The question of whether or not it is necessary to warm up a car engine in winter is truly Hamlet-like in Russia. The majority of Russian car enthusiasts living in harsh winter conditions are confident that warming up the engine of the “iron horse” is a matter of utmost importance, and there is nothing to argue about. But most modern car manufacturers who advocate cleanliness environment, they claim that warming up the car engine before driving is harmful, since during the time spent on this operation, a significant amount of harmful substances enters the air. In the European Union, the transition to new Euro-6 standards is currently underway (some countries are blocking the adoption of these standards, claiming that they are not yet ready to control emissions so strictly), automakers are being placed within strict environmental limits. Therefore, the only way out for them is to develop high-tech, environmentally friendly engines that would not require preheating in the most severe frosts. But the European Union is not Russia, especially when it comes to weather conditions, and therefore warming up the engine in winter is an extremely necessary measure.

Those who advocate not warming up the engine have three arguments: it harms the environment, has a bad effect on engine components and increases fuel consumption. Let's consider these arguments carefully. As for the environment, there is no debate; an engine running at idle speed actually releases exhaust gases into the environment. And if you consider that, for example, in the Far North, the engines of trucks and special vehicles are not turned off for days at all, then the damage to the environment is truly colossal. But these are exceptional cases; most motorists spend up to 10-15 minutes maximum warming up the engine. And the degree of environmental pollution here is not so critical, although if in the mornings in a megalopolis like Moscow tens of thousands of engines are simultaneously warming up, then there really can be no talk of any benefit to the environment. And Russians are lucky that the country does not have such strict environmental standards as the EU.

Regarding fuel consumption, this argument is largely true: depending on the engine size and its operating time during warm-up, fuel consumption increases by an average of 3-7 percent. The numbers seem to be uncritical, but if you consider that you have to warm up the engine at least twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, when returning from work, then there is reason to think about it. And finally, the third argument against is increased engine wear. To some extent, it is also fair, because prolonged operation of the engine at idle leads to the fact that the fuel-air mixture does not have time to completely burn in the combustion chamber, which is why soot forms on its walls. If this action occurs frequently, then the carbon deposits accumulated on the walls of the combustion chamber can cause engine failure, which will result in expensive repairs. Also, prolonged heating may cause damage to gasoline engine(carbon deposits also form on them) and diesel injectors, which will simply coke over time. This also threatens the failure of these parts. fuel system engine.

It would seem that some of the arguments against warming up should convince those who believe that it is still necessary to warm up the engine in severe frosts. Indeed, the prospect of engine repair will upset the average Russian motorist much more than environmental pollution. But warming up the engine before driving also has its pros. And they are quite weighty. The fact is that running an unheated engine under workloads in winter is fraught with several unpleasant things. Firstly, when a car enthusiast starts the engine in cold weather and immediately drives, and even applies the gas, the engine experiences oil starvation. It is no secret that even the most advanced synthetic oils change their viscosity under the influence of low temperatures, becoming thicker. What can we say about semi-synthetic and mineral oils, on which a considerable number of cars drive in Russia. The result of insufficient supply is increased friction engine parts against each other, which over time leads to failure of components such as cylinders, pistons, camshaft and crankshaft bearings, as well as turbine parts. Can you imagine how much repairs could cost? This is why many car owners neglect the environment, taking care of the safety of their car engines and warming them up.

However, there is an optimal means that should reconcile opponents and defenders of the idea of ​​warming up power unit. You can get by with minimal losses for the environment, wallet and engine if you warm it up for no more than 4-5 minutes, and then drive, keeping the speed no higher than 2000 until the engine temperature reaches 90 degrees. In addition, so-called ones are now publicly available, which work autonomously and allow you to warm up not only the engine, but also set a comfortable temperature in the car interior.

The engine will be fully warmed up when all its parts and working fluids reach operating temperatures, that is, at a fixed operating mode they stop changing. The coolant warms up the fastest - this is the process that we see by the change in the position of the arrow on the temperature gauge. It also warms up the parts of the upper part of the engine (pistons, cylinders, head) - the pace is almost the same. But the oil in the pan heats up much more slowly. Where can you see this? Anyone who has an on-board computer has probably noticed that even after reaching normal coolant temperature, fuel consumption at idle may still decrease for some time. This is precisely due to the slow heating of the oil. And finally, the converter takes the longest to heat up, and with it the toxicity of the exhaust gases reaches the operating level. But all warm-up speeds depend on the engine operating mode.

