Fast warm up ideas: compilation thread
 

As we all know, a warm engine is a more efficient engine. So, a few of us with short commutes (okay, primarily Oil Pan 4) have been coming up with interesting and nifty fast warm up ideas over the past few years. I am starting this thread to compile a bunch of them for people who are interesting in increasing their warm up speed. There are some real gems that have been thrown out there, but not many are doing them. I also think we can add a bunch of these to the 65+ mods list and 100+ hypermiling tips.

In no specific order:

Tips & Techniques:

1) Turning off the car heater until engine is warm
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...mup-16044.html

2) Turn heater fan on recirculate until engine is warm

3) Park in a garage

4) Park toward the sun



Modifications:

1) Grill block

2) Block heater

3) Big / double engine block heaters
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...arm-817-7.html
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ers-34712.html
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...9-a-32503.html

4) Oil pan immersion heater
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ter-33500.html

5) Oil to coolant heat exchanger
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ger-34731.html

5) Engine insulation
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ion-16207.html
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tion-6052.html
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...-em-10529.html

6) Exhaust heat exchanger
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ger-29085.html
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...very-7107.html
- http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...dea-32243.html

7) Stick on pad heaters

8) Coolant thermos (ex: Prius)

9) Warm air intake

10) Concentrate the coolant to approx. 75% glycol

11) Keep the oil at the minimum level (warning: check oil level more frequently)



I know I'm probably missing a bunch, but that is what my search found. Let me know other tips and mods to add to the list! Please include links if possible. :thumbup:

N) Concentrate the coolant to approx. 75% glycol.

N+1) Keep the oil at the minimum level.

Sorry but the oil advice is terrible. Please don't run your car a quart low on oil at any time.

It's the garage that should be explored. The cost of a fully insulated garage against buying one to two extra vehicles over a lifetime.

Hard as are "cold starts", keeping the vehicle out of the weather (especially the sun) the majority of the day (the majority of its life) will do more to enhance longevity thus reliability than all else.

Reduced transportation cost is barely one-half the cost of fuel for a given vehicle. It's the longest life with the highest reliability that leads "economy".

That a garage enables all kinds of maintenance & repairs not comparable without is what seals the decision.

This is before any advantage afforded the dwelling, which could further shorten the ROI.

.

I have a garage now that can actually fit 2 cars.
I would still use block heaters and such.
Much cheaper than heating a whole garage all night.

Relative temp & humidity control isn't expensive if designed in first. Some level of DIY maintenance and repair covers it.

And it's nothing to do with specific applications of heat. Which, with whatever benefit, are best minimized.

Coolant is a minimum. Followed by engine/trans oil. But they do nothing for greases, tires and general metal contraction.

My house came with a garage. We wanted it, but it wasn't like we had one built for us. I'm a big fan- it's storage, workspace and a place to park.

As a place to park, it's awesome. Instead of worrying about parking where I won't interfere with the plow guy too much, shoveling to get to my car, scraping the ice and then fogging up the interior or using the AC because the car is just plain too cold and having to wear a gloves and a hat for the first 20 miles, I just go downstairs, get in the car and go.

It helps the mpg too, but that's not where the real value is.

Added to the list! Those are good. Like any modification you must be aware of its consequences and thus check your oil more regularly.

Seems VW is implementing something similar.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nNendiDFzSM

Bumping for more ideas. Thanks!

Oil Pan, did I miss any of your other threads?