Operating Engine Temp in winter

duramax07tmd · 10-17-2009, 02:32 PM

Since it is getting colder outside i was just curious what temperature do i need to let the engine warm up to for first start up in the morning before driving?

Thanks

**ob_1jr** · 10-17-2009, 02:36 PM

Your engine wont ever warm up (to operating temp) without driving it. I normally let mine run 10-20 mins depending on how cold it is outside.

duramax07tmd · 10-17-2009, 02:40 PM

well i guess what i needed to say is what should the engine temp be, or need to reach before driving?

K9Duramax · 10-17-2009, 03:42 PM

With mine, unless extremely cold, once the heater is putting out heat or at least decent warm air, I take off with it- Just make sure to "drive it nice" the first little bit...

**ob_1jr** · 10-17-2009, 04:30 PM

hmm you have a digital guage?? My guage barely moves even if i let it run 40 mins at high idle.(but it gets down to -50F in alaska) All i can say is let it warm up for 5-10 mins there...im sure it doesnt get very cold there, and just as stated above....drive it easy for the first few miles.

**Killerbee** · 10-17-2009, 10:55 PM

There is a fast warmup option in some of the newly released custom tunes.

steakman · 10-18-2009, 08:27 AM

I drive in Northern Ontario ... lots. In winter, I let it warm up for maybe 10min with hi idle. Once I read on my Banks that the engine is at 90-100F..time to drive. I recall last yr driving from Sault Ste Marie to Sudbury (300km), in the evening, it was -36C and my motor did not make it past 178F driving at 65mph, with the front cover on.! The rear windows were frosted over.. hell, I even had to put on a sweater.!

My biggest issue in winter driving besides the other idiots on the rd, is finding a hotel where I can plug in my truck overnight..! (I carry 2 - 100' 12 ga extension cords just for that purpose)...it can from time to time, get a little nippy up here.

But "winter" In North Carolina..?? geez, most of us Canadians would be walking around in shorts in the weather you get there..LOL

stk

**ob_1jr** · 10-18-2009, 09:22 AM

^^^my thoughts exactly. I know some people look at the plugs in the front of our vehicles and would wonder if we had electric vehicles.

kman2468 · 10-18-2009, 09:27 AM

5-10 min for me

aautio1004 · 10-31-2009, 10:44 PM

Wow, you guys idle long. LIke mentioned before they wont really build much heat just sitting there idling unless you put some load on the engine. To each his own, but I usually just start mine up, give it around 2-5 minutes maximum to get the fluids moving and everything lubed and then I go with it. I live in a subdivision so Im able to go really easy on it til I'm out onto the highway. By then I'm up off the 160 cold mark and building heat and I go a little heavier on the throttle then to get it going and then it's up to normal temp quick from there. The main thing is to obviouosly not start it and go before youve got lube, and also not to go too heavy on the fuel...the heavier you go the bigger the boom in the engine and the more heat you make in there. And with the high heat in a cold block you'll blow some head gaskets pretty quick. So long story short, just go easy on it when it's a cold engine and you should have no problem driving it without idling for very long.