Warming up the car?

[NViejeP]

I just bought my 2000 T4R a few months ago at 68k. It was leased car and was in very good condition, no accident record or naything.

My question is, is it worth it every morning to warn up the car, I park outside in San Francisco, and the mornings are very cold.

 

[>MR2turbo4evr<]

I do it all the time. I let it warm up till the needle starts to move.

 

[JoJoBetsy]

It is always a good idea to allow a vehicles engine to warm up to operating temp before putting a load to it. What you are really doing there is allowing the engine oil to come to an operating viscosity so that it can easily get to the moving parts it needs to. However, there are workarounds of course. Search t4r.org for warmup and you should get some more information. Most of it will say that if you cannot warm the engine before putting a load to it then a synthetic oil is a good preventitive alternative/measure. Synthetics will reach their optimum viscosity faster (perhaps not by much) than dino-oils will.

 

[mole177]

some say you need to, some say you don't.

it's just a matter of one's own preference.

I like to warm it up to at least it passes the c or until the rpm's drop below 1k.

then i ease down the road. the engine oil may be warmed up, however the other fluids aren't.

 

[Thai]

BMW & Mercedes do NOT recommend warming up your car. For me, i just wait about 30 seconds and then drive off. Main thing is that you take it easy (on throttle) until your engine reaches good operating temperature.

I would not worry too much about warming up...your transmission is programmed to warm up your car quickly by delaying shifting in the first few gears. That is why your 4runner would rev more at the beginning of the early morning drive.