# diesel warm up



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Yes I do notice there is not as much power until I have driven for a few minutes. I would vote lowered boost until the sensors detect it's safe to full boost.


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## TheDog (Mar 27, 2014)

A few minutes driving gently accomplishes this faster and at lower cost than 10 mins of idling. Mine seems a little raspier and knocky sounding until it warms but it warms up in just a few minutes at 20-30 degrees F driving gently.


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

I don't let it idle unless the windows are frosted or snow covered, then I let the defrost do the work.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

The car definitely feels different when cold on very cold days. The shifting is slow and it revs higher before shifting. As for the power difference, I have never got on the throttle hard enough when cold to compare, so I can't honestly say if it is less powerful. My guess is the power difference would be because the diesel would be not burning completely until the engine has had time to heat up a bit. It's also likely that power is ECM limited when really cold.


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## VtTD (Nov 5, 2013)

TheDog said:


> A few minutes driving gently accomplishes this faster and at lower cost than 10 mins of idling. Mine seems a little raspier and knocky sounding until it warms but it warms up in just a few minutes at 20-30 degrees F driving gently.


Yeah, the engine definitely sounds different when it's cold outside. More like a diesel than usual. Better than a gasser that just sounds like death when it's too cold out with all the whining and screeching.


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## boneheaddoctor (Dec 10, 2014)

From 17 years of diesel experience. And owning CURRENTLY 4 different diesel vehicles...a diesel doesn't get optimum combustion when its cold and power will significantly increase as it begins to warm up from cold. Its very unlike a gasoline engine in that respect.

ALL my Diesel vehicles act this way, three of the four are turbocharged, and only the Cruze has a computer, the other three are purely mechanically injected.


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## oilburner (Jun 13, 2013)

TDCruze said:


> The car definitely feels different when cold on very cold days. The shifting is slow and it revs higher before shifting. As for the power difference, I have never got on the throttle hard enough when cold to compare, so I can't honestly say if it is less powerful. My guess is the power difference would be because the diesel would be not burning completely until the engine has had time to heat up a bit. It's also likely that power is ECM limited when really cold.


I rarely get on it hard at all even when its warm it just feels lack luster until it gets a bit of heat in to it more so than a gas engine.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Another point is that if it's cold enough, the torque converter will not lock up until it warms to a certain temp.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

My car is a slug going up a steep hill half a block from my house. i usually putter at about 20-23 mph at about 2500rpm. Warms the tranny/engine faster and avoids lugging at all which would be murder on an ice cold engine. Holding higher rpms is part of warming as diesel noted and avoiding loading the engine to 100% cold.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

diesel said:


> Another point is that if it's cold enough, the torque converter will not lock up until it warms to a certain temp.


Mine's been cold enough a few times this winter it would not even shift into 6th gear for a couple miles going down the highway.


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