RESISTANCE TO MOTION

Why doesn't the engine like frost? Main reason is that any motor oil thickens in the cold. And at certain temperatures it may stop flowing altogether. Mineral oils - already at minus 20...25 °C, the best synthetics - at minus 45...55 °C. As a result, the friction units run dry, and the power of mechanical losses increases sharply, which requires extra gasoline. But when will the motor quickly reach the normal level of mechanical losses? Should I stand and warm myself or if I go on the road immediately after starting? This will answer the question of savings - after all, extra losses require additional fuel.

Let's check how much fuel a regular injection engine consumes with the same mileage, but different warm-up algorithms. A little about the patient. A pure “European” produced in 2005, 1.6 liters of displacement, declared as Euro-4. He spent his entire adult life in Russia, but apart from maintenance, nothing was done in it. So, three warm-up programs. The first option is the “old-fashioned” one: fully warm up the engine and only then drive. The second is according to the instructions of modern cars: “let it go and go.” And the third is the one that can most often be found: we started up, brushed off the snow, waved a shovel (in general, we wasted time), and we warmed up the car already on the trip. Outside - minus 15. The battery is good, the tray contains expensive synthetics. Mileage - from the parking lot to work: it’s about 5 kilometers, and without traffic jams! You can dream...

So, option 1. Let's go. The tachometer needle is set at “1200”, the computer shows instantaneous fuel consumption of 2.5 l/h. After a minute, consumption drops to 1.9 liters, after 10 minutes - to 0.9 liters. Then visible changes in on-board computer end - the arrow on the temperature indicator does not even reach 50 degrees and stands rigid. To be safe, we wait another 10 minutes - fuel consumption decreases to 0.8 l/h, which is still more than the usual 0.6 observed when the entire engine is fully warmed up. Best result fails to achieve - let's go! We are driving in fixed mode, third gear, 50 km/h, there are no traffic lights along the road. Consumption according to the computer is 6.4…6.6 l/100 km. In total, we spent 0.45 liters on warming up, and about 0.33 liters on the road. Total - about 0.8 liters.

Option 2- sat down, started up and immediately drove off. The car didn’t like this very much, and to begin with it produced a consumption of more than 10 liters. Then it began to quickly decline, but due to the short drive it never reached the previous 6.5 - it stopped at 6.8 liters. In total, only 0.45 liters were used. Plus saving 20 minutes of precious time. There seems to be savings, but they seem impressive only on short runs.

Option 3- after starting, we warmed the engine for 5 minutes while the ice was scraped off the windows. We started with an idle consumption of 1.3 l/h. The beginning of the run was marked by a figure of 7.6 l/100 km, by the end of the race they returned to 6.6. Total, taking into account mileage - 0.55 liters. Better than the first option, but slightly worse than the second.

A BLOW TO THE ECOLOGY

It is clear that the reluctance of automakers to heat the car is not caused by concern for our wallet. The main argument is ecology. After all, modern toxicity standards Euro-4 and higher impose strict restrictions on the content of toxic components during startup modes and during the warm-up period. So let's see what happens to the toxicity before the neutralizer (in professional slang it is called “raw”) and after (this is “dry” toxicity).

So, “raw” toxicity during a cold start is very high. The reason is the need to sharply enrich the air-fuel mixture. The fuel must be evaporated, and with a big “minus” outside, it doesn’t really want to evaporate. And the air entering the cylinders is cold and dense. This means that in order to compensate for the low volatility of the fuel and the low air temperature, it is necessary to pour much more gasoline. And what has not evaporated or has already evaporated during the process goes down the drain. “TseO” and “TseAshi” are very big! And catalytic converters must crush them. But the problem with most modern neutralizers is that they work effectively only in a narrow range of temperatures and mixture composition. The temperature must be high, and the composition of the mixture must be stoichiometric, that is, there must be exactly as much air in it as is necessary for complete combustion of the fuel. Otherwise, efficiency drops sharply.

