I paid for connected services so I could use remote start this winter. It was 37°F this morning, and I remote started my car while eating breakfast. When I got in 10 minutes later, the car was barely warm. The temp gauge was still in the blue, and the HVAC was weak. I know driving the car warms it faster, but I expected at least a little better result. Anyone else have this issue with remote start? How does it work for you?
My car does warm up a bit from idling. It starts with a high idle, and after about 15 minutes, I usually get warm air. Below freezing, it might take two cycles to feel really warm. But modern engines don’t need idling to warm up. You can start driving, and they’ll heat up quickly enough. That said, the remote start is still handy because I don’t have to go outside, and it clears the windows with the electric defrosters. It’s more about convenience than getting the car to full temp.
@Jordan
Yeah, I’m not trying to get it to full temp, just warm enough so I’m not freezing when I get in. But after 10 minutes, it’s still stuck in the blue zone. HVAC feels like it’s barely working.
Dane said:
@Jordan
Yeah, I’m not trying to get it to full temp, just warm enough so I’m not freezing when I get in. But after 10 minutes, it’s still stuck in the blue zone. HVAC feels like it’s barely working.
Is your AC set to auto and around 72 degrees? That’s what I do. Then I turn on the heated seats once I get in. Usually, by the time I leave my neighborhood, it’s warm enough.
@Valen
Yeah, I have it set to auto at 76°F.
You might want to turn the fan speed down. The heater core works like a radiator, and blasting the fan can slow the engine from warming up. Try setting it to a lower speed.
Another trick is to run the AC along with the heat. It helps defog the windows and adds some load on the engine, which can warm it up a little faster.
@Jordan
What do you mean by electric defrosters? Is that something you added to the car?
My car manual actually says warming up the engine is pointless. It says to just start driving, and the car will get to temp faster. My old Honda Fit took forever to warm up, so I gave up on idling it—it didn’t seem to help at all.
@Finnian
That makes sense, but if the HVAC doesn’t even warm up after 10 minutes, what’s the point of remote start? Isn’t the whole idea to have the interior a little warm before you get in?
Dane said:
@Finnian
That makes sense, but if the HVAC doesn’t even warm up after 10 minutes, what’s the point of remote start? Isn’t the whole idea to have the interior a little warm before you get in?
Good question. Some places even have laws against idling your car in the winter, which makes remote start kind of useless in those cases.
@Finnian
Those laws are about reducing pollution, not making winter harder for people. But yeah, they complicate things for remote start.
It does warm up at idle, but at 37°F, it’s going to take longer. Just turn it on earlier next time. If it’s still not warming up properly, maybe check if your thermostat is working or if you’re getting any codes like P0126.
At near-freezing temps, your engine is so efficient that it doesn’t generate much heat at idle. Driving it is the only real way to get it to warm up properly. But 10 minutes of idling should at least help you avoid the super cold start.
If you have the heat on while the car is idling, it can take longer to warm up. Try starting the car with the heat off, then turn it on once you start driving.
Are you sure you waited a full 10 minutes? By then, it should be warm enough. Also, I think most cars shut off remote start after 10 minutes.
Shan said:
Are you sure you waited a full 10 minutes? By then, it should be warm enough. Also, I think most cars shut off remote start after 10 minutes.
Yeah, I’m sure. Mine turns off at 15 minutes.
Just start it and drive gently for the first five minutes. The car will warm up faster that way. Oh, and don’t forget to keep up with oil changes.
Cars don’t warm up quickly at idle since the RPMs are low. Driving is the only way to get it warm fast. Just take it easy for the first 15 minutes or so.
Idling more than five minutes doesn’t help much. Start the car, let it settle for a minute or two, and then drive gently until the engine warms up. Avoid high RPMs during this time.