# First Winter Incoming



## cdb09007 (Aug 7, 2013)

Winter is a-coming, and this is my first winter with a car newer than 2000 so i had a few questions. 

- I know when you start your car, there is no need for it to 'warm up', you can just drive it (easy) right away...will this hold up when i leave for work in the 20*F mornings? 
- I'll be using more heat as well; probably a constant 1-2 on the fan, will this impact my FE noticably?
- Right now my tires are overinflated for FE improvement, will this mesh good/bad with the cold, ice, and eventual snow?

Went out to frost on my car this morning so these were popping in my head on the drive to work. Thanks guys.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

> - I know when you start your car, there is no need for it to 'warm up', you can just drive it (easy) right away...will this hold up when i leave for work in the 20*F mornings?


Letting the idle drop from 1500 to 1000 before putting the car in gear (if auto) will definitely help reduce stress on the transmission. It's not a bad idea with a manual either - this generally takes 20-30 seconds for the idle to come down. Then just put it in gear and drive.



> - I'll be using more heat as well; probably a constant 1-2 on the fan, will this impact my FE noticably?


Not really, but your winter MPG will go down a couple MPG because the car in general will take longer to warm up. Just a part of winter you'll have to accept.

Wait til the temp gauge is at *1/4* of the dial to turn on the heat, otherwise you'll have nothing for heat and the car won't warm up. It was 35 out this morning, and my car took 10 minutes to warm up to full operating temp, mostly sitting at traffic lights and accelerating/keeping pace at 35. I turned on the heat at about 7-8 minutes into the drive. On the highway, it will warm up much, much more quickly.


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## 2013LT (Jul 3, 2013)

If you can handle the cold for a few minutes the best way to heat the car up is to actually have the dial full cool full fan until it gets to a good temperature. You'll be colder at the start, but youll get heat that much faster.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The Cruze's 1.4T engine take a lot longer to warm up in the winter. It just doesn't generate a lot of excess heat to begin with. I haven't had any problems with my ECO in the winter running my tires at 45 PSI. For information on the impact of winter driving on fuel economy and how to deal with it, take a look at http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/27-fuel-economy/10510-winter-impact-fuel-economy-mitigation.html.


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## cdb09007 (Aug 7, 2013)

Thanks guys.

@blackburn: I wait until the gauge is set to its normal mark before turning the heat on anyway, but i will start waiting a few more seconds before putting it into gear and leave. Thanks

@2013LT: I'll give that a whirl, however i usually have it on warm, 0 fan, and on defroster and it slowly defrosts the windshiel without even being on, so cold might mess with that.

@ober: Ill check that out for sure, thanks.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I always start mine up, put on my seatbelt, adjust the radio, and then go. Maybe 10-15 seconds have elapsed since the engine has been switched on. In the 2 years I've had mine, it's never had a single issue with the cold weather. Well, aside from the OEM manual transmission fluid being garbage and shifting very stiffly for the first mile or so. Swapping to another fluid (Amsoil Synchromesh) made the transmission's winter blues much better.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

was 23f yesterday am, started up, turned the seat heater on, scraped the frost of all windows, drove away, 50mph, after 6 miles i had more heat than i needed, had to turn it down


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