How long should I warm up my car if it hasn't been driven for several days?
2 Answers
Cars that haven't been driven for a long time only need to be warmed up for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Here are the relevant details: 1. The method for warming up a car is as follows: (1) Start the vehicle with the air conditioning turned off. (2) Let the car idle for 1 minute to warm up. (3) Drive slowly after the engine runs smoothly. (4) Once the temperature gauge rises by 1 to 2 bars, you can drive normally and turn on the air conditioning. 2. The reasons for warming up a car are as follows: (1) After prolonged parking, the engine oil flows back into the oil pan. (2) Before the engine reaches its operating temperature, the fuel supply system cannot effectively vaporize gasoline completely due to lower temperatures. (3) When parked, the gear oil flows to the lower part of the transmission, leaving the upper part without lubrication during a cold start.
I've been driving for almost thirty years. Older cars did need longer warm-up times, but with today's technological advancements, it's really unnecessary. If the car hasn't been moved for a few days, it's normal for the RPM to be higher at startup. Just wait 30 seconds to a minute - mainly to let the oil pump from the oil pan to all engine components. Once that time's up, shift into gear and go, but don't stomp on the gas at first. Drive at idle or low speed for three to five minutes until the coolant temperature gauge starts moving, then drive normally. Excessive idling actually harms the engine, increasing carbon buildup and fuel consumption. One winter my neighbor insisted on warming up for ten minutes and ended up with significantly higher fuel consumption. Of course, if it's extremely cold like -20°C, waiting an extra half minute is fine.
