Why It Is Impossible To Warm Up A Car Engine In Winter: Is It True Or A Myth, What Can Threaten, Is There Any Harm To The Car

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

To warm up or not to warm up a car engine in winter: the pros and cons

Thirty years ago, the need to warm up the engine in winter was not disputed by anyone. The world was dominated by cars with a carburetor engine, for which heating was vital. With the advent of the injector, the “sit down and go” principle came into fashion among motorists. Automakers support and even promote this approach, insisting on the technical perfection of modern engines. However, there remain drivers who are true to the old principles.

A bit of engine theory

The car engine, despite the scientific and technical achievements, has not fundamentally changed. This is the opinion of the supporters of compulsory warming up. The engine is a set of rubbing parts, the interaction of which is impossible without lubrication. Lack and / or poor quality of oil increases friction between parts, which in extreme cases leads to seizure of mechanisms. With the engine running, oil circulates in the cylinder block through cavities, channels and pipes. After stopping the engine, the oil flows into the lower part - the oil pan.

When the engine is started, oil under the pressure of a working pump is distributed over the cylinder block, but this process is uneven. The lower mechanisms, for example, the crankshaft, receive lubrication earlier, the upper zone is filled with oil after thirty seconds. But this is how the process proceeds under normal conditions. At subzero temperatures, the oil loses its viscosity, and the circulation of lubricant in the cylinder block slows down.

For proper lubrication, the oil must cover all engine components

Only heating will help to compensate for this negative moment, and its duration will depend on the specific temperature conditions. As the engine warms up, oil circulation will improve, but it will only reach optimum values at operating speeds when the vehicle is moving. Therefore, it is normal practice to warm up briefly at idle speed for 1–2 minutes and start driving in a gentle mode.

Driving practice

Despite the simple theory behind engine startup behavior, in practice, motorists take very different warm-up approaches. Some start right away; others heat the car for 2-3 minutes; still others “fire” for half an hour. Moreover, each driver, it seems to him, has the only correct position and is ready to defend this correctness for hours.

Arguments against warming up

Opponents of warming up mainly use the following arguments:

1. The injection engine is a high-tech product. The electronic control unit immediately selects the desired engine operating mode based on the temperature conditions.
2. Premature wear. When the engine warms up, in the first minutes after starting, a highly enriched air-fuel mixture is supplied to the cylinders, which leads to the formation of carbon deposits on the spark plugs and pistons.
3. Additional fuel consumption for heating.
4. When the engine is idling, the toxicity of the exhaust gases is higher than in motion.
5. Vehicle operating instructions do not say anything about the need to warm up.

Excessive winter exhaust emissions are unlikely to please city dwellers

Arguments for warming up

Lovers of “warm up” also give no less arguments:

1. Regular heating will extend the life of the engine.
2. A warmed-up car allows the driver to feel more comfortable while driving.
3. Frozen glass is warmed up only with prolonged heating.
4. Reduces gas mileage while driving.
5. The transmission warms up better.

Supporters of overly zealous warming up of the engine will probably need an auto blanket.

Ultimately, whether or not to warm up the car is the choice of every driver. Experts advise still to devote time to warming up, but do it for only 3-5 minutes. In this case, the movement must be started in a gentle mode, without loading the motor with maximum revolutions.

Personal opinion of the author - you need to warm up the car. The car will have time to get its portion of negative factors in traffic jams. And idle warming up for 5-10 minutes is unlikely to worsen the condition of the engine. A well-heated car, on the other hand, will increase your driving pleasure.

In the stream of conflicting opinions, it is difficult for a Russian car owner to make the right choice. In a number of countries around the world, engine idling is limited by law for environmental reasons. In Russia, this is still a private question of the motorist. But no matter what choice the driver makes, it is important to remember the people who live nearby.