Engine Coolant light on display
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Joined: Nov 2007
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Engine Coolant light on display
Helllo,
just got my xD on Friday, things were fine the last couple days, but today when i started the engine, the Engine Coolant light was on..I read the manual that it's because the engine needs to be warmed up, but i dont recall having to do this the last couple of days i drove it.
It was raining yesterday and it's sunny today, would weather be the factor?
Thanks guys! just a little paranoid!
just got my xD on Friday, things were fine the last couple days, but today when i started the engine, the Engine Coolant light was on..I read the manual that it's because the engine needs to be warmed up, but i dont recall having to do this the last couple of days i drove it.
It was raining yesterday and it's sunny today, would weather be the factor?
Thanks guys! just a little paranoid!
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From: Haslet, TX
This is a scion feature. Just take it easy when you have the engine cold light on. No need to sit for 2 minutes warming it up, thats about one of the worst things you can do to a gasoline engine.
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Originally Posted by DFWDJ
This is a scion feature. Just take it easy when you have the engine cold light on. No need to sit for 2 minutes warming it up, thats about one of the worst things you can do to a gasoline engine.
why?? i thought it was better and the engine has time to the oil to warm up and drive...
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From: Haslet, TX
Originally Posted by GuiLLo_xD_PR
Originally Posted by DFWDJ
This is a scion feature. Just take it easy when you have the engine cold light on. No need to sit for 2 minutes warming it up, thats about one of the worst things you can do to a gasoline engine.
why?? i thought it was better and the engine has time to the oil to warm up and drive...
Unless you have a carburetor or a fuel injected car from the mid eighties, it is unhealthy for the engine and the gas mileage to have a car idling for more than the 20-30 seconds it takes for the oil to circulate. Just take it easy for the first 5 minutes driving and it will improve your fuel economy and increase the life of your motor. Plus, if you have an automatic, the computer will automatically change the gearing to compensate for the warming of the engine while in motion.
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SO I shouldn't warm up the car?
"Unless you have a carburetor or a fuel injected car from the mid eighties, it is unhealthy for the engine and the gas mileage to have a car idling for more than the 20-30 seconds it takes for the oil to circulate. Just take it easy for the first 5 minutes driving and it will improve your fuel economy and increase the life of your motor. Plus, if you have an automatic, the computer will automatically change the gearing to compensate for the warming of the engine while in motion."
I'm in the Chicago area, and winter is soon approaching. Are you suggesting that people in shouldn't warm up their cars, cus it's gonna harm the engine?
I always thought it was necessary to warm it up first in sub freezing conditions to avoid damaging the engine.
I'm in the Chicago area, and winter is soon approaching. Are you suggesting that people in shouldn't warm up their cars, cus it's gonna harm the engine?
I always thought it was necessary to warm it up first in sub freezing conditions to avoid damaging the engine.
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From: Portland, OR
Originally Posted by DFWDJ
Originally Posted by GuiLLo_xD_PR
Originally Posted by DFWDJ
This is a scion feature. Just take it easy when you have the engine cold light on. No need to sit for 2 minutes warming it up, thats about one of the worst things you can do to a gasoline engine.
why?? i thought it was better and the engine has time to the oil to warm up and drive...
Unless you have a carburetor or a fuel injected car from the mid eighties, it is unhealthy for the engine and the gas mileage to have a car idling for more than the 20-30 seconds it takes for the oil to circulate.
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From: TX
my xA has the same feature - if you are in a warmer climate, just drive it. Won't hurt anything. In colder climates, I'm pretty sure you have to let the engines warm jsut a bit. Going from zubfreezing to 2-300 degrees within a few seconds can't be good on any engine.
I've read that letting a (modern) engine idle for a few mintes while you are in the store is definately bad for it, but I've never heard it to be bad to let it warm up. The limit I've seen is about 4-5 minutes; any longer and you are just wasting fuel and aging your parts.
When it gets cool down here (in TX so we don't ever see 'Cold'), I let all of my cars warm up.. my 300zx absolutely has to or it doesn't drive right, and my xA drives smoother and gets better gas mileage when it's warmed for a minute or two: yes, I've checked it. ScanGaugeII - awesome product. Plus, in colder weather, a whole tank's gas mileage drops 2-3MPG if we don't let it warm up at all vs. letting it warm for just a minute.
I've read that letting a (modern) engine idle for a few mintes while you are in the store is definately bad for it, but I've never heard it to be bad to let it warm up. The limit I've seen is about 4-5 minutes; any longer and you are just wasting fuel and aging your parts.
