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I've read about this not too long ago as well. Only seconds after starting your car, you're ready to go. But people will continue to do this in the winter to warm up the car itself, and not necessarily the engine. Regardless, you're right . . . it does wear down certain engine parts unnecessarily. Keep those tips coming! 
posted by
JimmyA
on December 12, 2012 at 2:16 PM
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Nautikos
JSeriously that’s interesting. Inform us Naut. If I get another car and I drive off slowly and it stalls up the street I’ll call you to come from Canada and start it up for me. Lol. Excellent. BC-A, Bill’s R®st
posted by
BC-A
on December 12, 2012 at 12:52 AM
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Not according to my Volvo operators manual which more than recommends a warming up period before driving the car (stating do not drive the car until the engine has warmed up) as not to cause damage to the engine. Especially in colder weather when oil viscosity keeps if from protecting vital engine parts, ie cylinders, lifters and bearings. Starting any engine in the cold weather and driving before the oil can get to cylinders can cause damage and excessive oil burning in later engine life.
posted by
UtahJay
on December 12, 2012 at 12:09 AM
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If I am able to see out the windshield I don't bother to warm it up...
posted by
Annicita
on December 11, 2012 at 8:06 PM
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Re: Nautikos
So very sorry to have upset you, old boy - entirely my fault for changing my mind about phrasing in midstream and then not proof-reading my stuff and taking out the superfluous 'Oshawa'! But it's kind of you to point it out! And of course you don't have to take any advice at all, LOL...
posted by
Nautikos
on December 11, 2012 at 7:36 PM
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Nautikos
"GM’s best plants in all of North America, the Oshawa plant in Oshawa," and I'm going to take mechanical advice from the prof who says the Oshawa plant is in Oshawa?No shit!!!!
posted by
WileyJohn
on December 11, 2012 at 6:39 PM
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ours gets a bit of a warm up....wiley gets kept waiting while I ...well
somthing always seems to make me drag my feet a bit...but those bottom warmers are fantastic. It gives me comfort that you don't have a need to tree pee!!!
posted by
Kabu
on December 11, 2012 at 4:19 PM
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I always felt guilty about not warming it up,
and just jumping in and going, so now I am feeling better. Sometimes doing things "by guess and by golly" works out.
posted by
Pat_B
on December 11, 2012 at 12:43 PM
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Well I do not see a lot of warm up around here Naut perhaps petrol at 1-70 a litre is more of an incentive to cover distance. Before we ever knew this was harmful going back in time we had an old Morris Van and my Dad warmed it up for half an hour every morning in the Winter, a sort of a ritual. He also kept a lamp under it in cold weather, I don't think think there was anti freeze. Perhaps the petrol had a lot of lead in it those days, although the van did not do much mileage and mostly stop and go it lasted twenty years and was out in all weathers, I might add the engine was never big enough for the load we carried and some hills we had to swerve back and forth in low gear. If one was unused to it and missed the change then one would run backwards until the brakes were applied. I sometimes have nightmares about that van it never has brakes in my dream.
posted by
C_C_T
on December 11, 2012 at 11:29 AM
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In telling us what not to do, you've also told what to do.
posted by
Straightforward
on December 11, 2012 at 9:43 AM
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Thanks for sharing this. It will sure to be a benefit as the temperatures really start to dip.
posted by
FormerStudentIntern
on December 11, 2012 at 9:28 AM
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