how long to leave Rogue idling on cold days

[Jostudly]

I hear different answers on this question so I would like to know how long you should leave the Rogue idling on cold starts before driving it? I want to make sure I do not damage any of the moving parts in the CVT. I have read all you need is 30 secs to get the oil moving around freely; to people leaving their car on for 15 mins mainly for comfort in the car and to defrost the windows. I have also been thinking of getting a remote car starter but do not want to run into any issues down the road with electrical problems. Let me know your thoughts on this.

[kerrton]

There will be quite a bit of subjectivity on this subject, but I'll let you know what I do and why.

First, there is a big range of "cold" temperatures. At -5C for example, this is quite mild and I'll only let the car warm up for around 2 or 3 minutes typically before slowly driving away. I think the key to protecting your vehicle from excessive wear in cold weather or under any conditions is to take it easy, don't jam on throttle and roar away, just be gentle and accelerate gradually.

At -30C the car performs quite different, it sounds much louder at startup and while driving prior to reaching operating temp. The CVT will not shift out of a low gear ratio until the car warms up a bar or two on the gauge, which results in even more noise because the rpms are high. The CVT will protect itself in cold weather by not selecting a high gear ratio until it reaches an acceptable minimum temp, so you shouldn't worry about damaging the CVT, it is being constantly monitored by the ECM and TCM computers and has defense mechanisms programmed in.

I don't like driving around with my engine revving and rattling like crazy in extreme cold temperatures - I've been letting the car warm up for 5 minutes before taking off but in -30 I've found this isn't quite adequate. I find the Rogue actually takes quite a long time to reach operating temps compared to other vehicles I've owned, so ideally in extreme cold I'd let the car warm up closer to 10 minutes, but definately no longer. This will give you one or two bars on the digital temp gauge, and enough heat to keep the windows from freezing up and becoming a safety hazard.

Idling your car more than 10 minutes in cold weather is a waste of time in my opinion; it wastes fuel, creates unnessary air pollution and over time can actually be harmful to your engine (increased deposits in the fuel system and engine sludge issues) and exhaust components such as the catalytic converter are negatively affected.

[philipa_240sx]

If you routinely drive your vehicle in very cold weather, you may consider using a block heater. It makes a huge difference in warm-up times. I have been using mine all winter. It's connected to a timer that starts 1-2 hrs prior to my leaving for work.

Rogue's sold in Canada come with one as standard equipment. The block heater was not available in the USA, but you can add one:

nissan-rogue-block-heater-questions-upd ... 24038.html

[Jostudly]

Okay thanks. Now has anyone had any issues with their Rogue after getting a car starter installed?

[rayjgold]

ok Im all confused now! It has been snowing a lot here and the temp is about 10-30F . I be in a rush in the morning and im not sure if I even wait a minute to drive off! but i do take it slow......by the time i go about 5-7 blocks the car is warm enough to heat the inside(when the temp control on Auto it doesn't start blowing until there is warm air to blow or until the cold-hot level has moved to the hot side a little. Am I doing something wrong? should i be waiting longer?!??!?!

[garg]

I wait until there are two bars on the temp gauge before driving off. It makes me feel better. lol

This car does take a while to heat up. Same deal with the 07 Sentra Spec V I had before this. I guess it's a qr thing.

[Nick 568]

Yeah, I've noticed the engine does take a very long time to get fully warmed up.
That being said, most of the time, I let the car run for a few seconds and then go if it's above 15 F. If it's below 15 F, I let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes just so the inside is warm, no other reason. If it's below 10 F or colder, I usually turn the key into the 'ON' position and let it sit for about 15 seconds (let the fuel pump get some fuel going so it's easier to start) then start it and let it sit for a minute or two before going if I'm in a hurry.

Honestly though, as long as you don't get in it and mash the throttle and drive it like you stole it on a very cold day (below at least 10 F if not below 0 in my book) right after starting it, it's unlikely you'd do any long-term damage. The Rogue has a 5 year powertrain warranty (10 year transmission), and if anything is going to happen with the engine, it's going to be in those first 5 years. It IS a Nissan afterall. The engine will be good for a long while.
Now, if you plan on keeping the car for 8 years or more, then yeah, I would maybe suggest babying it on those colder days. But otherwise, I don't think it's necessary to go to extremes--especially if you keep up with the routine maintenance and change your oil every 3 months. Using a full synthetic doesn't hurt either. Especially if you live in a colder climate and go with a oil rated for colder temps.

Just my opinion, though.

[kerrton]

ok Im all confused now! It has been snowing a lot here and the temp is about 10-30F . I be in a rush in the morning and im not sure if I even wait a minute to drive off! but i do take it slow......by the time i go about 5-7 blocks the car is warm enough to heat the inside(when the temp control on Auto it doesn't start blowing until there is warm air to blow or until the cold-hot level has moved to the hot side a little. Am I doing something wrong? should i be waiting longer?!??!?!

Hey rayjgold, I can't add much more than what's already been posted here...what specifically are you confused about? The temperatures of particular concern here are in the -20 to -30 F range.... I think Nick568's comments are right-on...

