Is Preheating Necessary for Driving in Winter?

[GabriellaLynn]

Yes. It is recommended to warm up the car for 1-3 minutes before driving in winter. The specific reasons are as follows: 1. Engine requirement: Starting the car and driving off immediately without warming up can cause significant damage to the engine. This is because the normal operating temperature of an engine is around 90°C, while winter temperatures are much lower, creating a huge temperature difference. Driving off immediately under such conditions can severely affect engine performance. 2. Insufficient lubrication of moving parts: After a night of parking, the engine oil flows back to the oil pan at the bottom of the engine. When starting the engine in the morning, the upper part of the engine lacks lubrication, and the oil pressure is insufficient. You may hear a rattling noise when starting the car in the morning, which is caused by the lack of oil pressure and the oil not yet being delivered to the hydraulic lifters. It takes about 30 seconds after starting for the oil pump to circulate oil to the parts that need lubrication the most, such as the pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft. Therefore, warming up the car before driving in winter is essential.