Now that the colder weather is here

[Apex]

Don't go leaving the car unlocked if you run it upto temp / defrost; sadly for 3 folks round my area they did and now they don't have car.

[GoNz0]

If I ever do that I lock the car leaving the spare key in it, it's on the drive with the gate shut and I have even backed the van round the corner to block the gate as few times if I have gone out to get that going (never leave the van as I only have the key work gave me)

Insurance will not cover theft if you do that.

[Butcher]

It's not good for your car to run it up to temp idling on the drive anyway.

[deejayburnout]

Thats bad. What is the local police saying?

[wasabi]

It's not good for your car to run it up to temp idling on the drive anyway.

Hiow so? Surely better warming up at idle than revving it when oil not up to temp?

[Butcher]

Idling a car takes a long time to warm up so you are running the car cold for a longer period, hence more wear. You should drive it (fairly gently) to warm it up since that will warm it more quickly. You definitely shouldn't rev it to the redline to warm it up though. Idling also wastes fuel.

[kalniel]

That's definitely true, however some cars have heated windscreen type things that only work when the engine is running, so some amount of idling is necessary if you've got one of those (and use it) - but then you should be patient rather than leave the car.

[TheAnimus]

I always feel almost guilty to my engine. I live on a side road not far from a main road. So it gets to drive 50 meters before I have to floor it to pull onto the busier road (well floor it to 30mph, London is so fun). With it being an eco diseasal it somewhat lacks punch at the best of times, let alone when cold.

I do check that the heater coil light is out before starting the engine mind.

[Ttaskmaster]

It's not good for your car to run it up to temp idling on the drive anyway.

Depends greatly on the vehicle.
In any weather, mine needs a couple of minutes idling on quarter choke, with the occasional rev up to 3,000rpm. This is what the manual itself says to do.

[kalniel]

I always feel almost guilty to my engine. I live on a side road not far from a main road. So it gets to drive 50 meters before I have to floor it to pull onto the busier road (well floor it to 30mph, London is so fun). With it being an eco diseasal it somewhat lacks punch at the best of times, let alone when cold.

I do check that the heater coil light is out before starting the engine mind.

Fairly similar here - a few hundred yards then straight onto de-restricted rural road. But likewise being a diesel (though not of the eco sort) it can be short shifted until up to temperature, which doesn't take too long at 60. Seems to be better for it than the alternative of staying in town on stop-start 30 roads - takes ages to get up to temperature that way.