[Pescakl1]

I hear different answers on this question so I would like to know how long you should leave the Rogue idling on cold starts before driving it? I want to make sure I do not damage any of the moving parts in the CVT. I have read all you need is 30 secs to get the oil moving around freely; to people leaving their car on for 15 mins mainly for comfort in the car and to defrost the windows. I have also been thinking of getting a remote car starter but do not want to run into any issues down the road with electrical problems. Let me know your thoughts on this.

If the car is not moving, you are not warming up the CVT, only the engine. So, if you want to protect the CVT, no need to wait, just drive slowly at first for a few minutes in order for the CVT to warm up a bit.

If you are concerned about the engine, remember that the engine is all aluminum which means it dissipates heat faster than old engines. If you don't put some RPMs in it, it won't warm up, the cold outside will take all the heat generated by the engine.
Letting the car idles for minutes is just wasting money, time, and pollute the environment. The engine will only warm up enough if it sees RPMs, so use these RPMs to move.

I usually don't wait before moving, except when there is snow on my car. This time, I start the car, put in recirculation mode, and go outside to remove the snow. When it is done, I go.
When there is no snow on the car, I go right away, and usually crawl at about 2000 RPM (you are not moving if you have less RPMs), and slowly gather speed as the engine warms up.

[Pescakl1]

ok Im all confused now! It has been snowing a lot here and the temp is about 10-30F . I be in a rush in the morning and im not sure if I even wait a minute to drive off! but i do take it slow......by the time i go about 5-7 blocks the car is warm enough to heat the inside(when the temp control on Auto it doesn't start blowing until there is warm air to blow or until the cold-hot level has moved to the hot side a little. Am I doing something wrong? should i be waiting longer?!??!?!

You are doing the right thing: By moving you are warming the car faster than those who let it idle.
Those who idle the engine, only warm up, slightly, the engine, but the transmission is still cold and can get damaged.

No need to wait longer, just be gentle with the car until you see at least two bars (means coolant is more than 30C). At 3 bars (coolant at more than 50C), the computer will engage higher gearing as soon as it can.
Remember that oil takes about double the time to heat up than coolant, meaning if coolant took 10 minutes to be at operating temperature, oil will be there only after 20 minutes of driving.


PS: Temperatures are from memory, it has been a long time I looked at them.

[philipa_240sx]

On even the coldest days (without a block heater) I let min idle 2-3 min maximum. Usually I spend that time clearing off the snow, checking the wheel wells for ice, etc. I then drive off and take it easy until the engine has reached operating temperature.

I've done the same with all my Nissan's for the past 17 years and never had an issue.

[Jostudly]

Okay I thought there would be a lot of posts on this topic but getting back to my original post has anyone had any issues with a remote car starter on the Rogue?

[rayjgold]

Okay I thought there would be a lot of posts on this topic but getting back to my original post has anyone had any issues with a remote car starter on the Rogue?

Ive read many issues with that in this forum....I use to want one as well and decided against it. First.....after you remote start the car, you have to press the brake and turn the car off and then turn it back on again!
Second, you have to permanently plant a key in the car for it to even start remotely.....assuming you have the intel. key. Then if the battery dies in that key you are in trouble!!....I heard issues where the car wont start if there are two fobs in the car and one has a dead battery.

Now think about it....if there is a key in there all the time....would it be possible for someone to break in and start the car? that may not be possible but i will not take that chance.

If the reason for remote starting a car is to warm it up.......you will have to idle for a long time to get the car as warm and it will get just driving it for 5 blocks after a cold start.

I personally dont think the remote start is a good option.

[zengshengliu]

Ive read many issues with that in this forum....I use to want one as well and decided against it. First.....after you remote start the car, you have to press the brake and turn the car off and then turn it back on again!
Second, you have to permanently plant a key in the car for it to even start remotely.....assuming you have the intel. key.

Just a correction. You don't need a key to be place inside the car to get the remote start working. You only needs it if you want to remote start the car without the need to stepping on the brake and kill the engine.

[Jostudly]

I do not have the intellikey as I only have the S model. I never heard that you need to step on the brake and turn it off and on again to get it to start. I was looking at getting the Pro Start from Canadian Tire.

[philipa_240sx]

I do not have the intellikey as I only have the S model. I never heard that you need to step on the brake and turn it off and on again to get it to start. I was looking at getting the Pro Start from Canadian Tire.

I'm not familiar with the ProStart system so I cannot say what it will do. Read the manual if you can get one.

The 'step on the brake and turn it off and on again to get it to start' is actually a safety feature so someone can't steal your car while it's running via the Remote Start. Without it, someone could easily smash the glass or pick the lock and drive off. You've just saved the thief the trouble of trying to start the car! It makes it an easy target!

[Jostudly]

Okay so just so I get this straight in order to drive the car you start it with the remote. Then you unlock you door and have to put on the brake in order to start with the key? If this is for all car starters I will probably not get one.

