arnulfo de l.a. Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 How long from initial start up to when cold light goes out does it take for your car to warm up? My car 65 rivi gs all stock drive train , never rebuilt, factory spec thermostat,original 3 row radiator with a/c takes 3 1/2 to 4 minutes . That's in 65 degree SoCal weather idle at about 600- 650 rpm. Seems like a long time when I'm sitting there waiting . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivman Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Actually it does take a bit longer to warm up at idle rather than driving down the road. Less circulation when at idle so it might actually get there quicker driving it a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 If you just let the car idle until the engine warms up your ignoring the transmission and the rear end. Those fluids need to warm up as well. Better to start driving with the engine cold and let everything warm up to operating temperatures at the same time. If necessary, wear heavier socks to keep your feet warm. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnulfo de l.a. Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 I agree , better to drive slow for warm up and i do for a couple of miles after the light goes out. I live near downtown los angeles so its not easy sometimes to drive the slower speeds. Does anyone idle until light goes out? If yes about how long does it take? Im wondering if maybe my temp switch is going bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petelempert Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I'm guessing each car will vary depending upon the carb, choke set up, use of manifold heat/or not, factory air cleaner/or not etc. My 63 starts and idles high (full choke) particularly in winter and after about 60 seconds, I tip the throttle, dropping the idle and the light goes off almost simultaneously. I agree with others that it's probably better to creep around slowly for a few block to get everything warm. To satisfy your curiosity, you could get one of those cheap infra red thermometer guns from Harbor Freight, start you car, let it idle, aim it and read the temp directly off the motor. PRL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96roadmaster Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I let it idle a few minutes, and then still drive it slowly for a few more minutes until the rest of the fluids catch up. 3-4 minutes for the engine sounds about right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KongaMan Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I turn the key and go. Given where the car stays, it's a mile or two before I can put my foot into it, so there's a built-in warm up period by default. If it's exceptionally cold, I might give it a minute to smooth out, but that's about it. Even so, I have no reservations about dropping it into gear with the green light still on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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