Anyone Warm-up their car?

[Pony]

Usually during the winter I go outside and let my truck warm up a few minutes before driving it. Usually I let it run about 10min as I am doing last minute things before i leave, whether it be printing something or drinking some coffee etc. <br /> <br />The other day on the news they reported that a woman here in Germantown got ticketed $70 for leaving her car running.......It is apparently against the law to do so. Before you all say its dangerous to leave the car running with keys in the ignition, I usually will lock the door and open it with my spare. The woman ticketed used a remote starter, so her keys werent even near the car, nor were the doors unlocked. <br /><br />We've been warming up our vehicles for as long as I can remember.....just seems like a ridiculous law to me. I think my villiage is one of maybe two in all of SE Wisconsin to have such a law.<br /><br />I guess this is kind of a rant........sorry to bore all you who dont have the good fortune of dealing with the white stuff

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

Pony,<br /><br />That blows.

 

[Wimperdink]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

against the law to warm up your car???? Why praytell?

 

[Pony]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

I wish I knew.......it wont stop me from doing it though.. <br /><br />maybe some of the law enforcement guys could explain this one for us

 

[Kalian]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

It must have something to do with the envirowakos. I warm my truck up for a minute or 2. I don't think we have a law like that here in ca. Surprising huh?

 

[AK_Chappy]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

Anchorage has that same law technically. It is on the books but not enforced. The cold air makes the exhaust stay lower and increases the concentrations of pollutants. The public service announcements always said that the first 5 minutes or so were the worst as far as the level of pollutants in the exhaust.<br /><br />I always used a block heater and started the vehicle and warmed it up.<br /><br />AK Chappy

 

[stan_deezy]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

Same law in Germany. Similar in UK: illegal to run the engine when no occupant in the vehicle: owner of vehicle is guilty of the crime......not neccessarily the driver!<br /><br />We have neighbours across from us who start doing this from late Sept thru to end of April (no matter the weather) six days a week. Starts at 0700 and they run them for 15-20 minutes apiece (they have two vehicles). Both vehicles are diesel and rattle and clonk badly: we can forget having a long lie in during those months

 

[Pony]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

Now I can see the problem, if the car is unlocked with keys in the ignition.....<br /><br /> 15 to 20 minutes seems pretty excessive to me. As I said I run it 10min at most, usually much closer to 5min. Also for me I usually only do it if its below 25F. If its not real cold, it really is a waste.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

Pony, you didn't say your reasoning for running it for so long??

 

[Pony]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

For my truck that just seems to be the amount of time it takes to warm up when really cold to the point where I like the way it runs. With our reformulated gas it runs like crap when the engine is cold..........10 min is only when its really cold.

 

[stan_deezy]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

Yeah Pony, trust me: 15-20 minutes of burping coughing bone rattling diesel outside your house is way too long: I've mentioned it to them a few times and get the same response: "It's to warm up the cars for the kids".......I may have to do some bone-rattling of my own soon

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

It would only be illegal if you parked on the street. You can run whatever you want unattended in your own driveway.<br /><br />I don't, because it's just adding alot of unnecessary wear to the engine. The vast majority of engine wear happens during startup and every second it runs below operating temperature. If you start it and then drive away, it warms up quicker, so there's less wear...

 

[roscoe]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

Stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work tonight, midnight.<br />7 cars in the lot, 5 of them running!<br />4 cars at the gas station, 2 of them running.<br /><br />WHen it gets real cold, even the cops leave the squad running while they are pumping gas and then when they go inside to pay.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

I have heard that it is against the law also in some cities across America!!!!<br /><br />In the winter Iuse my automactic starter every day and let the car run 20-30 minutes!!! <br /><br />If you read the laws of your State you should be dead because it is illegal to breath!!! you or I break the law every 5 minutes!!!!

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

I start my truck up about 5 mins before I leave with the defrost on high to melt the ice so I don't have to scrape them. The guy with the diesel let his run for 15-20 mins is probably what it take to heat up the car Stan.

 

[one more cast]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

At -20f there is no way you can drive your car without a warm up time. You wouldn't be able to see and you risk freezing up your radiator.

 

[Pony]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

ZmOz- the woman ticketed was in an apartment parking lot, she was no where near the street.......<br /><br />I agree with ya OMC, when it gets that cold you have to do it. It is an interesting debate though as to when it becomes necessary to do so

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

I have electric heaters in the seats... but I still warm up the car for a minute or two for my boy.

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

here is La Crosse WI Any Person With their Car Running Or Even Have Keys In Ignition In an Unattened Auto Will Be TicketedIf Not on Privatedly Owned Land. $70 In Lacrosse and $166 In Onalaska.<br /><br /><br />Makes You Wonder if The Police Are Immune to This Law. Because Dont They Have To Keep There Cars Running To Keep the Different Equipment Running??

 

[ndemge]

Re: Anyone Warm-up their car?

same law in st. louis. <br />law put into effect because of all the stolen vehicles that are left running.<br /><br />If you leave it running somewhere and don't lock it, your asking for trouble. Theives will drive around just looking for a target to snag.<br /><br />I think the law is crap, if it's in my driveway, it's my property, I'm gonna run it.