Thread: Driving a car when its too cold

Guys, all this week we have had low temperatures here in the upstate SC, So everymorning before I go to work I get out and start up my car to let it warm up for about 5 minutes white I get ready to go to work. But, in the afternoon when I get out of work, I don't have time to start it up to warm it up because as soon as I get out of work I want to go home, if I let it warm up for 5 minutes then I have to stay those 5 minutes either in the car or outside and its cold!!! So what I do is, I start it up and start driving slowly until the car warms up I drive it as usual. Question: How bad is when you drive your car just few seconds after you started up and its cold? how bad is for the engine? any other opinions about what I should do?

Originally Posted by 01GTP

As long as you dont beat on it when its cold you will be fine. I let mine warm up some tho. Its a little colder here -18 lol

This morning it was -29 here. I am not a fan. It's best to let the engine warm up a bit first but like others said, if you can't, keep the RPM's low.

Originally Posted by gtpinsc

u should at least let the oil get somewhat warm before u just hop in and take off... but i guess if u have to jump in and go... keep the rpms as low as possible until u reach operating temp... what part of sc are u from, im from sumter (scumter) lol... this last week has been horrible... 18 degrees in SC is NOT common. by the way i let mine warm for 15 minutes or more in the morning...

I'm from Gray Court and yes, this temperatures are very uncommon over here!!!! may not be too cold, but for us, it is! lol

Thank you guys for your reply, I guess most of you agree with me, as long as I don't beat it, my car should be fine. The place where I work its located in a little road, so I have the chance to go slow because there is no traffic, The RPM won't go higher than 2000, once it gets warm I drive it as usual.

Originally Posted by TCO

This morning it was -29 here. I am not a fan. It's best to let the engine warm up a bit first but like others said, if you can't, keep the RPM's low.

-29? its nice lol where you from?

Last week in rural Minnesota, just south of the Twin Cities, we had lows around -30 deg F. Thats cold. My GP GT sits inside a non heated garage outside my apartment building. I let it warm up 10 min before driving to and from work. After the engine warms up, if I can safely drive slowly for a while, I do so to let the transmission oil warm up before I reach 70 mph highway speeds. I also add a bottle of Napa thermo-aid to the gas every 3rd tank or so in winter. I run conventional Napa 10w-30 oil in the spring, summer, and fall, but switch to 5w-30 in winter. The 1036 Gold filter is also used.

If you are in South Carolina you should have nothing to worry about. Just enjoy the warm winter. LOL.