Green means go?

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by YarisFan007

Hello fellow Yaris friends,
I have a few questions- After starting your engine do you guys wait until the temperature light goes away before you head out?.. Or do you disregard the light and just go anyways? Is it a bad thing to start driving after you fire up your engine without warming it up first?

Almost every time I start mine, I wait until the engine is fully warmed up and the temperature light goes away. I can recall maybe only 2 or 3 times I didn't wait for the light to go away because I was running late for something. But ever since the day I bought my Yaris I've tried to treat her well.

Just curious to know if everyone warms up their engines as well.

I let the car sit for about forty five seconds to a minute if the ambient temps are below freezing. I do this for the sake of the AT and not for the motor, especially if I have to go into reverse as the first motion of the car. Reverse is usually the toughest gear of an AT for mechanical reasons.

When it's warm I let the car sit at most ten seconds. If I'm not in a hurry.

Like everyone else has said, don't "jump on it" until the light goes out. The light will go out from 135 fahrenheit to 140 fahrenheit. I have no idea if the motor really NEEDS to be that warm for mechanical reasons or if the emissions control system needs it to be that warm.

Use some judgment. This isn't a hard and fast rule, but don't be passing Trucks and doing jackrabbit starts with the green light on.

Gene