It is curious that at low temperatures during the warming up process, a higher concentration of toxic components can be observed behind the neutralizer than at the inlet! Where? Most likely, it is the gasoline that was not burned during the first start-up cycles that floats - it “sits” on the honeycomb of the active element of the catalyst. As it heats up, the efficiency of the work increases, and, finally, the hot catalyst with the working composition of the mixture crushes almost all the toxicity. In other words, at start-up modes and during warm-up, if a modern catalyst with external heating is not used, the toxicity of an engine with a neutralizer will not differ too much from its earlier counterpart, which does not have one. Therefore, the main task is to bring the temperature of the catalyst core into the operating range as quickly as possible.

The converter heats up from the flow of exhaust gases, and the faster the higher their flow rate and temperature. But when the process has begun in it, it begins to warm up itself - the afterburning of toxic components occurs with the release of energy. Therefore, the temperature in the active zone of the operating catalyst is higher than that of the exhaust gases. And our experiment showed that even at normal temperature in the box, at minimum speed idle speed, the neutralizer does not reach operating mode! Especially in the cold. Therefore, it will not be possible to suppress toxicity in the warm-up mode if you warm up the engine while parked: this means you need to move.

What is the difference in emissions? The initial CH content is very high, under 1000 ppm, which, however, is expected. As the engine warms up, it begins to slowly decrease. But even after 20 minutes of warming up, when the coolant temperature has already reached the operating level, the content of residual hydrocarbons remains high - about 180 ppm. It's warmed up, but the converter is cold and doesn't work efficiently.

Now we try to warm up the engine immediately under load, simulating the second warm-up option. The beginning is the same, but the pace is different: at the end of the race, somewhere around 15…20 ppm was recorded at the exit. The neutralizer has started working! It seems like there is an answer...

But not everything is so simple! We looked at the relative concentrations of toxic components, but we breathe in their absolute values, that is, not “pee-pee-ems,” but grams and kilograms! That is, these concentrations must be multiplied by the exhaust gas flow rate. At idle when warming up it was about 15 kg/h, but when driving, if you take it on average, it will be about 80! We multiply one by the other and get: when warming up in the parking lot, along with the further road, we rewarded nature with the number of grams of residual hydrocarbons, almost twice as large as when driving immediately after starting (4.5 grams versus 2.8).

But the third option - when we warmed up a little and then drove off - gave an even greater reduction in absolute CH emissions: to 2.1 grams. By the way, in this version, when driving 5 km, we emitted a little more than a gram of CH, which is close to Euro-4 standards.

The numbers are very indicative and generally understandable. When driving on a cold engine, we work for a long time at high toxicity, while the exhaust gas consumption is high. And blowing cold air over the neutralizer while driving also slows down its warming up. When warming up in a parking lot, the neutralizer never returns to normal mode, but when you start driving at high flow rates, it quickly begins to effectively extinguish toxicity. And with a short initial warm-up, the engine does not have time to do much damage even when parked, and when warmed up in motion it works much better: after all, it has already reached a certain temperature. Here is the result.

But what we didn’t take into account. A stinking car in a parking lot envelops the space around it in a cloud of smoke, and it’s disgusting to live there... And a moving one, as it were, blurs its “goodness” throughout the space. Globally, it turns out to be comparable, but at a single point, the damage from one moving car is several times less. But in the parking lot there are one or two carriages chugging along at the same time, and crowds of them are crawling along the road...

DEATH TO THE MOTOR...

Only the lazy did not write about the fact that during start-up and warm-up it increases sharply. Not so long ago, a bearded professor on the screen convinced people that one cold start is equal to 100 km! He, of course, knows better, but we would never give such EXACT figures - they are completely different. And the engines are different, and the temperatures outside, and the oils poured into the pan, and the mileage with which they are compared can also be either outside the city or in city traffic jams. Therefore, in our opinion, the equivalent of 20 to 200 km is fairer: the main thing is the trend. And it is important that driving without warming up does not allow engine parts to prepare to accept heavy loads. They have it bad - and not just the bearings.
There is such a part in the engine - a piston, and on its side surface grooves are cut so that piston rings put. So, these grooves are the most sensitive to loads and are the first to collapse when they become excessive. And this is exactly the situation here. If you start right away and even slip a little while getting out of a snowdrift, the load on the engine will immediately become large. Heat flows from the working fluid quickly heat the piston bottom, and the groove area touches the cold cylinder, which is slightly warmer than antifreeze. Large temperature changes occur, and with them - extreme stress. But a piston without grooves is no longer a piston... And the better the engine is warmed up, the less the danger of such a disaster.

