[airbender]

Question: Is it neccesary to keep the engine running for few minutes before pressing the accelarator in cold weather(I meant US cold).

[khoj]

Originally Posted by Utopian

No doubt, engine feels smoother and rev-happy but only after the engine temp reaches the working temp range.
In my carb Zen, the same is an uphill task in the morning. In extremely chilly weather, one has to ensure a lot of throttle for a min or two to ensure that the engine does not die. :(

Hi Utopian,
We have a '96 Zen that is still used on a daily basis and slightly more than a decade ago a service manager with a MUL dealership explained the procedure below to get the Zen's engine up and running smoothly in the least possible time during winters. We still follow it and here it is.

Turn on the switch, pump the accelerator fully 1~2 times, pull the choke lever to full out position, take foot off the accelerator, crank up, now let the engine run at idle till you can feel/hear the revs level out (there is no tacho in our Zen). Push in the choke half way and compensate with the accelerator, do not over rev, let the engine stabilize again, allow the temp gauge needle to move atleast to C if not slightly beyond, push in the choke lever untill very little of it is left out and drive off. Run the vehicle for the initial kilometer or so and then push in the choke completely. You will find that though elaborate this procedure allows the engine to heat up to its working temperature pretty quickly.

In case the engine stalls midway through startup, do not use full choke again but use half or less and take it from there. Repeated full choke or accelerator along with full choke will result in overflowing of the carb which then entails another procedure to allow for start up itself.

Originally Posted by airbender

Question: Is it neccesary to keep the engine running for few minutes before pressing the accelarator in cold weather(I meant US cold).

It is always desirable to allow an engine to heat up a bit before loading it with the demands from the drive train. You could let the temp gauge needle get up off its rest point and a bit beyond the initial mark on the dial 'C' for example before shifting to D.

[sriswe]

Yes GTO,

My Indica DLS throttle response is improved and engine feels more happier :-)
Sometimes I need to break harder in order to avoid bumping into some other car's rear end.

Thanks,
Srinivas.R

[AbhiJ]

I dont know if its even possible .. but my CR-V sounds better!

[PM - B]

All,
Just some statistics,
On Jan 8 2010, I started the car at Udaipur at 5.00 AM in the morning, enroute to Bombay, I and my wife very very cold to say the least. The outside temp was showing 7degrees C. I put on the heater and nothing happens, i start of slowly and accelerate gradually and finally reach a cruising speed of 90KMPH. At this rate it took ~ 15 + minutes before the heater began to give some warm air, and it took 45+ minutes driving before the temp gauge reached the standard halfway mark.

I always believe that early mornings and cold winters are very good for the engine.

PS: This is a Linea MJD.

[anilisanil]

Originally Posted by PM - B

All,
and it took 45+ minutes driving before the temp gauge reached the standard halfway mark.

I always believe that early mornings and cold winters are very good for the engine.

PS: This is a Linea MJD.

Loading your engine before it reaches the optimum temperature is not a good practice. You said you did 90 kmph for 45 minutes for it to reach the the standard half mark, that would be a tremondous load on an engine. It would however be harmless to floor it only after it is heated up completely.

[Nova]

winter brings in quite a few gooodies...from food to driving pleasure and better performance in the vehicle....

MY Wagon R has increased fuel efficiency, the noise level has reduced, but the initial early morning start(first self) of the day is very noisy...

of a decade of experience, the battery needs change during winter(3rd season of car). Batteries changes are regular

the best part, for CNG vehicles, more of gas in cylinders and longer running

[sandeepmohan]

I drive a 10 year old car and the only reason I prefer driving in cooler weather is because my engine runs cooler, responds better and does not show any sign of fatigue. Actively shown on my temperature gauge during a highway run during nights and early morning when there is cool air running into the engine, the temperature gauge drops well below the half point. There are times my engine hood stays cold and very little heat coming off the radiator.

[Shan2nu]

45+ mins to reach opt temp? Thats a bit too much. Def not good for the engine.

Get the thermostat checked. It might be faulty.

Shan2nu

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by airbender

Question: Is it neccesary to keep the engine running for few minutes before pressing the accelarator in cold weather(I meant US cold).

It is advisable even in Indian summer, leave alone U.S Winter! I always idle the engine a couple of minutes and engage gear only after the temp gauge needle moves to the 'C' mark.

[GTO]

I don't see the need to idle for a "couple of minutes". Rather, idle for 1/2 a minute (non-turbo engines) and then drive off using minimal / no accelerator. I keep the revvs very limited after the first start in the morning (till the engine reaches optimal temperature).

[Gansan]

^^ That is because the owner's manual says the engine is ready to accept load once the temperature gauge moves to the "C" mark. It takes ~ 2 minutes from a cold start for this to happen!

But once I start moving, I have to drive slowly anyway for 1 KM to access the main road. By this time the gauge will be at the normal operating temperature, and I will switch on the AC.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by khoj

Hey goandude,
this 'inbuilt' OAT is it an OE fitment or an aftermarket one? I have a swift zxi but except for the analog engine temp gauge there is no other readout. Am I missing something here?

The OAT comes stock on Dzire VDI (and I presume Dzire ZDI) it does NOT come on swift VDI.
Any comments on intercooler efficiency increasing the density of intake air and improving performance in winter?

[himavanth_m]

I am surprised that there would be noticeable difference in winter. Frankly speaking I havent noticed it on my Safari. May be I havent concentrated much. since so many BHPians noticed it, i will I will give more attention to throttle response to feel the difference.
However I have been getting marginally better FE figures during december.

[khoj]

Originally Posted by anilisanil

Loading your engine before it reaches the optimum temperature is not a good practice. You said you did 90 kmph for 45 minutes for it to reach the the standard half mark, that would be a tremondous load on an engine. It would however be harmless to floor it only after it is heated up completely.

The entire range between C & H is optimum to drive. What the needle indicates is the point at which the heat transfer equation has found its equilibrium for the given ambient and engine's internal temperature.