Warming up the car before driving

[donv]

Where does that "hot fluid in a cold engine" come from? You don't mean the oil or "coolant" do you?

The worst time for the engine is the microseconds while you're cranking it but it hasn't started yet - because oil pressure is low and the rings are scraping what little oil is left on the cylinder walls off. Everything after that is a breeze in comparison, so long as the oil pump is working OK. I pause just long enough for the top to lower or the attractive chimes to stop and then I'm off...

[Brucelee]

In the extreme cold, I see widom in allowing the engine oil to circulate a bit. By that I mean, a minute or two seems prudent. Driving easily until full engine temps is also prudent.

Lastly, in very cold weather, a clean quality synthetic is a must. Personally, if I lived again in NE, I would use 0W-30 syn in winer. Then again, if I lived there again, I would start drinking heavily again!

[hobo]

I have noticed my tires are a little out of round in the morning and it takes about 5 mins of driving for them to smooth out. Anybody else notice this. I have Pireli tires.
- Hobo

[donv]

Have the same issue, *much* worse in the first drive after the car comes out of winter storage... but it goes away as well.