What are the damages to the car if not warming it up?
2 Answers
Not warming up the car can cause the following damages: engine wear, as the engine oil settles at the bottom when the car is cold, leaving the engine internals in a state of dry friction. The method to warm up the car is: after starting the vehicle, let it idle for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the engine coolant temperature to reach normal levels before driving. The benefits 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 lacking lubrication. Warming up helps to lubricate these parts; 2. When the engine hasn't reached its operating temperature, the fuel system, still cold, cannot effectively vaporize gasoline completely. Warming up improves efficiency; 3. It helps distribute the transmission gear oil to lubricate the upper part of the transmission.
I've been driving for over 20 years and have seen many engines fail prematurely due to not warming up. During cold starts, the oil hasn't fully lubricated yet, causing internal engine components to wear like dry friction, especially in turbocharged models. The piston ring and cylinder wall gaps are larger at low temperatures, and aggressive driving accelerates wear. The transmission fluid isn't warmed up either, resulting in noticeable gearshift jerks. Don't be fooled by modern car technology—when it's below freezing in winter, you should still wait about 30 seconds until the tachometer drops from 1200 RPM to 1000 RPM before moving off. Keep it under 3000 RPM for the first few kilometers. This habit can extend your engine's life by years. A former colleague of mine used to floor the accelerator on a cold engine every day, and his car needed major repairs after just 8 years.
