"Warm up" the car - Why???

[SagaLore]

It is 0 degrees out. Run to the car, start it, run back inside to finish your breakfast or whatever. About 10 minutes later, you're on the road in a nice toasty warm car.

This has become such a common thing now, we have automatic car starters to get it going out of the comfort of your home.

But if there is such a NEED for this, WHY are we doing it the hard way?

Why don't we just add a 2nd smaller battery and use an electric heater to pre-warm the car? And why don't we use this battery in the summer to do the opposite and ventilate a hot car?

Is it so hard to think up these solutions?

edit:
I'm not talking about warming the engine. I'm talking about warming the passenger's area.

 

[jagec]

Lots of people in really cold climates DO plug their cars in, to keep the engine block warm. I don't know why more people don't.

 

[AbsolutDealage]

You already can get an electric heater for your car. You just have to plug it into a wall outlet and it keeps the engine at a reasonable temp so you can just get in, start it, and go.

 

[Remy XO]

why dont they just drive slowly for 5 minutes keeping the RPM down?

 

[FrustratedUser]

Electric engine heater FTW!

1. Set timer to start heating engine block at 7AM
2. Eat breakfast
3. Start car, turn on heat - almost instant sauna.
4. ...
5. Profit!

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Remy XO
why dont they just drive slowly for 5 minutes keeping the RPM down?

They don't want to be cold? I'd rather save the gas and time, so I do what you suggest.

 

[Baked]

Isn't that an option for most cars now a days? Why don't people buy it?

 

[OmahaTaz]

I have a remote starter, and will give it up when it is pried from my cold, dead fingers! Plus it allows the fluids to warm before putting load on them. (ie the transmission, oil, etc)
My mechanic told me he was told by factory reps that cars that have been warmed in this way will last longer and require less maintenance. Personally I just like being warm or cool depending on season.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
It is 0 degrees out. Run to the car, start it, run back inside to finish your breakfast or whatever. About 10 minutes later, you're on the road in a nice toasty warm car.

This has become such a common thing now, we have automatic car starters to get it going out of the comfort of your home.

But if there is such a NEED for this, WHY are we doing it the hard way?

Why don't we just add a 2nd smaller battery and use an electric heater to pre-warm the car? And why don't we use this battery in the summer to do the opposite and ventilate a hot car?

Is it so hard to think up these solutions?

Let's see:

Option 1) Start you car and come back in
- 2/10 on the effort scale
- 1/10 on the pre-planning scale

Option 2) Purchase and rig up a separate battery and heater, start it up and come back in
- 6/10 on the effort scale
- 8/10 on the pre-planning scale

Gee, which would most people go for? :roll:

Why not ask why fast-food restaurants exist? I mean, you can make you a more wholesome and cheaper meal if you pre-plan and pre-cook all you meals ahead of time, right? And what about conveneice stores? Why not do all you shopping ahead of time so you don't have to resort to buying that loaf of bread and bottle of Tylenol for $14 total?

 

[OutHouse]

its not just to get the inside warm. you warm your car up so that the cold oil that is thick as tree sap can warm up at low RPM's so that when you drive your cylinders have proper lub and dont burn out shortening the life of your car.

 

[Colt45]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Electric engine heater FTW!

1. Set timer to start heating engine block at 7AM
2. Eat breakfast
3. Start car, turn on heat - almost instant sauna.
4. ...
5. Profit!

that only works when its +20
it gets down to -40 or worse here. blockheater just keeps the engine warm enough to start

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: Citrix
its not just to get the inside warm. you warm your car up so that the cold oil that is thick as tree sap can warm up at low RPM's so that when you drive your cylinders have proper lub and dont burn out shortening the life of your car.

From what I've heard, it's actually better for your car's engine to be moving along at a low RPM than to be sitting in your driveway idling.

 

[Dunbar]

Partially because nobody has designed a system you describe that is as cheap and easy to install as remote starters. There's also the prooblem of hiding the electric heating element and most likely sticking a second battery in the trunk. A 12V battery is not an efficient way of producing heat. A 55 amp/hour battery (which is big) at 11V (loaded down) would only produce 600 watts of heat for an hour. That's equivelant to a portable electric house heater set on low.