What about automakers? They know everything, but they honestly don't care. The motor must expire from the warranty period, then be sold and sent somewhere to the third world. Otherwise, the market will become overstocked. From there the recommendations dance - ecology is primary, savings are also somewhere there, and the resource - who is interested in it?

STILL WARM!

We believe that the third option is the most preferable. And in terms of fuel economy it is acceptable, and in terms of toxicity it is generally the best. The preheated engine is ready to take on the load and is well protected from wear. By the way, in fact, we most often follow this recommendation: the engine warms up while the windows are scraped off and the snow is swept away...

And one more thing... What if you suddenly have to accelerate sharply on a completely cold engine - you never know how the situation on the road will turn out? And here it’s easy to get into a really bad situation - the valves can hang up and meet the piston, or the liners can rotate

Driving your car comfortably is the dream of every driver. In summer you want it to be cool, and in winter, on the contrary, warm. But in addition to amenities, it is imperative to monitor the technical condition vehicle. And in connection with this, a person sometimes has to sacrifice his comfort for the sake of extending the service and durability of the “iron horse”.

One of these perennial topics of discussion is warming up the engine before driving. All motorists were divided into two camps. One is for warming up, others categorically deny it. Over the years, drivers have not come to a consensus. Which of these two camps you are in is entirely up to you to decide.

Is it necessary to warm up the car engine?

Every owner of his own vehicle asks the same question every year (most often in winter). Do I need to warm up the engine before driving?

This concept has come to us since the last century. This is due to the fact that vehicles of that time did not move until the engine reached the desired temperature. Warming up occurred at idle. And to prevent the engine from stopping while driving, it was necessary to wait several minutes before it. And as soon as the minimum required temperature was reached, you could go on a trip without fear of stalling. To warm up the engine, turn it on at idle for one to two minutes. Whether this is right or not, everyone decides for themselves.

Today's cars are being made more resistant to lower temperatures in the environment.

Pros

Decide for yourself whether you need to warm up the vehicle engine by learning all the pros and cons of this process.

• Comfort. This is an important point in our climate zone. After all, after parking for a long time, it will be very cold to be in the car, and it will be almost impossible to drive the vehicle.
• The engine oil acquires the required viscosity.
• Stable engine operation. After all, jerky driving inspires few people.
• The gaps between parts are narrowed.
• Reduced fuel consumption.

Cons

The main disadvantages of warming up the engine before driving, which car owners talk about:

• Environmental pollution from exhaust gases.
• Excessive fuel consumption.
• Modern engines are prepared for instant start.
• Damage is caused to the oil, spark plugs and neutralizer.

Proper engine heating

The process of raising the operating temperature in the internal combustion engine is simple. To get started, read the instructions. Manufacturers sometimes build in special programs that the driver should not interfere with. In other cases, the engine starts and warms up until the coolant needle begins to rise. And in cars with fuel injection, the tachometer readings will drop to idle speed. After this, you can gradually begin to move. The time required to warm up each car is individual.

Warm up on the go

Today, many manufacturers advise warming up the engine while driving. This is primarily due to environmental protection. Environmentalists have become a thick wall against the car warming up at idle. This opposition is based on increased pollution of nature during this process. During warm-up, the engine produces exhaust gases with an increased volume of harmful compounds. It is worth noting that fuel consumption also increases. After all, the engine is running in vain.

To warm up a car while driving, a certain list of conditions must be met. They should not shorten the life of the engine, because otherwise manufacturers would not recommend doing this. Since manufacturers are not interested in fast and frequent breakdowns cars. After all, this is fraught with repairs during the warranty period. Numerous returns and breakdowns affect the manufacturer’s reputation, and profits depend on this.

So, while idling, the engine becomes polluted due to the rapid ignition of the air-fuel mixture. And during warm-up on the go, the operating time in extreme conditions is significantly reduced.

