There are arguments on both sides. At -5 degrees this morning I’m willing to take a little time to weigh them all.
Pro
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports’ chief mechanic, John Ibbotson, says that giving the engine a chance to run for a minute before driving on a cold day is smart, but that there’s no need to let it run longer beyond warming the cabin and defogging the windshield. And there’s a real downside: wasting fuel and generating emissions. More
Con
My Stateline
As temperatures plunge across the Midwest, many drivers still cling to the old habit of letting their cars idle for several minutes before hitting the road. The reasoning seems sound: a warm engine and a cozy cabin make for a better commute. But is this practice necessary? Or even good for your car?
The tradition of warming up your car dates back to the era of carburetors, which dominated vehicles until the 1980s. Carbureted engines needed extra time to stabilize the air-fuel mixture in cold weather, preventing stalling and sputtering. Today’s vehicles, however, use electronic fuel injection systems that automatically adjust for temperature, making long warm-ups largely obsolete. More
Since my main source for transportation is a Subaru, I’m giving more weight to the “Mr. Subura1387“
Depends on if my windows are fogged.
If I can see I’m on my way.
It really doesn’t matter so long as you place it under a rough service schedule and change the oil more frequently.
WARM!
If politicians can Waste Fuel & Generate Emissions flying off to Climate confrences, I can warm up my FKN TRUCK for 10 min in below Freezing weather Before a full day of getting Frost Bite on my KNUTZ fixing Rooftop HVAC equipment.
Also: CR recommends all kings of SHIT VEHICLES based on Emissions & Other Agendas. ie. Tesla & plenty of VERY EXPENSIVE to Own Tech.
I let my car warm-up one time for about two hours. I started it, went back inside and fell asleep. On the plus side all the snow and ice had melted off by then and it was toasty warm but on the down side the place I was going to for breakfast had switched to a lunch menu.
Also: ENGINE Warm up SLIGHTLY also warms the Transmission which is the BIGGIE when it takes a sh!t. (esp on a Subaru CVT)
10 speed POS automatic anyone?
Written by a know-nothing-boob that has never had to scrape 1/4″ of ice from all the windows.
Only an irredeemable fool wouldn’t let their vehicle warm up on a cold day. The oil is in the pan, in has to be warmed before it becomes viscous and circulates throughout the engine. Whom ever councils against this practice doesn’t have any idea what they’re talking about.
When I was young I wanted to develop a remote-start for my car so I wouldn’t even have to leave the house until the car was warmed up.
Now they have such a thing.
There are cities near Detroit where if you’re warming your car you better be sitting in it or you’re getting a ticket because of car theft.
Hell, I warm up my truck on a hot day to get the air conditioning going.
I typically start my car and then take a minute or so to plug in my phone to charge it and start my play list and put on the safety belt. I take a sip or two of coffee, then I back out of my garage.
I want a warm seat and unfogged windows, and running it for a few minutes beforehand accomplishes both. The fact that it probably pisses Greta off is simply a bonus.
1. Idling uses fuel. Whether or not I’m wasting it is entirely up to me. EPA can GFT (T=themselves).
2. If you don’t like my emissions, go somewhere else to breathe. Or not. I don’t GAS. (See what I did there? 🤭)
3. If I find it necessary to idle the car, then by definition any engine wear isn’t unnecessary. EPA can GFT again (if they can even get it up).
Down here in Sarasota County, the reason for idling is the opposite of up north: I want to cool things down!