Is it necessary to warm up the car in winter?
2 Answers
It is necessary to warm up the car in winter. If you live in the north where winters are extremely cold, such as in Northeast China with temperatures dropping to -20 or -30 degrees Celsius at night, it is advisable to warm up the car for about two to three minutes in the morning. Then, drive at idle speed for 2 minutes before gently pressing the accelerator to avoid engine wear. If you live in the south, you can warm up the car for half a minute to a minute in the morning during winter, then drive slowly, keeping the engine speed below 2000 RPM initially. Once the water temperature rises a bit, you can drive normally. If the car is over ten years old, the warm-up time should be further extended as the car's performance is likely to have declined.
I always pay close attention to car maintenance, especially now that winter has arrived, and many people are troubled by the issue of warming up their cars. From what I understand, modern vehicles really don't require prolonged idling to warm up. Older cars had inferior engine materials and needed to idle for several minutes to allow the oil to circulate fully and protect the components. But today's cars are different—their engines are well-designed, and synthetic oil flows quickly, so you can start driving normally after about 30 seconds of starting the engine. Prolonged idling to warm up the car actually wastes gasoline, increases exhaust emissions, and may even accelerate engine wear. In winter, I simply start the engine, wait for the RPM to stabilize (about 30 seconds), and then slowly drive out of the garage—this helps the car warm up faster while saving fuel and ensuring safety. If there's frost, I'll scrape the windshield first. In short, just follow the vehicle's manual and don't overthink warming up the car.
