dm1336

Yes there is a green C light, but I'm not talking about when it's no longer cold.

I'm talking about if we had a temperature gauge, what would be the middle of that gauge?

There isn't much we can go on so I'm going to guess RPM. I have an auto, and when stopped and car in drive the RPM usually sits at just about 1000 RPM when it's cold and eventually drops down to 500 RPM after a several miles of driving.

Is 500RPM when stopped a good gauge or is there something else I should consider to determine when the engine has warmed up?

Or.... does anyone have a Camry with a 2AR-FE to compare how long it takes for that to warm up?

biglilsteve

iTrader: (2)

I experience similar RPM levels when cold and warm. Needle is just a hair above 500 when stopped and warm.

ProjectTC2

iTrader: (1)

Yea for some reason every now and then the auto will idle below 500RPM's. The first few times it did it I freaked out, but I talked to the dealership and they said it was normal. Then I asked a few other auto TC owners and they said theirs does it too

GAPS11TC

iTrader: (1)

Yup, car felt like it was dying at first but then got used to it lol

MightyP

iTrader: (1)

OP,

What are you really asking? Your engine is in its normal operating range as soon as the light goes off, at which point you can use & abuse your engine to your heart's content. I hate to go down a rabbit trail if that's really your question. If you're wondering about something else, perhaps that isn't a good answer.

dm1336

I guess I'm just over paranoid. LOL

I'm the type of person that starts their car and then shovels the driveway while it gets all warmed up (10+ mins). Or if it's a freezing cold day (10 F - 20 F) I'll sit in the car until the needle drops below 1000rpm and/or the C light goes off (5mins) and then reverse out of the driveway. Thank goodness winter didn't really arrive in Toronto this year.

Right now I don't push it too hard until I feel some warm air out of the HVAC. But have been noticing that 500rpm is what it likes to sit at after I have driven it for several miles.

Just wondering what is the best way to gauge that 'middle temperature'.

ProjectTC2

iTrader: (1)

Your hot air won't blow hot out of your vents until the car is pretty much warmed up. That's how I gauge it. Then again, I live in Florida so Winter is like a week long and it only gets to like 50

MightyP

iTrader: (1)

Bottom line, when the light goes off, you're good. And even if you drive your car cold, just keep it under 3k RPMs until it's warm and you'll be fine.

Long version:

Engine Temp Gauges (or the light in our car) measure coolant temperature. This is great at identifying when your car is getting too hot, but much less effective at identifying when your engine is too cold. This is basically because as long as the coolant isn't frozen, being cold doesn't hurt its ability to cool the engine.

Engine oil on the other hand is less effective when it's too cold. However, once it hits that optimal temp range, the effectiveness of the oil is the same until the oil gets too hot (not an issue for most people). So whether the oil is 130 degrees or 150 doesn't really make a difference.

manualtCchick

you really don't have to wait for it to warm up to drive it as long as you don't beat on it. and it warms up faster with a load on the engine

ROCKLANDTOYOTA

start car
shovel driveway
put on seatbelt
pedal to floor

WellesleyScion

In the owners manual it tells you info about the light and the cars temp.

VVTinme

When the piston slap goes away.

It's not technically warmed-up for a good while after the coolant temperature light goes off.

Blackedout011TC

iTrader: (2)

The engine is not the only thing to consider on this subject. A vehicle is not at full operating temp until the engine, tranny and chassis are all up to full temp. This can take a full 30 minutes easy and even longer in severe cold. It all depends on your climate.
I let mine idle for as long as I have time to spare in cold weather..

VVTinme

Toyota says not to idle excessively in the cold. You are supposed to drive the vehicle gently until it has warmed up. The engine does not produce enough heat at idle to warm itself up effectively.

Blackedout011TC

iTrader: (2)

I agree with that as well, but the rest of the drivetrain needs to be fully heat saturated before spirited driving.

tculater

ive noticed that myself but im guessing its normal i work at toyota/scion and they all say its normal

MrMexi2011TC

Once the RPMs drop to 500-600 the engine should be at Operating temperature. The reason it idles high at first is That it is trying to warm itself up. The vehicle runs rich for the first few minutes so it can get to veh operating temperare faster. But once your engine is at the correct temperature, does not mean that your trans will be, untill you really drive it around a bit.

TheYota

130° on the dot. I have a obd2 reader and tested it and it turns off when reaching 130°.
Note: this is not operating temperature. Normal operating temperature is around 188-191. Even at 130° I still wouldn't red line the car. Give it a few minutes.
Intake temperatures are generally +5-9° to outside temperatures. Example. If its 60° outside then your intake temps will be around 65-69°+.
This is not 100% accurate obviously but what I have experienced during test etc.
This car holds the steadiest a/f r I've ever seen lol. At WOT even at lower rpms around 2300 it hits 12.0 flat all the way to redline without even changing a single point. Just a little info for gear heads.