Neighbour used to have an RX8 and would sit with the engine running for at least 5 minutes both before and after a journey, apparently it’s recommended for the wankel engine but not sure that’s true… It was still less irritating than another neighbour who likes to tune his motorbikes on a Sunday morning (or whatever he’s doing to need to rev them continually whilst they’re in his garage). It’s amazing how irritating a varying loud-quiet noise can be…

I sometimes have to sit in the car with the engine running until the inside of the windscreen de-mists.
Normally only when the temp really drops overnight.

Even wiping the screen with de-mister pad doesn’t really help. It clears the screen a bit, but still not enough to drive safely.

I have worked out a procedure to minimise the time I am waiting & close all vents apart from the windscreen slot.
Diesel engines seem to suffer worst for this. My Wife’s old Ka would warm up so quick that it took no time at all for the screen to clear & her subsequent 308 (1.6 Petrol) was also pretty good in that regard (one of it’s few good points).
But my old Ibiza & the current one, take ages to get the windscreen clear as the warm air takes so long to come through.

I’ve just bought one of those car dehumidifier silica gel bags to try & stop the inside form misting up. Put it in overnight last night & no misting up at all this morning, so we’ll see how it goes.

doesnt one just push the heated screen button 😉 one of the few new car technology things i see having a real purpose rather than just for the sake of having it.

I’ve just bought one of those car dehumidifier silica gel bags to try & stop the inside form misting up. Put it in overnight last night & no misting up at all this morning, so we’ll see how it goes

Our old car also suffered from misting up – the RainX Condensation treatment worked well.

Diesel engines seem to suffer worst for this.

Because less heat is wasted, the coolant water heats up much more slowly. That’s why mine has an electric air heater fitted 🙂

Neighbour used to have an RX8 and would sit with the engine running for at least 5 minutes both before and after a journey, apparently it’s recommended for the wankel engine but not sure that’s true.

I’d heard that if you stall it when it’s not fully warmed up it can’t be restarted and has to be towed to a garage. Hence the warming up – just in case.

Couple of hours (signals landrover, brecon, subzero temps )

“Couple of hours (signals landrover, brecon, subzero temps )”

But the question that took me for ever to work out as a kid from the adverts ….. who gets the blanket 😉

You guys are part of the reason i dont buy into the whole “ex MOD” love for the surplus sale of landies ….. most have idled all their 26000 on the clock miles 😀

Depends – my mum spent so long gabbing to her friend in the car when dropping her off home last week she ran the battery down because she left the lights on, so I suspect if she left the engine running it’d probably run out of petrol instead…

matt_outandabout – Member

Our old car also suffered from misting up – the RainX Condensation treatment worked well.

Cheers. Didn’t realise such a thing was available. I’ve heard of RainX for the outside of the screen, but not for the inside!

I’ll see how this silica gel pad goes for now & perhaps try some if it doesn’t work.

It’s very frustrating making sure that I am as quick as I can be getting ready in the mornings so I can get to work earlier & then get home earlier, to then have to sit on the drive for 5 mins waiting for the screen to clear! 🙂

Lady this am pulled away near me looking through a matchbox hole in the frost, promptly collided with a grit bin which had been put up the road sometime the night before !! It was properly entertaining.

Exactly my thought about the chap last night.

I have no issue at all with people who have a need to do it – like many cars mine has a turbo on the diesel, but it’s not something I’ve ever thought about and if it’s an issue at all I have a minute in a 30 limit to get to my door which I’ll mostly drive at 20 or less (IMHO most of it probably could/should be a 20, but since almost everybody drives at those sort of speeds anyway it’s a non issue). I can’t think of many places I go where I’d not have a bit of gentle driving at the end even though I hit at least 50 on almost every trip.

Like trail rat I just have a heated windscreen.

Neighbour used to have an RX8 and would sit with the engine running for at least 5 minutes both before and after a journey, apparently it’s recommended for the wankel engine but not sure that’s true…

Not really true.
Warm up is important to prevent premature seal wear, it is best left idling for 30 secs or so before pulling off and then drive gently\kept below 5000RPM for the first 15 mins of driving until the engine is fully warmed up.
It doesnt need a cool down unless it was being pushed hard just before being parked up.
It does however have a problem that if you turn it on from cold and then turn it off within 5 mins then it won’t start again because the engine is flooded with fuel.
More important for preventing premature failiure is making sure a misfire does not develop due to the ignition coils breaking down, and engine lubrication does not fail due to clogged oil injector or oil level running low.

My old next door neighbour used to run his Shelby Mustang every sunday for half an hour before taking it for a spin. It sounded lovely but I’d miss half the Archers omnibus and the windows rattled so badly I thought at least on would blow.