vehicle to operating temperature, which happens significantly faster if you're driving.

Idling your car just to heat it up isn't good for the engine (doing it a few times obviously won't make it explode but it's poor practice in the loooong run), wastes gas, and pollutes the air.

^ This! OP just get in watch or even listen to the rpms. After you start the engine they will run above 1500 for 30 seconds or so and then they will drop under 1000. At this point the engine will not get any hotter just sitting there. So you are good to go.

 

[Electrified]

I have no mechanical reason why but I start mine and let the rpm's settle in before moving.

 

[Mgg253]

I like to start mine in the closed garage when it’s cold. By the time I open the garage and pull out my the cabin temp is perfect and my butt is hot.

As for the engine, I take it easy until at operating temps but I don’t idle it

 

[Buster1]

This debate has raged in the General Aviation community for decades. The consensus there is that if the engine has run ‘recently’ there is enough lubrication and oil film over everything in the engine, that starting really doesn’t hurt anything.

Secondly, it is agreed that oil temps must come up (at least 100 dF) in a aviation piston before any medium to high power loads are put on the engine. This ensures adequate ‘live’ lubrication is happening when RPMs are increased.

I’m no expert but I think you’re safe to start and idle your Jeep, and letting things come up to temp before your mash the throttle are good practices.

 

[Sazabi19]

Proper process is to start the engine, wait the 30-ish seconds for RPM to "settle," then take off. Engine doesn't matter. The goal is to get the vehicle to operating temperature, which happens significantly faster if you're driving.

Idling your car just to heat it up isn't good for the engine (doing it a few times obviously won't make it explode but it's poor practice in the loooong run), wastes gas, and pollutes the air.

Sounds firmly in camp 2 which is where I've been. I will sometimes wait for the RPMs to lower (moreso in winter) but I usually drive so easily and slowly not sure it matters much. Glad I'm not the only one thinking this.

I like to start mine in the closed garage when it’s cold. By the time I open the garage and pull out my the cabin temp is perfect and my butt is hot.

As for the engine, I take it easy until at operating temps but I don’t idle it

I hope this is a dethatched garage lol.

 

[Opus]

I like to start mine in the closed garage when it’s cold. By the time I open the garage and pull out my the cabin temp is perfect and my butt is hot.

Yeah... but by then I'm usually pretty sleepy and don't feel like driving anymore...

Seriously, though. Since my vehicles live in the (attached but unheated) garage, I just fire them up and go. I live close to the highway, though, and in the winter I will take them a longer way around to let them warm up in traffic before hitting highway speed with them.

If I was parked in the elements in winter I would let the engine idle the 30 seconds or so until it settled in.

 

[ABRubi]

One of my concerns of the 4XE is the 2.0 suddenly having to come alive and do hard work when cold.

 

[CarbonSteel]

The 2.0T is a Direct Injection (DI) engine and all of them suffer from fuel dilution to various degrees and the 2.0T is no different. Fuel dilution occurs when the unburned fuel that is sprayed directly into the cylinder is washed down the cylinder walls and dilutes the oil; e.g. it lowers the viscosity of the oil.

Idling only serves to exasperate this condition and if also being done in cold weather and for short trips, the problem is exponentially increased.

I would not allow it to idle excessively and would simply drive it slowly for the first few miles then drive normally.

 

[gbr]

We get cold. -35C (-31F) and sometimes -40. I let the damn thing warm up good before I drive. (3.6 no eTorque).

 

[BlitzkriegBob63]

I like to start mine in the closed garage when it’s cold.

Not sure if you are being sarcastic, but this is not a good idea. Carbon monoxide can kill you.

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