Is It Necessary to Warm Up an Automatic Transmission Car in Place?
2 Answers
It is necessary to warm up an automatic transmission car in place for the following reasons: 1. After the car has been parked for a long time, the engine oil inside flows back to the lower oil pan, leaving the upper part in a dry friction state with insufficient lubrication. It takes about 30 seconds after starting for the oil pump to circulate the oil to components such as the pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft. 2. After prolonged parking, the engine cools down, and it needs time to reach normal operating conditions after starting. 3. Before the engine reaches its normal operating temperature, it cannot effectively vaporize gasoline completely, which can lead to incomplete fuel atomization and combustion, resulting in carbon deposits forming around the throttle valve, cylinder walls, or pistons.
When I worked as a mechanic, I noticed many people mistakenly believe idling to warm up protects the engine, but modern automatic transmissions don't need this. The oil pump activates instantly during cold starts, coating critical components rapidly. Idling only delays engine warm-up efficiency, increasing carbon buildup and emissions. Just shift to D and drive off gently, maintaining under 40 km/h for 3-5 minutes – this ensures more even lubrication and saves fuel. Many owner's manuals emphasize this, like recommending driving within 30 seconds of starting. I've discussed this with manufacturers' engineers too – automatic transmissions are designed for this strategy, and skipping warm-up actually extends component life. Stop wasting time idling!
