Should You Warm Up Your Car in Cold Weather?

[StJune]

In cold weather, it is necessary to warm up your car for 1 to 2 minutes until the engine coolant reaches the normal operating temperature before driving. The purposes of warming up the car are: 1. After prolonged parking, the engine oil flows back into the oil pan, leaving the upper part of the engine in a state of insufficient lubrication. Warming up the car helps circulate the oil to critical components such as pistons, connecting rods, and crankshafts that require lubrication. 2. When the engine has not reached its operating temperature, the fuel system cannot effectively vaporize gasoline completely due to the low temperature. 3. During cold starts, gear oil accumulates in the lower part of the transmission. Only when the vehicle is in motion does the rotation of the gears bring the gear oil up to lubricate the upper parts.

[DeParker]

Having driven for nearly twenty years, I've realized that the warm-up habits passed down from the older generation need to be considered case by case. In the carburetor era, it was indeed necessary to idle for three to five minutes, otherwise the car would shake violently like it was frozen stiff. But modern fuel-injected cars are so much smarter with their electronic systems—the ECU automatically increases the RPM at startup to warm up the oil and coolant. By the time you buckle your seatbelt, the car is pretty much ready. Prolonged idling actually has many downsides: it can lead to carbon buildup, wastes fuel, and produces particularly noxious exhaust. In winter, my habit is to wait until the tachometer needle stabilizes, which takes about 30 seconds, then drive gently for the first couple of kilometers until the coolant warms up before accelerating. That’s the most considerate approach for the engine.

[OElliot]

As an engineering guy, I specifically checked the vehicle manual, and the conclusion is simple: warming up the car is indeed necessary when starting in sub-zero temperatures, but don't exceed 30 seconds. During a cold start, the engine oil is too thick to flow properly, causing dry friction between the pistons and cylinder walls, which severely damages the engine. I once experimented with a borescope to observe the cylinder walls—after warming up for 20 seconds at normal temperatures, the oil film on the cylinder walls was more than twice as thick compared to starting cold and driving immediately. But don't get me wrong, warming up doesn't mean revving the engine in place waiting for the heater—that's just wasting fuel. The manual clearly states: after starting, drive gently for half a minute to allow the transmission and differential to warm up as well. It's the same principle as an athlete warming up—only when the entire system heats up can it perform at its best.

[DiMaci]

Last week, I secretly learned a cool tip from a technician at the 4S shop: idling for more than 1 minute actually increases engine wear! The oil pump needs to circulate oil throughout the entire system to ensure even lubrication, but during idle, areas like transmission bearings don’t get enough oil. My car has remote start, so in winter, I fire up the engine via my phone before leaving home. By the time I reach the garage, the coolant temp is just right at 60°C, and I can drive off immediately. For cars without this feature, don’t panic—just wait until the anti-theft light on the dashboard goes off (usually 20 seconds) after starting, then shift to D and drive slowly. Remember, the most severe wear happens during cold starts; the rest is mostly psychological.