If you decide that warming up on the go is the most rational for you, then you will have to fulfill several conditions:

• Usage synthetic oil. It must have a high viscosity index. It is this type of oil that is capable of filling all the necessary channels in a cold engine. And you will thereby avoid the appearance of scuffs on the working surface. It is especially important to purchase quality oil during winter. This is due to the fact that it is during the cold season that it works as quickly as possible and becomes an aggressive liquid. And this, of course, will not add years to the service life.
• Smooth ride. A very short period of time is required to reach the minimum required temperature to start moving. These are exactly the few minutes it takes you to leave the garage or parking lot. Therefore, this distance should be driven smoothly, evenly and without jerking. Keep your driving speed low.
• Drive carefully for the first kilometer after a long stop. Avoid all kinds of potholes and irregularities.

Warming up the engine depending on its type and type

Through trial and error by motorists, based on manufacturers' recommendations, information was gradually collected about the need to warm up a particular type of engine.

A pressing question for owners of cars with turbodiesel internal combustion engines: do they need to warm up? It is recommended to idle a diesel engine with a turbine for several minutes. And after that, hit the road. The turbine is to blame. It can be started at a certain speed crankshaft. It is achieved by high speeds. When the turbine is not working, the movement will affect the engine in the form of overheating. This, in turn, will lead to an increase in temperature in the cylinder head and its warping. Therefore, it is better to warm up a turbodiesel engine for a couple of minutes while standing in a garage or parking lot. This way you will protect yourself from expensive repairs.

Information about the need to avoid warming up a carburetor engine while driving is quite common. The opinion that it can operate normally only at a certain temperature is not entirely correct. So, with its excellent performance, the ignition system with the help air damper It is possible to set the number of revolutions. Thus, the engine is able to run smoothly after three minutes. But after adjusting the speed in this way, fuel will flow into the engine for some time, washing away the oil from the piston surface. As a result, dry friction is formed between the rings and the cylinder. And as a result - the appearance of scuffs. Therefore, it is still better to warm up without moving with regular monitoring of the air supply.

Another common question among car owners: is it necessary to warm up injection engine? And he is not entirely correct. After all, regardless of the type of fuel supply, operation after warming up is carried out according to the same scheme. If you decide to wait until the engine reaches operating temperature, do this with both fuel injection and carburetor.

What happens to the engine in cold weather?

To understand the question of whether it is necessary to warm up the engine in winter, information about what happens to the car at this time of year will help.

The parts that make up the heart of the machine vary in material. Each of them reacts to cold in its own way - the gaps become larger, and the parts, on the contrary, fit closer to each other. Both lead to rapid wear and tear. Plus, the viscosity of the oil changes. In cold weather it becomes denser. And until the engine warms up, the engine experiences “oil starvation”. The result is serious damage and major engine repair. Therefore, it is important to allow the oil to warm up evenly and without unnecessary stress in cold weather.

Common Misconceptions

Inexperienced motorists sometimes mistake a rumor for truth and unknowingly break their vehicle.

To prevent this from happening, check out the most common misconceptions about warming up your car:

• Once the engine reaches operating temperature, it can be used at full power. This is incorrect, since, in addition to the engine, other parts also need to be warmed up.
• Application high speed for a quick start.
• A new car does not need to be warmed up. Undoubtedly, an engine that has recently come off the assembly line reaches operating temperature faster than a worn one. However, warming up should not be completely neglected.

Disputes about whether it is necessary to warm up the engine in winter if the car is parked on the street have been going on since the last century. Why does this question remain relevant? First of all, this is due to the possibility of operating modern cars “cold”.

Most car enthusiasts with experience driving the first Zhiguli models remember that driving them when cold engine, even on a cold summer day, was problematic. Until the needle of the engine temperature indicator crossed the second half of the scale, the movement had a “twitching” character. At the slightest pressure on the accelerator pedal, the engine choked. Warming up the Zhiguli engine was a rule that was followed by almost all drivers.

Video - is it necessary to warm up a car engine in winter:

Is it necessary to warm up the engine in winter before driving in foreign cars and modern ones? domestic cars? If yes, then how to do it correctly and in what mode? Let's figure it out.

What operating modes of the internal combustion engine are violated if the engine is not warmed up in winter?

1. Viscosity of automobile engine oil.

Most motorists in winter period operation modern car fill in synthetic or semi-synthetic oil. This lubricant retains its properties at temperatures up to minus 35 degrees Celsius.

