AUTONEWS

Myth or truth: Should you warm up your car engine before starting?

Until the engine has reached operating temperature, the engine speed should remain in the lower part of its overall range.

Should every engine be warmed up to operating temperature?...Many car manufacturers claim that internal combustion engines no longer need to be warmed up to operating temperature. They justify this claim by the high production standards to which the engines are manufactured and the choice of materials. But if you want to enjoy your vehicle for a long time, you shouldn't listen to them, according to the German magazine Autobild.

Every engine should be warmed up, they say, in order to minimize wear. Cold engine oil is usually much thicker and more viscous than engine oil that is at operating temperature. During a cold (start), it takes longer for the oil to be pumped to the bearings and lubrication points of the engine and turbocharger. If you accelerate immediately after starting, you risk insufficient lubrication of important parts, which then leads to greater wear and, in the worst case, even engine damage. Of course, this also applies to cold starts in summer, but even more so in winter temperatures, reports HAK Revija.

What to do?...Start the engine first, then fasten your seatbelt. Anyone who follows this little rule does the engine a lot of good. However, even if the oil has reached all the important lubrication points in the engine or in the turbocharger, the engine should not be put on the gas immediately. An internal combustion engine consists of more than 1,000 parts made of different materials. This means that the components expand at different rates as they heat up. For example, pistons heat up very quickly due to the combustion that takes place in the cylinder, which causes them to expand faster. The cylinder walls, which are part of the engine block, take longer to do this. The clearance, or the distance between the pistons and the cylinder walls, becomes too small, which means additional wear.

The cylinder head is also often made of a different material than the engine block. If the components do not spread evenly, leaks can occur near the cylinder head gasket. Stress cracks can also occur in the cylinder head. Until the engine reaches operating temperature, the engine speed should remain in the lower third of the rev range. It is recommended not to apply full throttle. However, warming up is not good if the car is stationary. Then all the components cannot warm up as quickly and efficiently as they should. So, go ahead, but do not force the engine until it is warm.

But do we still have to warm up the engine on cold days before driving? Nowadays, warming up the engine with the car still stationary, even in winter, is absolutely unnecessary. Just get in the car and start it. The minutes you take to position yourself, fasten your seatbelt, check the mirrors and the dashboard are enough to ensure everything is in order.

Electronic fuel injection has eliminated the need to warm up the fuel. In addition, most new vehicles have a cold start system that heats the moving parts and reaches the ideal operating temperature while driving, about 5 to 10 minutes after starting to move.

Renato Romio, head of the Engines and Vehicles Division at the Mauá Institute of Technology Research Center, gives some tips on how to drive those 10 minutes without excessively stressing the cold parts of the vehicle.

"The ideal way to warm up the engine is to gradually increase the load. It's not good to warm up the car at idle or without a load," he says. "Load" refers to how much the accelerator pedal is pressed; ideally, you should accelerate gradually when starting the car.

Furthermore, the type of fuel the vehicle uses doesn't matter. Whether it's ethanol, gasoline, or even diesel, the system that injects the liquid into the engine isn't as affected by the external temperature. And what about electric or hybrid cars? "They don't need to warm up beforehand either," says Romio.

Even if you still like to start the car and wait a few minutes while choosing music for your trip, this doesn't affect the engine's durability.

If your journey is very short, it's better to look for alternative transportation than to worry, since it won't reach the ideal temperature. However, then the problem is different – ​​not necessarily the starting issue.

Using the car for short distances with a cold engine or in heavy traffic constitutes what is called "severe use." Under these conditions, it's necessary to anticipate oil changes, as well as replacement of filters, cables, and spark plugs.

It's worth remembering that fuel consumption will also be higher than when the engine is operating at ideal operating temperatures.