Do you let your sonic warm up
- Thread starter HADES20
- Start date
ThatTmoGuy
New member
no temp lights that I have ever seen. my old Toyota would light up on cold starts in the summer let alone the winter. so I'm assuming that there is none on the sonic because I have not seen one in the recent freezing temps.
qwed94
New member
I let mine warm up a few minutes. Usually long enough for me to clock out and lock up. (at work). Then I drive off on roads that are 30 MPH for about 3 miles. By the time I see faster roads, it is warm.
The real reason I warm it up at all is because of the timing belt. (Well) that and I now have remote start.
The real reason I warm it up at all is because of the timing belt. (Well) that and I now have remote start.
Al Marino
New member
I give mine about 10 mins every morning. Engines are better built now, and they'll take the abuse better, but it's going to be at the cost of engine and trans life (auto). I never worried about leases, but the cars I own, I keep for awhile. My sonic rs- (19k) and especially my 1995 Tahoe 2door 4x4 (245k) is testament to that. Neither use any oil between the 6,000 mile synthetic oil changes, and I change trans fluid every 12k. Diffs and t case gets done in the summers, and checked in November. The Tahoe is still running the original o2 sensors!! There's a secret to that, and I'm not saying. True motorheads know why- not the peeps who just read about stuff.
Swordsmith
242hp/252 ft-lbs BNR EFI
I have always warmed up my vehicles in the past, but with my Sonic, I don't. I get in, start it up, and drive. It's a mile or so before I'm able to get over 10mph, another mile before I can get over 25, that's how living in a small town works. I drive gently, and the car warms up while I do. If I leave it sit, idling, it takes forever, ten, fifteen minutes, but if I actually drive, it only takes a minute or so... and I have to do that alley/small street/stoplights drive anyway.
This might not be true of the 1.8 folks, but the 1.4T just doesn't warm up sitting still. You can tell from feeling the heat vents, or you can tell by watching the engine temp on your ultragauge or Torque app if you have them (and if you don't, you should get one). Meanwhile, they've been designed to be driven cold, and there's no real harm in doing so, at least not if you don't insist on flooring it and leaving rubber on your driveway.
This might not be true of the 1.8 folks, but the 1.4T just doesn't warm up sitting still. You can tell from feeling the heat vents, or you can tell by watching the engine temp on your ultragauge or Torque app if you have them (and if you don't, you should get one). Meanwhile, they've been designed to be driven cold, and there's no real harm in doing so, at least not if you don't insist on flooring it and leaving rubber on your driveway.
ChrisJ
Active member
You don't have to be a "motorhead" to know how to make a lambda sensor last longer.
In fact, I would think most "motorheads" don't even know what a lambda sensor is.
davecerv
New member
I've been wanting to get a ultragauge specifically for engine temp. I'll probably get to it this coming month.
ChrisJ
Active member
Well,
The way I see it we have one guy who insists on letting his engine warm up first (popular old belief) and one guy who insists on doing early oil changes (another old belief).
You know what I think? You're both wrong, however chances are it won't have any effect on either car and if makes you happy by all means continue.
The way I see it we have one guy who insists on letting his engine warm up first (popular old belief) and one guy who insists on doing early oil changes (another old belief).
You know what I think? You're both wrong, however chances are it won't have any effect on either car and if makes you happy by all means continue.
Gsrdude
New member
You're right it won't have any effect. Your 10k-12k changes likely won't either. Keep an eye on those UOAs to make sure the oil is still doing it's job and it's a win :banana:
