WARMING-UP SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To exactly perform a warming-up operation depending on whether the warming-up of target engine to be warmed up is necessary or not, and save the waste of energy along with unnecessary warming-up operation. SOLUTION: A warming-up system 1 for vehicles includes a thermal storage material 20 which enables thermal storage in overcooled state, a thermal storage device 10 having a nucleating device 25 for releasing the overcooled state of the thermal storage material 20, an automatic transmission 40 warmed up via a hydraulic fluid by the thermal storage device 10, and an electronic control unit (ECU) 50 for controlling the warming-up operation. The ECU 50, upon receiving warming-up instruction, determines whether the warming-up of the automatic transmission 40 is necessary or not based on cooling water temperature detected by a water temperature sensor 38. If the warming-up is unnecessary, for example, an operation of a hydraulic fluid pump (motor-driven pump) 42 disposed in a hydraulic fluid passage 41 is prohibited, alternatively the warming-up operation can be prohibited or suppressed by making electric currents small to reduce the number of revolutions as compared with the time when the warming-up is necessary. Thereby, the waste of electrical energy can be saved. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT