SHOULD YOU WARM UP YOUR ENGINE BEFORE DRIVING?

This has been an ongoing debate for years - Should you let your engine warm up before driving your car?

Well, unfortunately, this is not going to be a simple yes or no answer. There are many factors you'll have to take into consideration, including what type of car and engine you are running.

Back in the day, when carburettor engines ruled the streets, it was common practice to make use of the choke which would temporarily starve the engine of oxygen. In return, it made the air-to-fuel ratio richer thus helping the engine to start more seamlessly in colder temperatures. Therefore, you would normally let your engine get up to temperature before driving it.

That same practice has seemed to have transitioned over to modern-day cars as well, but is it actually necessary? Well, cars today are filled with fancy tech, such as fuel injection, that will automatically manage the idle to compensate for cold starts and, on top of that, car oil technology has also drastically improved. Car oil today does not have such a high viscosity at lower temperatures as it did in the past.

So, in conclusion, you don't have to let your engine warm-up on cold start before driving unless you want to allow it to heat up the cabin before you climb in.

BUT...if you are driving older cars, modified cars or even cars with engines such as a rotary, for goodness sake, let them warm up!

Take a look at the video below by YouTube channel, Fitment Industries, on should you warm up your car before driving?

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