In normal temps I just get in and drive, because this is simply the quickest way to warm up the engine. I do not take it past 4,000 RPM until the engine is warm (a minute or two after it has reached 3 bars).

In winter I will allow it 2-3 minutes of warm up.. mostly for my own benefit so I don't freeze my balls off!

 

it says dont' leave the car idle for 15 minutes or more.
but i warm it up for like 5 minutes or until atleast 2 bars come up then keep it under 4

 

Normally, I just start the car and immediately start driving. I keep it fairly gentle, of course, and always wait until properly at 3 bars before VTEC.

Waiting 2 or 3 minutes seems like a complete waste of time to me.

Only when I'm doing something like autocross will I use idling to warm things up.

52k miles and zero problems.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RazorV3
[B]i dont' care about wasting gasoline, i let the car warm up to 2 or (most of the time) 3 bars.

 

I warm up as long as it takes to put my seat belt on and drive away. Then drive lightly, until a few miles after 3 bars for oil temp(especially important for engines with piston oil jets, like ours).

 

are your cars any different then mine? if my car isnt warmed up i get slapped in the face by the ecu. the fuel cutoff comes right before teh vtec changeover point. so its not like i could drive it hard if wanted to.

 

I don't think the point of this thread has anything to do with when and how long after start up can you or should you VTEC. That is a whole other story. It's about how long to warm up the car after a cold start before driving off.

The first thing I do when I get in the car is start it, put it in neutral and let out the clutch. In the summer, I put on my seat belt and go.
In winter, I start it the same way, neutral, clutch out, then I go out and brush the snow off the car, scrape the windows, get in and go. If there is no ice and snow on the windows, I sit and wait till I stop shivering enough to operate the gear shift smoothly.
Depending on how cold it is outside will determine for how long I drive it "easy". For example, if it is below -15*C, I'll short shift and maybe even use one higher gear than usual to keep the rpm lower. When I get the "3 bars", I don't worry about it anymore, but will redline only if necessary until the engine is "good and warmed up".
Those who sit there and idle till the cows come home are living in yesterday.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by UFeniZe
[B]it says dont' leave the car idle for 15 minutes or more.

 

You guys are all crazy.
I start the car and I don't wait at all until I am reverse VTECing out of the driveway.

 

If you want to see which works better (at least for water temp), start the car and leave it idling and see how long it takes to get 3 bars. Now try the same thing driving with light load. Bet you get three bars more quickly with light load than Idling. And, your diff and tranny fluid do not come up to temp while Idling, so if you think its nice and warm and hammer it with after a standing warm up, those parts are being put under undue strain.

In the cold, I leave it just long enough for the idle to settle, it can jump around pretty wildly after sitting in the company parking lot from 7:00 to 22:00 in the winter.