The Reason Why You Should Not Warm Up Your Car In The Winter

Dec 10, 2018 by apost team

The cold, winter months are finally upon us. Like many people, you may be tempted to treat yourself to a less-cold commute by warming up your car prior to heading into the office.

Cold weather means we can treat ourselves, right?

Wrong.

While letting your car idle for 10-20 minutes prior to leaving the house might seem like a logical tactic to avoid a cold morning commute, you may actually be doing more overall harm to your car than simply braving the cold for a few minutes while your car heats up as you drive.

You most likely learned the habit of warming up your car prior to driving from your parents. However, what you may not know is that the modern car engine operates much differently than the type of engines that your parents and their parents typically drove.

Modern combustion engines have engine control units that are specifically designed to function in any weather. This is the opposite of the carburetors of the past that actually did require 10-15 minutes to fully heat up.

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Today’s fuel-injected engines don’t really build up much heat as they sit idle in the driveway. Simply hopping in and driving your car will build up heat faster and stronger than letting your car idle away, wasting away gas.

In addition to wasting gas, extra fuel from an idling car can leak into the cylinder walls of your car’s combustion chamber. Instead of extending your car’s lifespan, the leakage of excess fuel actually can lead to the premature wearing to things like the car’s cylinder linings.

It most certainly is tempting to jump into a warm, toasty car. However, you can actually lengthen your car’s lifespan by enduring the cold for a few minutes. Cars will actually heat up faster when they are in motion.

So, not only are you saving gas and protecting your car from damage, you are getting access to real heat faster. Don’t forget to at least make sure that your windows and mirrors are free from any snow or frost buildup before you start to drive.

Do you warm up your car in the winter? We will love to know if you think you can change your habit of pre-warming the car each morning during the cold, winter months! Feel free to pass this information on to others as well!