Is Driving with Low Engine Temperature Harmful to the Car?
3 Answers
Driving with low engine temperature can indeed harm the car, with specific impacts including: 1. Incomplete fuel combustion, which reduces engine efficiency; 2. Carbon buildup due to incomplete combustion, increasing fuel consumption and polluting the environment; 3. Accelerated wear of internal engine components when the car operates for extended periods in low temperatures. Additional relevant information is as follows: The car radiator, also known as the heat exchanger, is a key component of the car's cooling system and part of the engine. Its function is to dissipate heat. Coolant absorbs heat in the water jacket, flows to the radiator to release heat, and then returns to the water jacket to circulate, achieving temperature regulation.
I've driven a taxi for twenty years, and this is the most headache-inducing issue in winter. In the early mornings, I'd start the engine and rush to pick up passengers, even when the dashboard's blue light was on and the water temperature was only 60°C. You could clearly feel the engine struggling, with the accelerator feeling heavy and making clattering noises. The mechanic once told me that the oil film between the pistons and cylinder liners only becomes reliable above 70°C—cold starts are like two pieces of metal grinding against each other. Now I've learned my lesson: after starting the engine, I first clean the windshield to remove frost and wait until the tachometer needle drops from 1200 rpm to 800 rpm before moving. Even when in a hurry, I use second gear to coast slowly for a few hundred meters, only driving normally once the temperature gauge passes the midpoint. The engine lifespan worn down by cold starts is far more valuable than those three minutes of waiting.
My best friend used to complain that her little Polo started burning oil after just three years of driving. The real issue was her rushing to drop off the kids at school every day. The kindergarten is only two blocks away from her home, and in winter, the engine coolant temperature hadn't even reached normal operating range by the time she arrived. Once when I rode with her, the engine sounded like an asthma patient wheezing and gasping, while the coolant temperature gauge was still hovering near the 'C' mark. During a maintenance visit, the mechanic pointed at the oil pan, showing it was full of emulsified white foam. Now she starts the car ten minutes early to warm it up before school runs, waiting for the frost on the hood to melt while the heater runs. Short trips with a cold engine are the most damaging, especially for turbocharged vehicles - this warm-up time really can't be skipped.