It is difficult to determine what the viscosity will be at lower temperatures (and this happens in some regions of Russia). It is not a fact that lubricant will flow to the engine components with the required efficiency.

Thus, operating the engine, especially with increased loads, can lead to premature wear engine elements. Considering that there are now many million-plus engines, a slight decrease in service life may not be noticeable, but there is still a reason not to force the power unit.

1. Compression in cylinders.

It is known from a school physics course that as the temperature decreases, the geometric dimensions of metal parts also decrease. This also applies to the cylinder block. Many drivers of cars with “slow” engines note that in winter they grip more easily during startup.

Indeed, as a result of reducing the physical dimensions of the cylinders, compression increases, which helps the engine start. On the one hand, this is good for older engines.

What is it like for the new engines? If the cylinder diameter is reduced, the piston rings will forcefully bore the cylinder, ultimately reducing compression. Designers provide for this moment, but the additional load on the engine can reduce their efforts to zero.

1. Antifreeze condition.

Antifreeze does not freeze at extremely low temperatures, but turns into a slightly crystallized mass that has less fluidity. Through thin pipes and tubes such a mass moves more slowly.

Firstly, this creates additional load on the pump (especially at high speeds). Secondly, it can lead to a violation of the thermal regime of the engine, slow heating of the radiator of the interior heater.

Video is an experiment showing how long it takes to warm up a car in winter to a temperature of +30 degrees:

Driving in a cold car interior is unpleasant and dangerous. In addition, it can be noted that the quality of antifreeze does not always correspond to what is stated on the packaging.

1. Changes in the physical properties of diesel fuel.

Diesel fuel may become waxy. At the same time, it stops entering the cylinders, stopping its journey in fuel lines, filters, and injectors. Most often this happens while driving. In this case, the temperature of the fuel line when blown with oncoming air can be significantly lower than that of the surrounding air.

In many diesel cars The “return” mode is used to heat the fuel in the tank. Even a small amount of warm fuel entering the tank can prevent waxing of the fuel and an unexpected stop along the way.

Video - discussions about whether it is necessary to warm up the engine in winter before driving foreign cars and modern domestic cars:

Which car systems are affected by not preheating the engine in winter?

A car is more than just an engine. There are many other systems that are no less important for the operation of the car.

1. Mechanical box gear shift.

The decisive fact is that many motorists rarely perform routine oil changes and manual transmission flushing. During operation, the physical properties of the oil can change dramatically. Warming up the oil before operating the gearbox helps distribute it throughout the manual transmission mechanisms, therefore increasing its service life.

1. Automatic gearbox.

Historically, most automatic transmission manufacturers are located in countries where extreme cold does not reach. There are car configurations designed for cold countries, including adapted automatic transmissions.

All options are available to Russian car enthusiasts. The control of most automatic transmission models is based on the interaction of devices and components through oil pressure transmission channels. That is, the work directly depends on its (oil) condition automatic transmission. From this point of view, warming up is a necessity to maintain the automatic transmission in working condition.

1. Comfort system.

In those car models that have a high-quality comfort system, remote heating of the vehicle is built in a priori. From warming up the glass, landing zones, windshield depends on the health and safety of the driver and passengers.

1. Operation of electrical equipment.

Electrical and electronic systems very sensitive to low temperatures. Frozen insulation loses its elasticity. If it is moved or shaken while frozen, the conductors may break.

When there is a sharp change in temperature, heavy condensation occurs. Excess moisture gets into electronic devices, rendering them unusable.

The negative impact of driving on a cold engine can manifest itself in the braking system and suspension.

Video - how to properly warm up the engine in winter and why:

Many car enthusiasts are guided by separate tips that indicate that you can start driving immediately after starting the engine in cold weather, if this maneuver is not associated with additional throttle changes and loads on the engine. This has a rational grain, but only within a straight section in the yard, for example, to drive away from the entrance where picky neighbors live.

In city conditions, it is difficult to imagine that you can move evenly for three to five minutes to warm up the engine.

Video - is it necessary to warm up the engine in winter:

If you live in a multi-story building, or the car is stored in a parking lot, in winter preheating the engine involves waiting in the cold. In this case, it is rational to install a remote autostart system. Installation costs will be repaid by the achieved comfort, saving time and money on machine repairs.