[jkp7977]

Okay so just so I get this straight in order to drive the car you start it with the remote. Then you unlock you door and have to put on the brake in order to start with the key? If this is for all car starters I will probably not get one.

Ok, here is how it is explained to me as well as my last vehicle had remote start.
You use the remote buttons pressed in a sequence and the vehicle starts and the doors are locked. When you feel like entering the vehicle, you will have to hit the unlock button. Once you sit in your vehicle, if you press the brake, the vehicle will shut off. If you want to continue running the vehicle all you have to do is turn the ignition to run or hit the button to "start/stop" engine. At that point you are good to go...
You do not have to stop the engine and restart it.

[kerrton]

Okay so just so I get this straight in order to drive the car you start it with the remote. Then you unlock you door and have to put on the brake in order to start with the key? If this is for all car starters I will probably not get one.

All command starts work pretty much the same. Remember that when you push the command "start" button, there is no key in the ignition, so of course when you arrive at your vehicle you're going to have to insert your key and turn it to "on" before driving away.

[rayjgold]

Okay so just so I get this straight in order to drive the car you start it with the remote. Then you unlock you door and have to put on the brake in order to start with the key? If this is for all car starters I will probably not get one.

I was only talking about the intel. key. If you have the regular turn-the-key-to-start-the-car version, then it should work just as well as any other car if it is installed correctly.

once you get in, you put the key in and turn. You shouldn't have to stop the car and start it again.

[Jostudly]

Okay thanks. I have the regular key.

[Nick 568]

Bringing this thread back a bit...
Does anyone care to quantify the 'safe driving temperature' with an actual number? (Full operating coolant temp is between 195 and 200 degrees F.)

[kerrton]

Nick, this is a good discussion, but I don't think there is such as a thing as a specific "safe driving temp". All temps are "safe" provided you take it easy and don't race the engine immediately after extremely cold temp starts - just give the critical metallic components some time to warm up and expand a bit.

Like I said above your Rogue will take measures to preven transmission damage by keeping a low gear ratio (low gears run the engine at a higher rpm but put much less stress on the trans and engine), and the engine is protected by the anti-drainback valve in your oil filter which keeps oil near the top of the engine to prevent "dry starts", and the Rogue QR25DE engine is equipped with piston cooling jets which ensure the pistons are immediately and continuously bathed in oil, preventing/minimizing engine wear.

If you want to add an extra layer of protection, use an engine block heater, this is probably the best thing you can do to protect your engine from cold starts and it allows you to reach operating temp quicker. Also, many believe that synthetic oil is beneficial for overall engine protection and particularly beneficial for cold weather applications - you can do lots of research on synthetic oil on this forum and many online sources including a common expert source "Bob the Oil Guy".

The Rogue QR25DE engine has some high-end engineering features that in theory should make it more durable than some lower quality offerings in economy cars for example. It's simple valve train with shim-type lifters (as opposed to hydraulic lifters of NA automakers) contribute to extra noise when cold but are one less potential failure point, low friction surfaces of pistons, piston walls, etc., and the piston cooling/oil jets I mentioned above also should keep this engine running like new even when used in extreme conditions.

[TaiLuu]

2 mins should be enough. Imo
Gives enough time for the cvt belt to warm up and the oil a little.

[stack316]

Regardless of temp, i don't drive until my RPMs drop down to around the 1.2K mark.
During the fall/spring/summer about 1-2 minute
for winter it will be longer as the windows will need to be sufficiently cleaned/unfogged.

[philipa_240sx]

To reiterate what I've said before:

- Excessive idling to 'warm up' the engine can cause another problem: oil dilution. Reason? Since there is very little load placed on the engine, the piston rings do not seal as well and gasoline seeps into the oil. Over time this will break down the oil and destroy it's lubricating properties.

- Idling does nothing to warm up the transmission and other driveline components (ie. AWD system). You can be lulled into a false sense of security thinking the engine is fully warmed up and can be driven at speed. But since the rest of the drive line isn't, you could actually be causing more damage and wear!

I am still a big proponent of 2-3 minutes idling (enough time to clear the frost, ice or snow from the vehicle), then driving away gently until the vehicle is fully warmed up. In the case of the Rogue, that occurs when the temp gauge is halfway up the dial.

[michaelfsturm]

My 2015 Rogue will not shift when I first start it. I think I have found the real cause. I had been thinking it was due to the cold weather. However, just a few days ago, I started the car and had to go back into the house because I forgot something. I shut the car off. When I got back in and started it, mind you, it was only moved a few feet, and it was still cold, it shifted normally when I started moving. I thought it was strange but I have tried it 7 days in a row now. It will not shift after the first start but will after the 2nd start. I even went down one evening to start the car on the same day after 7 hours as it was cold but the car shifted properly. It makes me believe it's a computer software problem or hardware problem. I am leaning more to software due to the fact it shifts fine after the 2nd start. I have contacted Nissan on friday and missed a return call. I will be talking with them tomorrow, not the dealer but Nissan direct. Does the computer do a time reset each day? Why would it work fine only after a second initial start? And then work fine the rest of the day even when it was cold?