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10 minutes is way too long. Wait until the RPMs drop (choke is off) and you are good to go. Especially now when every car is using 0 or 5W weight oil.

I never idle it at -20c. At -30c I might idle it a minute or so especially if I didn’t use the block heater. I normally don’t as it’s often not possible or easy.

But I drive really carefully for first 100m or so. Walking speed, avoiding potholes, and only turning the steering less than a turn. That will reduce the likelihood of broken shock absorbers or cv joint boots.

Then I avoid higher rpm or higher load until the engine is up to 40c or so. Basically where the temperature meter starts.

Usually wait until rpm is below 1k

Sounds pretty accurate.

I’d wait until the needle on your engine temp starts moving at minimum.

People warm it up for 10 minutes because they want the inside of the car to be warm n comfortable it’s not actually good for the engine or anything

At -30c you want to wait for the oil to start moving at least. Doesn’t mean you want to sit and idle for 20min but at -30c I’m guessing your windows aren’t even clear at that point.

I live in Quebec so I feel your pain.

Use synthetic oil and fluids.

You don’t need to idle your car if it was built within the last decade. Just get it, turn the car and defrosters on, get out and scrape/clean the snow off your car, get back in and drive. Take it easy on the engine until it warms up. That’s all.

I wait for the revs to drop back down to normal idling range. The car’s hvac won’t put out heat but the engine is good to drive.

30 seconds to a minute warm up is all you need brother.

Do you have a block heater? If not, get one

If you have hydraulic power steering, you want to wait at least 30 seconds to drive off after turning the car on when it’s extremely cold. The pressure in that system is insanely high with cold fluid, and one of the most common cold-weather tow-ins is a burst power steering line from someone turning their car on and cranking the wheel to the stop straight away.

Just south of you in Minnesota here. Assuming you are using a thin oil, 0W-XX or 5W-XX the viscosity will provide adequate lubrication upon startup. Assuming also the car is fuel injected. When it’s that cold here I start the vehicle, turn the defrost on, get out and clean off any frost on the windshield. Get back in, shiver for about a minute then put it in gear and go.

The key is drive easy for the first mile or so. No revs above 2500. Work the steering wheel (provided its hydraulic power steering, electric will be ok) so the fluid loosens up a bit. You’ll be fine. The engine will come up to temp much faster than idling.

Couple gotchas: your windshield can frost over on the inside. That may be a reason to let it warm up further to help defrost. Also, the engine will crank over slower. If it struggles don’t risk it. Just get a new battery now.

Now, let’s see all the people from central US chime in and tell us they let their cars warm up for 20 minutes when it hits 20 degrees out. We wouldn’t get anywhere for 4 months if we did that.

Both of my 2018 model vehicles (Fords) have factory block heaters. I’ve never used either in over 5 years. I used it on my old truck (2006) when it would sit outside in the winter for several days. But then for only about an hour before I started it. Made a huge difference in heating up.

You should not idle to warm up a modern vehicle. Start it. Clean your windows. Set your tunes and then drive with a light foot for a few miles. That will warm up the oil much faster than idling. See this article for the latest advice