Do Cars Need to Warm Up in Cold Weather?
1 Answers
In cold weather, cars do need to warm up, but idling for about 30 seconds is sufficient. Avoid exceeding 2000 RPM before the engine reaches normal operating temperature. Approximately 80% of engine wear occurs during cold starts, making proper warm-up particularly crucial during the break-in period. When the engine is cold, component clearances are larger, and lubricating oil settles in the oil pan. After starting, it takes some time for the engine to warm up and for components to expand to their proper clearances. The oil pump begins working, delivering oil to lubrication points. It takes about ten seconds after startup for oil to fully circulate to all critical components. Aggressively revving the engine during this period accelerates component wear by forcing operation before proper lubrication is established.