Do you need to heat up your car in cold weather?

Question

Do you need to heat up your car in the cold weather??? Also does this take up more gas? And if you dont heat the car up and just start driving, does this affect your car in any way??

Thanks

Answer 1

I've driven both oldschool carbureted cars--among them my own 67 MGB--and the brand-new, top-of-the-line fuel injected cars. The answer for both types is the same.

To answer the first question, you should never leave your car to "sit and warm up" on cold days. Though it may be tempting to go out in the morning and start it so the heater is working when you finally go to work, extended idling (especially when the car is cold) wears the engine prematurely and shortens its life.

An engine begins circulating fluids immediately, before start-up. The fuel pump primes for two seconds to pressurize the fuel rail, oil pressure comes up to operating specifications and coolant begins circulating as soon as you turn the key. It absolutely NOT TRUE that the fluids need time to "circulate for a minute" before you drive.

The best thing to do in the mornings is brave the cold, start your car and drive it immediately, but gently for the first five minutes or so. It will warm up much more quickly, use less gas in the long run, and save you an early engine failure.

For the second question, cold starting a car always uses more gas. Until a car is "warm" (about 190 to 200 degrees F) the computer is in "open loop" to help the engine reach its operating temperature quickly. This uses a fair amount of fuel, but usually takes only ten or fifteen minutes, so lost fuel economy isn't really an issue.

In short, it's better to start your car and drive it immediately. But do be gentle for the first few minutes--gunning the engine is a sure way to cause stress oto both the engine AND transmission.

Answer 2

Ok. Everyone is a little bit right if they said that you have to let your car warm up in the warm weather. All cars run on fluids. Gas, tranny fluids,power steering fluid,anti-freeze, etc. Now while none of these fluids will freeze unless at like -35 or so temps, they do get thick and sludge like when cold. When you first start up your car they fluids are all in the pan and if you put the car in drive and hit the gas the fluid is not going to be where it needs that is why you hear cars "whining" when they pull away in the morning because the power steering fluid has not lubricated the pump enough and therefore has to work harder. The tranny fluid is all down in the pan and not lubricating the transmission and again when you put the car in gear it is putting the tranny under stress with no lubrication and that is causing unneccessary friction on the tranny parts.I can go on forever. The correct answer is to start it up and wait until you hear the engine quite down and see the RPM's drop that is a great guide to use to know if your car is warmed up enough. Remember the colder the temp and the longer it has sat there not started the longer you should let it warm up.,

Answer 3

In the Philippines? You don't have to warm up the engine as long as you don't gun the engine for the first 15 km. Start the car, wait fo 15 seconds to get the oil to critical parts of the engine and start driving normally. A multigrade oil ( 10w-30 or 10w-50) protects the engine at different temperatures down to zero deg F. outside temperature, hence no need to warm it up. Saves gas because the car is moving instead of sitting while being warmed up.

Answer 4

Yes your car needs the motor warmed up in cold weather to get the fluids circulating through.

Answer 5

Warming up the engine before you start driving will help it to run more efficiently. Plus you will freeze if you don't warm up your car first. I hate when I get up late and have to drive a cold car. My hands are always frozen and red when I get to where I need to go. Brrrrrr

Answer 6

yahoo is not really a good place to ask. you spin a few bearings i bet you'll reconsider what bracken the moron told you.