Really Stupid Question - Time required to reach operating temperature (V6)?

[txfromwi]

It's always something...

2016 LR4, V6, 55K miles, purchased used about 2 years ago.
Factory original crossover pipes etc., scheduled to be replaced this coming spring....


I am from Wisconsin and I know all about warming up vehicles in cold and really cold weather.
BUT
Our Rovers have all lived in Houston and it never gets cold here.
THEN
My daughter just returned to school over the weekend, and she has the 2016 V6 - in Rochester, NY.
AND
This morning it is 9 F there.
AND
She has never started and warmed up a cold vehicle.

SO, this morning:

It idled for maybe 15 minutes, then a 10 minute city street drive.
She says the indicator never got much above the "cold bar" on the bottom of the display
and she never got anything more than luke warm air.

No problems ever noted previously but we have actually never used the heater before this.

SO, stupid question - how long does this take to fully warm up?
I wonder if the thermostat is stuck open?

 

[jlglr4]

Warms up in about 5 minutes in CA. I guess it would take a little longer at those temps, but doesn’t seem like it would take more than 10 min. Could be thermostat. Could also be that rear temp sensor (which I assume gives you the engine temp for the dash gauge). That temp sensor might also control the heater manifold diverter (won’t divert coolant to the heater until it’s warmed up). You would think the car would throw a code at some point.

 

[txfromwi]

Engine Temp sensor is located in the heater manifold, seems logical it also controls diversion to the heater.
Seems to be correct because little heat in the cabin.

At this point no idiot lights or messages. We shall see, this is the first real winter this truck has probably ever seen - might be more.

If it's wonky, it will replaced with the crossover pipe &etc. project in spring when the truck comes home..
I will also do the thermostat at that time - and then need to wait until winter 2023-2024 to see if it's fixed...

For now I will assume it's a stuck thermostat - or maybe, because it was a TX vehicle, it was changed out at some point to a lower temperature...

 

[Joe77]

A 15 minute idle in those temps would get me to about 1/3-1/2 of normal operating temp. After a 10 minute drive I would be very close to normal operating temp, if not all the way. Mine is a 5.0L so not a direct comparison, but that is my experience, and we see very cold temps up here. You could always try a Saskatchewan thermostat and see if that makes a difference. If it does then I would replace the thermostat and go from there.

By the way, Saskatchewan thermostat = see attached pic

 

[ktm525]

Thermostat not happy OR air in coolant system (heater manifold). How does the coolant level look?

 

[txfromwi]

Coolant is a bit low but not bad. Will have her top it off from the supply box in the back.

I hadn’t run in 6 weeks, for Christmas break. Maybe something there?

Would be but a few minutes work if it was home, but its 1300 miles away…

 

[txfromwi]

Ha! I used a "Saskatchewan Thermostat" on my 1972 Austin Marina in Wisconsin.
Mine had a one-time adjustable aperture in the middle.
Had to calibrate the size of the aperture vs the temperature and be sure to install the summer version before it got too warm out.

 

[jlach993]

2011 5.0 V8: can idle for 15 mins from a cold start and still not move from cold.....Once you drive it lightly it warms up in about 5 mins to operating temp. These trucks need to be started, wait 20 seconds for it to idle down, then flip immediately into drive and driven slowly not exceeding 3k rpm. In a few minutes it will reach operating temp and you could gun it and rev the crap out of it lol. Letting it "warm up" in the driveway will take forever and it'll just run super rich adding extra fuel trying to warm up at idle. Running rich during idle when its cold is not good for these engines. You're actually hurting the engine letting it "warm up" in your driveway. That's not how you warm up a modern day fuel injected vehicle. All it needs is 20 seconds of idling and then drive it!

oh and same applies to the v6. same engine just minus 2 cylinders and addition of a supercharger.

 

[txfromwi]

Not to exceed 3K RPM? Ours have probably seen 3K RPM once or twice in their entire lives!

Thanks, I am old enough to have learned "old school", the man goes out 30 minutes before the car is needed.
Starts it, clears snow, and waits....

I know that running rich is not good long term, but why are these engines particularly unhappy about that?

My daughter drove it (the 2016) today with me on FaceTime and I am starting to think that she is unrealistic about how fast this should warm up.
What I saw today re: warm-up matches your description to a tee.

 

[jjvd21]

I replaced my water pump and thermostat when I did all the cross pipes. Both before and after this work it takes at least 15 minutes of driving to get to the middle of the temp sensor. I’ve owned many vehicles and my D4 takes the longest of any of them.