question about the cold engine light

[RedRide]

Originally Posted by Stove

With modern engines, waiting a few minutes isn't saving your engine.

What is so special about a "modern engine" that it no longer needs any sort of warm up, even for a minute?
Some modern engine's parts are still designed to fit together properly only when the engine is at full operating temp,.
The only thing that is different with today's engines in they have modern electronic control for fuel injection , etc . This makes an engine run good even when very cold giving some a false sense of security when starting off.

All the aticles about not warming up your enging has to do with wasting a bit of gas, not wether or not it can potentially harm it if you don't

It is still prudent to warm it up a bit, how long should be determined by ambient temp. Would you turn the key and imediatly take off if the car was sitting outside in 10 degree temp?
Often, a bit of common sense can go a very long ways.

[Stove]

Originally Posted by RedRide

What is so special about a "modern engine" that it no longer needs any sort of warm up, even for a minute?
Some modern engine's parts are still designed to fit together properly only when the engine is at full operating temp,.
The only thing that is different with today's engines in they have modern electronic control for fuel injection , etc . This makes an engine run good even when very cold giving some a false sense of security when starting off.

Since you ask. It does need a warm up but the "warm up" is driving it normally until the engine reaches operating temperature. Idling away in the driveway is a thing of the past, just like leaded gasoline. There was a need for lead in the gas as lubrication was an issue in older engines. Lubrication was one of many issues.

With Modern engines the materials, material quality, component design, manufacturing tolerances, surface finishes of components as well as the technology in methods of manufacturing the above have improved over the last 35 years (to use your '76 MG for example). Add to that the addition of emission control components and it all adds up to a different method for how to treat your cars engine and emission controls.

"Driving normally" for the first few minutes is the new "sit in the driveway and idle". BTW, All of the cars I've bought within the last 10 years have recommended this.

Waiting a minute or two isn't going to hurt anything, I never claimed it would, and by all means do it if that's what makes you happy. But it isn't saving your engine and it isn't necessary unless you plan on leaving your driveway like an F-1 driver.

To go to extremes, there are quite a few differences between these two engines besides a few computers and fuel injection (and 100 years).