Cars + Trucks
How Long To Let A Chilly Car Warm Up: Part I
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It is that time of year when a vast majority of us living in Canada and the United States are forced to endure a morning chill inside and outside of our autos. Depending on where you live and to our chagrin (if you do not store your auto indoors), most mornings are spent scraping off frost and/or snow from the previous night’s chill or storm from the windshield. For others who wish to bypass the vast majority of the scraping process, there is nothing too difficult about starting up the car, turning on the defroster and heading inside for a few minutes. However, is this really economical or good for your vehicle? Let’s explore the nuances involved in what would appear to be a simple process.
Should I Let My Engine Warm Up?
No matter the time of year and depending on how new or old your vehicle is, you may notice that after starting up your engine, it may “rev up” a few thousand RPMs for around 15 to 30 seconds. On newer autos, this is simply the act of the engine control unit (ECU) to ready your vehicle for operation. Put simply, this minor revving up allows the engine oil to lubricate the vital parts of the engine before it endures the harshness of everyday driving. On older vehicles, especially those with carbureted engines, this process may take a bit longer, usually between one or two minutes. For a diesel applications, it is best to consult your owner’s manual for more precise information.
You must be wondering why I brought up how a motor warms up. To make a long story short, the warm up process of your engine is more than sufficient and safe for your engine, even in the winter time. That is, if you are an individual that starts up your car on a cold winter morning and lets it sit for more ten minutes, there is really no reason to if you are concerned about your motor. A motor is not as sensitive to cold as the human body is. If you warm your vehicle up just for personal comfort for when you get in, you are most definitely wasting precious gasoline.
How Much Fuel Is Wasted At Idle?
There are many variables involved in calculating how much fuel your vehicle wastes at idle. However, for simplicity’s sake, if you allow a V8 engine and a V6 engine to sit at idle for equal amounts of time, the V8 is going to undoubtedly waste more gas while idling. It is estimated that on average, through all classes of automobiles, 17.2 per cent of fuel (on a full tank) is wasted while a car idles. Keep in mind that this statistic is for everyday driving (i.e. stop lights, stop signs and traffic jams). In the winter though, this statistic rises, especially for those who warm their cars up for longer than the engine requires.
Sacrifice Will Save You Money
With all of this said, what can you do if you want to save money on gas? As mentioned, depending on the age of your vehicle, you are only going to need one or two minutes at most before your engine is warm enough to safely operate. Now, I am firmly aware that scraping off your windshield in subzero temperatures in the early morning hours isn’t exactly a picnic, but in these times of economic turmoil, when every cent counts, adjusting a few simple morning winter habits may save you a bit of money.
If you want to save some money (and the environment, for that matter), try scraping off your windshield or removing the previous night’s snow before firing up your engine. It is understandable if you are still unable to see properly and need to let your engine heat up enough to allow your defroster to clear the windshield. As far as things go after clearing your auto of visual impediments, I recommend investing in a warm pair of comfortable gloves to get you along until your car has warmed up to a comfortable cabin temperature. This is especially important for those who have a manual transmission with a metal shift knob or even a steering wheel that retains an uncomfortable amount of cold.
You may suffer a bit more, but if you follow these tips, you may shock yourself at how much longer a tank of gas will last for you throughout winter.
Read it Now! How To Let A Chilly Car Warm Up: Part II
Sources:
Fueleconomy.gov
YourHub.com
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