When it gets cool down here (in TX so we don't ever see 'Cold'), I let all of my cars warm up.. my 300zx absolutely has to or it doesn't drive right, and my xA drives smoother and gets better gas mileage when it's warmed for a minute or two: yes, I've checked it. ScanGaugeII - awesome product. Plus, in colder weather, a whole tank's gas mileage drops 2-3MPG if we don't let it warm up at all vs. letting it warm for just a minute.
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Can someone explain why letting the motor run for a couple minutes at idle is bad...? It just makes no sense to me, its like saying driving the car is bad. Especially letting the car warm up? I mean i doubt you would just start up the car and just start driving. At least i don't i mean i know a bit about engines i just don't understand the logic in the harm of letting the motor idle.
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From: Portland, OR
Originally Posted by Bennyboy
Can someone explain why letting the motor run for a couple minutes at idle is bad...? It just makes no sense to me, its like saying driving the car is bad. Especially letting the car warm up? I mean i doubt you would just start up the car and just start driving. At least i don't i mean i know a bit about engines i just don't understand the logic in the harm of letting the motor idle.
Bottom line there is no way in hell that driving your car, stopping and accelerating, driving fast on the freeway is some how stressing the car and engine out LESS than an idle...
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From: Haslet, TX
Do some research people. This is information based off a Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency study, and it gets COLD in Canada:
Contrary to popular belief, idling isn't an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to warm it up is to drive it. In fact, with today's engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before you start to drive.
The notion that idling is good for your vehicle is passé – in fact, it hasn't been the right thing to do since the advent of electronic engines. The truth is that excessive idling can damage the engine.
An idling engine isn't operating at its peak temperature, which means that fuel doesn't undergo complete combustion. This leaves fuel residues that can condense on cylinder walls, where they can contaminate oil and damage parts of the engine. For example, fuel residues are often deposited on spark plugs. As you spend more time idling, the average temperature of the spark plug drops. This makes the plug get dirty more quickly, which can increase fuel consumption by 4 to 5 percent. Excessive idling also lets water condense in the vehicle's exhaust. This can lead to corrosion and reduce the life of the exhaust system.
Also, idling warms only the engine – not the wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires. These parts also need to be warmed up, and the only way to do that is to drive the vehicle.
The notion that idling is good for your vehicle is passé – in fact, it hasn't been the right thing to do since the advent of electronic engines. The truth is that excessive idling can damage the engine.
An idling engine isn't operating at its peak temperature, which means that fuel doesn't undergo complete combustion. This leaves fuel residues that can condense on cylinder walls, where they can contaminate oil and damage parts of the engine. For example, fuel residues are often deposited on spark plugs. As you spend more time idling, the average temperature of the spark plug drops. This makes the plug get dirty more quickly, which can increase fuel consumption by 4 to 5 percent. Excessive idling also lets water condense in the vehicle's exhaust. This can lead to corrosion and reduce the life of the exhaust system.
Also, idling warms only the engine – not the wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires. These parts also need to be warmed up, and the only way to do that is to drive the vehicle.
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From: upstate NY
Modern gasoline engines should always be run under load. Even generator instructions say that they should never be run without running something off of it (lights, AC, etc). I recently tried to expain all this to my sister-in-law in Boston. She insists on idling her car for 5 minutes in the winter.
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From: Portland, OR
Originally Posted by Rich
Modern gasoline engines should always be run under load. Even generator instructions say that they should never be run without running something off of it (lights, AC, etc). I recently tried to expain all this to my sister-in-law in Boston. She insists on idling her car for 5 minutes in the winter.
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From: Central Indiana
Scion xB Owner Manual Info
Below is a paragraph from a Scion xB owner manual (page 147):
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Avoid lengthy warm- up idling. Once the engine is running smoothly, begin driving—but gently. Remember, however, that on cold winter days this may take a little longer
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The point about engine warm up is that you can let the engine warm up while you are driving. This minimizes wasted fuel and needless carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. If fact the engine warms up faster while driving that just sitting at idle.
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Avoid lengthy warm- up idling. Once the engine is running smoothly, begin driving—but gently. Remember, however, that on cold winter days this may take a little longer
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The point about engine warm up is that you can let the engine warm up while you are driving. This minimizes wasted fuel and needless carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. If fact the engine warms up faster while driving that just sitting at idle.
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From: Portland, OR
Originally Posted by Rich
IMHO, it's more than about just wasted fuel and emissions; excessive idling causes damage to the engine thru carbon deposits and corrosion.