Straight from the experts: Should you warm up your car in cold weather?

By Katy Galimberti , AccuWeather staff writer

November 30,2016, 2:41:01PM,EST

 

 

The coldest night of the autumn season so far gripped England and Wales on Tuesday night, reminding many of the brutal conditions still set to arrive.
Chilly nights will continue into next week, leaving many shivering as they head to their cars in the early morning hours.

Some drivers jump in and sit patiently, waiting for the car to warm up. Others immediately hit the accelerator and head on their way. However, what do experts recommend?
Most vehicles built before 1995 used a carburetor, a device that combined air and fuel. In the '80s and '90s, manufacturers changed over to a fuel injection method, eliminating the need for a carburetor.
With a carburetor, it was essential to let the car lie idle for minutes before driving it in order to make sure the engine would run properly. But with modern cars, it's not the engine itself that needs to be warmed up when it's cold outside.
Experts are torn on this issue. Some say the car can be driven immediately, just at a neighbourhood speed. Others argue that cars need to idle for a couple of minutes to get the oil properly flowing.

(Top Image/Thinkstock Photo/fordeno/iStock)(Bottom Image/Thinkstock Photo/JaysonPhotography/iStock)
"The oil is the lifeblood of the engine," Joseph Henmueller, president and COO of Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association, said.
Henmueller suggested that cars should idle one to two minutes before driving in cold weather. When temperatures drop to freezing, or when it's cold enough that windscreen will frost over, the oil needs to warm up before it can move smoothly throughout the car.
"Fluids get thicker when it is cold, so to lubricate properly they need 60 to 120 seconds of the engine running," he said.
Without properly letting the engine run, Henmueller said, you may be cutting your engine's life short.
Experts at Penzoil have a different theory.
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Technical Adviser Shanna Simmons said it is a myth that engines need to sit idle on a cold winter day.
"While it does take longer for engine oil to pump in extreme cold temperatures, we are talking milliseconds, not minutes," she said. "Your engine will warm up the oil much faster when driving at full speed — not to mention idling wastes gas."
The United Kingdom Environmental Agency helps with monitoring emissions and pollution. Although emissions from fumes don't have set limits, they still need to be controlled.
United Kingdoms Fuel Economy says warming up the engine can cause unnecessary wear and waste fuel. Instead of warming up your car, they suggest to park in a warmer place like a garage or area in sunlight and invest in some decent de-icer.
Most manufacturers say it is best to minimize letting your car engine sit idle. It will warm up faster being driven, which will allow the heat to turn on sooner, decrease your fuel costs and reduce emissions.