Standard estimated warm-up times for various climate conditions:

• from 0 to minus 10 degrees Celsius – 2-3 minutes;
• from minus 10 to minus 20 degrees Celsius – 3-5 minutes;
• from 20 to minus 35 degrees Celsius – 5-10 minutes.

It is calculated that while the car is warming up, there is less environmental pollution and fuel consumption than when driving on a cold engine.

Useful tips

Each new generation of drivers wonders whether it is worth warming up the car before setting off, especially after the car has been idle for a long time.

Many environmentalists believe that if the car is in a parking lot, then you should drive off immediately after starting the car. Thus, less toxic gases will be released into the atmosphere.

We can agree with environmentalists, especially considering that when driving, the engine warms up faster and fuel combustion occurs more efficiently. However, it is worth noting that this method can affect the health of the engine, and not for the better.

Car companies reassure car owners, believing that after they start the car, they need to drive right away, since everything was calculated at the factory and the engine can operate quite normally in this mode.

In fact, this means operating the engine for a while warranty period. After that, they are not responsible for the car.

Should I warm up the car?

Both in summer and winter, if you start the car and immediately drive, the engine life is significantly reduced.

It is worth clarifying that for the most part, operating temperature car engines is 90 degrees or higher. This is exactly the temperature they are designed for. This temperature allows the machine oil to better lubricate the gaps between the rubbing parts of the machine.

Even if it’s +25 C outside, this is not enough for oil, which means the engine still needs to be warmed up. Well, in winter, even more so.

As a result, the answer to the main question is simple: you need to warm up the car.

Regarding the indignation of environmentalists, it is worth saying that in a big city, where there are a lot of cars, the main air pollutants are not exhaust, but dust from the rubber of wheels, which rubs off on the asphalt, and worn-out pads.

And in rural areas, warming up the car does little harm at all.

Interesting fact: Erwin Rommel, a German field marshal and allegedly one of the conspirators in the assassination attempt on Hitler, always required that troops warm up their engines for 10 minutes.

This rule even extended when he commanded troops in the deserts of Africa. As a result, his motorized troops showed, on average, a lower percentage of breakdowns compared to other troops.

Warming up the car in winter

How long does it take to warm up the engine?

If you have a relatively new car, then you don’t need to warm it up for a long time. On average, warm-up time is 3-5 minutes. It is worth noting that while driving the engine warms up faster.

How long to warm up the car

*If the outside temperature from +5 to 0 C, then the warm-up time is 1-2 minutes.

* At air temperature from 0 to -10 C, engine warm-up time 2-3 minutes. During this time, all technical fluids will have time to warm up.

But to warm up the car interior at this temperature, you will need 5 minutes or even a little more.

*If outside from -10 to -20 C, then it’s worth warming up the car 3-5 minutes. In such frost, the car windows freeze, which means it will take a few more minutes to defrost them. Nai the best option om will first warm up the engine, and then begin to defrost the windows.

*If the air temperature below -20 C, then it’s worth warming up the engine at least 5 minutes, maybe a little longer. This time depends on technical condition cars. More modern car– less time to warm up.

In this case, the interior should be warmed up for 10 minutes or more.

Is it necessary to warm up the car (video)

How to warm up a car (video)

Warming up a diesel car

The best option is to warm up the engine in winter - from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the air temperature. The colder it is outside, the longer it takes to warm up.

Warm-up time in summer diesel engine– 1-2 minutes.

After warming up (at an engine temperature of 40-50 degrees), the oil liquefies, the parts in the engine heat up, and the fuel in the cylinders burns fully.

When you have warmed up the engine, begin to drive smoothly. While driving, the engine will warm up to the desired temperature faster.

It is also worth noting that it is worth warming up not only the engine, but also the transmission. This applies to automatic transmissions, where special transmission oil is poured.

Warming up the automatic transmission

Warm up automatic transmission gears are necessary so that it will serve you longer. To warm it up you should:

1. Warm up the engine.

2. After the engine has warmed up, press the brake and switch the gearbox to “Drive” mode (D).

3. Wait 2 minutes.

4. Start moving smoothly and start moving for several kilometers at a speed not exceeding 50 km/h.

How to warm up an automatic transmission

How to warm up a car with automatic transmission (video)