I am curious how long I should warm up my 98 24 valve. live in mid Mich. and drive out a really uphill drive way, right to 55mph roads , for a 40 min drive to work . I normally let it idle 10-15 min but keep seeing to avoid extended idle times , I personally think the worse of thew two is to run it cold Manual says keep under 1000 rpm for 1st 5 min. any thoughts on this .

 

Thats a tough one, aside from driving up and down your drive way for awhile, you are really left with two options: let it sit and idle, or get on it right away eh!
I live in a somewhat cold climate, and have the fortune of a fast idle set up to allow me to give it some warm up time, but if its warm enough, between -10C and up, within a minute, I am rolling down the road.
I do have about a half mile before I hit highways speed, and I ensure I keep it in a low enough gear before I have to get on it.

You really don't have much of an option except to get yourself a high idle set up during those cold days, or watch the traffic and give her some time to get rolling before you get on it.

 

do you have it pluged in??????????
that helps a lot as the piston to wall clearance is quite lg when cold

 

The 10-15 minute idle time is my concern. Instead of idle, you want to let it warm up at say about 1200 rpm instead of just idle at about 800 rpm. You can use something as simple as a wood stick as a prop rod from seat to go pedal, or an ice scraper like I do . It will also warm up a little faster too.

Just before you drive off, pop it into neutral (if auto) and let the fluid in the tranny circulate for a minute or two, then drive off. Still keep the rpms within reason (per manual) untill the temp gauge starts moving.

Plugging it in helps speed up warm up time. I live in Michigan also, and it really makes a big difference. I use a timer and it turns on about 3 hours before I leave. I notice a big difference with using it. Good luck, Kevin

 

How about a high idler

Practical Solutions High Idler

Or you could just jamp something in there, like a piece of wood or something.

 

Hey thanks for the input , can plug it in I have a plug outside the garage "my wife has to park in there" the timer on that is a graet idea also the fast idle , this is my 1st personal diesel although I have driven ford diesels for the past 15 years as my company vehicle you tend to let them warm up longer when you are getting paid to drink your coffee than you would on your own time yet i do not want to hurt it as it was a big investment for me.

 

I plug mine in when it is under 20F degrees and I have a romote starter to warm it up for 10mins before I go out to the truck. I just love the remote starter, almost better than sex.

 

Almost gives you time for a little while you wait huh.... hey honey, wait rrighttt here for a sec.... now wheres that starter butten...

DuaneW

 

Oh boy! are we off track , but I remember when I was single that was the definition of a perfect date. The vehicle would start after I stopped! We better quit while we're ahead.

 

When does this high idler kick in? Is it like the fords? I was thinking that if it kicks in when ever engine isn't up to temp then maybe you could wire it through a toggle so you could turn it on and off. Also is the fast idle better, and how much does that cost to have put in?
thanks dave