How Long Should Minnesotans Let Their Vehicles Warm Up?
Boy has it been cold lately! Temperatures in the negatives have made us dress in layers and move swiftly to get indoors. The fact we have to crawl out of a warm bed and out into the cold can be a rude way to start the day.
For some of us, who aren’t parked in a garage, it’s crawling out of a warm bed and then into a really cold car, is brutally rude! Unless you start your and allow it to warm up before getting into take off.
That has been a topic of conversation around our building this week about how long, if at all, should you start your car before you take off.
Depending on who you talk to, there are several philosophies as to what they do. So, I did a little research on the topic, and here’s what I found.
Back in the day, you would need to the engine run a long time so everything could get lubricated and then you were good to go to take off. But according to Consumer Reports you no longer need to do that.
The article says that on a really cold day all you really need to do is to let the vehicle warm up for a minute or so, and you should be good to go, provided your windows are cleared off. Consumer Reports says that cars lubricate quicker these days, and the engine warms faster when it’s being driven.
The engine may not be fully warm, but it will be safe to drive in 20 to 30 seconds. Your vehicle will warm up on the inside faster when it's being driven as well. If you let the vehicle sit and run for an extended period of time that just wastes your gas and it may not be as warm as hoped because it was just sitting still.
Allowing your vehicle to sit and warm for long periods of time could cause harm to your engine by creating carbon buildup, reduce fuel efficiency and potentially cause the components of the engine to wear faster due to improper lubrication if you do that often.
We still have plenty of cold weather ahead of us, hopefully this will help you figure out what your routine will be when you head out into the cold.
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