did it specify a temperature?

 

30 seconds won't get you any real temperature. It's for adequate oil/fluid circulation.

 

I think he was referring to the temperature outside, I may be wrong but that's how I read it.

 

I would imagine that 30 seconds should be sufficient most of the time, unless the outside temperature is something below zero. At that point, I would imagine a few minutes would be necessary.

It doesn't really get below zero in NC for me to test that theory, but I usually let mine run until the idle slows down and I'm on my way.

I did have a 4.6L Thunderbird that tanked in the cold (low teens)after starting it up, but when I took the engine apart, the pickup had metal fragments in it and one of the timing tensioners was shot. Judging by the startup rattle it had that I couldn't make go away over a few months prior to that, it was a preexisting condition that the cold weather made come full circle lol.

Other than that I've never had an engine tank in the cold.

 

Same here.

 

You read correctly lol. Sorry for any confusion but yeah I was referring to the outside air temp. Im from MN so we get a fair share of brutally cold days here. 30 seconds seems like a pretty short warm up time some days.

 

I think as long as you use common sense you won't hurt anything, 90% of the time as soon as the idle lowers you're safe to go. If you can't feel your finger going from the house to the truck then you should probably wait a few minutes and just hope that the heat starts pouring out of the vents. The southern states will probably never have to worry about the latter but those of us that see sub-zero temps every winter should know when to let her warm up a bit longer before heading out.

 

Do you all that live in those midwestern and other northern states use block heaters?

If it's, let's say 20 below zero (or however cold it gets there), is there any sort of thing you all do that's different from getting in and starting it up?

I've heard stories of people removing the battery and bringing it in overnight and all of that crazy jazz. Any truth to that?

 

I rented one Apt (electric included) & installed an electric heater under the hood
Too much of a PIA so I put it in the car on a timer
Engine wasn't warmed up but inside the car was

Never really cold enough here to worry about it
About the most I do is park the truck w/front end towards a wall so the wind won't blow thru the engine/radiator as much

 

no, no, no