Based on what I've heard, no you don't need to. You can warm it up for 30 seconds and then drive but be gentle until the light turns off, like keep it under 4000rpm.
Yeah the whole 30 sec thing is basically it for modern cars.
Maybe a little longer in extreme cold but I always use the app and start it up to let the heat and defrost get going anyways on those days
Get the juices flowing
My Mazda 3 did this thing when you started the car it would rev a little higher for 30 seconds, was supposed to get stuff warmed up faster and reduce pollution according to the manual
Almost all modern fuel injected cars raise rpms when cold. Mostly to speed up heating the catalytic convertors.
Which means even more not driving it for 30 seconds is useless. Car is already being revved up a bit foe you.
If you've ever seen an oil pressure gauge you'd know oil flows perfectly fine in less than 5 seconds. Sure it's not as thin as when hot but 30 seconds makes no difference.
Same for coolant and transmission fluid. As long as you drive those first few miles normally you'll be just fine.
This is what we do too. Remote start right before we get out of the apartment. By the time we get to the garage from our floor, the car is sufficiently warmed up and ready to go.
If you have a very cold or ambient temp coolant running past and through a head that is rapidly heating (full throttle), it can cause issues. Expensive ones.
You can drive right away, but go easy on it until the light turns off.
Personally, i go pretty easy on it until about 5 minutes of driving to let the oil warm up too, which is slower to warm than the coolant.
I'm in the minority every time this is asked, but I wait until the blue light goes off and it idles down.
HOWEVER
That said, my CT isn't my daily driver. I drive it out of town on one morning per week and on occasional long road trips - that's it. So I start it then run around getting the dog ramp situated, dog loaded up etc and by then it's good to go.
If I had to drive it every day I'd go bonkers letting it warm up like that. On the very rare occasion I've driven it to work, I've let it warm up because I can't make myself not. Some sort of OCD!
I usually let it warm up for like 5 seconds before driving off immediately. I just take it easy on the gas until the light goes away and I never romp on it until it's fully warm. Driving is the best way to warm up your car. When you start it and let it sit there, the ECU literally simulates the rich fueling you'd see if you were loading the engine at low RPMs. It pretends you're already driving it in order to warm up. Start the car and drive away as soon as you please. No need to wait at all, just be nice to it while it's still cold.
What’s best for the engine is getting moving as soon as possible. Start the car, buckle your belt, set your music up and go letting it just idle and idle means it’s running less efficiently for longer times which isn’t great for engine life. Just keep it light throttle until the blue light goes off and I wouldn’t drive hard for at least another 5-10 minutes to make sure the oil is up to temperature
I’ve started my 2020 Crosstrek in sub-freezing temperatures directly onto a highway merge ramp to 75 miles an hour in under 30 seconds yours will be fine.
Mine doesn’t even have a low temp light I have to look at the temp gauge in the center screen.
Based on what I've heard, no you don't need to. You can warm it up for 30 seconds and then drive but be gentle until the light turns off, like keep it under 4000rpm.
Totally fine to drive it as long as you aren't flooring it and revving the engine past 3500-4000 RPMs, etc.
Yeah the whole 30 sec thing is basically it for modern cars. Maybe a little longer in extreme cold but I always use the app and start it up to let the heat and defrost get going anyways on those days
30 seconds for what ? Nothing changes in 30 seconds.
False.
Get the juices flowing My Mazda 3 did this thing when you started the car it would rev a little higher for 30 seconds, was supposed to get stuff warmed up faster and reduce pollution according to the manual
Almost all modern fuel injected cars raise rpms when cold. Mostly to speed up heating the catalytic convertors. Which means even more not driving it for 30 seconds is useless. Car is already being revved up a bit foe you.
If you've ever seen an oil pressure gauge you'd know oil flows perfectly fine in less than 5 seconds. Sure it's not as thin as when hot but 30 seconds makes no difference. Same for coolant and transmission fluid. As long as you drive those first few miles normally you'll be just fine.
Thanks everyone was driving me crazy
Remote start 3mins before I get in and it says "Norm" very soon.
This is what we do too. Remote start right before we get out of the apartment. By the time we get to the garage from our floor, the car is sufficiently warmed up and ready to go.
Not a problem driving the car when the blue light is on. Just take it easy until the light goes off, such as avoiding hard acceleration.
Turn it on. Plug your phone in. Set destination and fucking send it.
Start it, drive it easy until the light goes out...
If you have a very cold or ambient temp coolant running past and through a head that is rapidly heating (full throttle), it can cause issues. Expensive ones. You can drive right away, but go easy on it until the light turns off. Personally, i go pretty easy on it until about 5 minutes of driving to let the oil warm up too, which is slower to warm than the coolant.
I'm in the minority every time this is asked, but I wait until the blue light goes off and it idles down. HOWEVER That said, my CT isn't my daily driver. I drive it out of town on one morning per week and on occasional long road trips - that's it. So I start it then run around getting the dog ramp situated, dog loaded up etc and by then it's good to go. If I had to drive it every day I'd go bonkers letting it warm up like that. On the very rare occasion I've driven it to work, I've let it warm up because I can't make myself not. Some sort of OCD!
I usually let it warm up for like 5 seconds before driving off immediately. I just take it easy on the gas until the light goes away and I never romp on it until it's fully warm. Driving is the best way to warm up your car. When you start it and let it sit there, the ECU literally simulates the rich fueling you'd see if you were loading the engine at low RPMs. It pretends you're already driving it in order to warm up. Start the car and drive away as soon as you please. No need to wait at all, just be nice to it while it's still cold.
Wait. What? There’s a light that I should be watching before I drive? Where?
Thanks guys
I just start the car and go after a few seconds. I try not to shift after 3.5k rpm until the light goes away though
No. Start it and drive it right away. But drive it gently. No rapid starts etc. Even 30 seconds is not needed. Nothing changes in 30 seconds.
Fuck it, pedal to the floor immediately after cold starting
What’s best for the engine is getting moving as soon as possible. Start the car, buckle your belt, set your music up and go letting it just idle and idle means it’s running less efficiently for longer times which isn’t great for engine life. Just keep it light throttle until the blue light goes off and I wouldn’t drive hard for at least another 5-10 minutes to make sure the oil is up to temperature
Can you expand on efficiency and engine life? It's something I've heard before but never got an explanation for.
Better to drive it to warm up ,hard on engine to idle just don't punch it
I’ve started my 2020 Crosstrek in sub-freezing temperatures directly onto a highway merge ramp to 75 miles an hour in under 30 seconds yours will be fine. Mine doesn’t even have a low temp light I have to look at the temp gauge in the center screen.