I read about a system that taps into the gas tank and has it's own burner. It burns like 1/5 as much gas as an idling engine to heat the car. But it cost like $800 plus installation.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Citrix
its not just to get the inside warm. you warm your car up so that the cold oil that is thick as tree sap can warm up at low RPM's so that when you drive your cylinders have proper lub and dont burn out shortening the life of your car.

That's what 5-30 oil is for.

 

[JulesMaximus]

You really only need to let it idle for about 30-60 seconds max before driving it even in cold weather like that. 60 degree weather I'd just let it idle for 10-15 seconds before driving away.

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Citrix
its not just to get the inside warm. you warm your car up so that the cold oil that is thick as tree sap can warm up at low RPM's so that when you drive your cylinders have proper lub and dont burn out shortening the life of your car.

From what I've heard, it's actually better for your car's engine to be moving along at a low RPM than to be sitting in your driveway idling.

Thats true but when it is very cold you have to give the car proper time to heat up, oil to thin out a bit, and the parts to expand. If it is a hot day and your car runs on gas not diesel then yes it is true not to let the car idle for long periods.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: jagec
Lots of people in really cold climates DO plug their cars in, to keep the engine block warm. I don't know why more people don't.

This guy does. :thumbsup:

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: Colt45

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Electric engine heater FTW!

1. Set timer to start heating engine block at 7AM
2. Eat breakfast
3. Start car, turn on heat - almost instant sauna.
4. ...
5. Profit!

that only works when its +20
it gets down to -40 or worse here. blockheater just keeps the engine warm enough to start

I'd say that's a pretty good start.

 

[isasir]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

Originally posted by: SagaLore
It is 0 degrees out. Run to the car, start it, run back inside to finish your breakfast or whatever. About 10 minutes later, you're on the road in a nice toasty warm car.

This has become such a common thing now, we have automatic car starters to get it going out of the comfort of your home.

But if there is such a NEED for this, WHY are we doing it the hard way?

Why don't we just add a 2nd smaller battery and use an electric heater to pre-warm the car? And why don't we use this battery in the summer to do the opposite and ventilate a hot car?

Is it so hard to think up these solutions?

Let's see:

Option 1) Start you car and come back in
- 2/10 on the effort scale
- 1/10 on the pre-planning scale

Option 2) Purchase and rig up a separate battery and heater, start it up and come back in
- 6/10 on the effort scale
- 8/10 on the pre-planning scale

Gee, which would most people go for? :roll:

Why not ask why fast-food restaurants exist? I mean, you can make you a more wholesome and cheaper meal if you pre-plan and pre-cook all you meals ahead of time, right? And what about conveneice stores? Why not do all you shopping ahead of time so you don't have to resort to buying that loaf of bread and bottle of Tylenol for $14 total?

The funny thing is, a lot of people were calling that guy's sister-in-law stupid in another thread for starting her car and letting it idle while she went inside.

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
You really only need to let it idle for about 30-60 seconds max before driving it even in cold weather like that. 60 degree weather I'd just let it idle for 10-15 seconds before driving away.

You live in San Diego. You have no concept of driving in the very cold.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Syringer

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
You really only need to let it idle for about 30-60 seconds max before driving it even in cold weather like that. 60 degree weather I'd just let it idle for 10-15 seconds before driving away.

You live in San Diego. You have no concept of driving in the very cold.

I grew up in upstate NY. I learned to drive there and lived there until I was 23 years old.

I definitely have a concept of what it's like to drive in the cold.

 

[Vic]

Electric engine block heaters already do exist. They're primarily used in commericial settings or in emergency-response services (fire depts use them for example) or in climates that get VERY cold in the winter, i.e. so cold the engine oil might have congealed.

edit: otherwise, in 20F weather, there's no need to warm the engine beyond a minute or so before driving off. Drive conservatively for the first few minutes until a little bit after the temp guage gas settled into its normal position.

 

[SagaLore]

I'm not talking about warming the engine. I'm talking about warming the passenger's area.

 

[iamwiz82]

Electric heaters use a lot of power and would need to be plugged in because a feasible battery just couldn't pump out that much juice. then you run into the costs of electric power, plus all of the safety devices needed to insure it wouldn't burn the car or passengers.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: isasir
The funny thing is, a lot of people were calling that guy's sister-in-law stupid in another thread for starting her car and letting it idle while she went inside.

A lot of people, yes, but MY position has been consistent that walking away from your idling car is always a stupid idea.