This may sound like a silly question, but is there anyway I can get rid of having to warm up my '96 Civic VTi in the morning?

 

Sure, just start it up and go! Be prepared to a much shorter engine lifespan though

 

My owners manual tells me that I should just start driving right away because it will warm up quicker. Is honda trying to get me to buy another motor???

 

Actually, the best way to warm up the engine is to drive it. After you start the engine, you need to wait about 30 sec until the oil is flowing. Then just drive it, but don't drive it hard. Drive it like a grandma. This will make the engine warm up a lot faster. My autoshop teacher (who has been working on cars for like 40 years and is ASE master certified) told me this.

 

^That is what I've come to understand is the proper way to do it.

 

But if I don't let it warm up, the engine dies... Is this normal or am I doing something wrong or is something broken?

 

somethings wrong...dunno what tho...i usually let the engine warm up in the morn for atleast 5 mins then drive like a grandma for another like 5 mins or so. got high mileage and i want to keep it going as long as possible.

 

how does it stall? when? what are you doing when it stalls?

 

engine block heater

 

If your engine will stall if its not warmed up, how do you get the engine warmed up? If you have to stick ur foot on the accelerator to keeps the revs up when its cold, you have a problem with your engine. When its cold, the engine needs a richer A/F mixture. I'm pretty sure that coolant temp sensor tells the PCM to richen the fuel mixture during cold weather so this might be your problem if your engine dies when its cold out.