Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016) • Hacker News Board

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#111

Post by kkfx » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:02 PM UTC

Not convinced. Sure an idle engine heat a bit slower than an used one, but all components around the engine, even a bit underneath, get a bit of heat. The cabin heated a bit allow easier removing of ice, plastic materials are LESS fragile due to the less freezing temp etc.

I think such articles mean: do not burn fuel for nothing, do not leave powered on ICE for long period of time, and I agree with that, but try to stating it offer something really good or really bad to expected car service life is a bit ridiculous.

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#112

Post by Alan_Dillman » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:06 PM UTC

Bunch of twaddle.

I'm not doing it for the engine, I'm doing it so the windows thaw out, and partly so that the passenger compartment is warm. I'm doing it so I don't get in a friggin accident and kill someone.

Oh yeah, just start it and drive off, very good. OP-ED obviously doesn't live in a real winter climate.

As for stress on the engine, mine has a governor that won't let it exceed a certain speed until the engine temperature comes up.

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#113

Post by kube-system » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:07 PM UTC

brookside wrote: post #109

FooBarWidget wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting that you think about it that way. My primary goals are the opposite: 1. To save as much money as possible. Meaning to make my car last as long as possible, postponing the need for repairs or a new car as long as possible 2. To reduce energy usage as much as possible. Not only to save money but also because it's good for the environment. Which means I do exactly the opposite of yours. I'll to go great leng…

Are you aware not using the heater does not affect fuel efficiency in an ICE car? Heaters in ICE cars take the pull existing heat from the engine. (I'm not aware of how your hybrid is programmed, it may or may not turn the engine on sooner if the heat is on.) Letting off the gas 100 meters before a stop light and coast that will save gas, but of course it won't be more efficient to brake for the 100 meters before a s…

> Are you aware not using the heater does not affect fuel efficiency in an ICE car? Heaters in ICE cars take the pull existing heat from the engine.

It does in many hybrids, particularly those that can operate in EV mode at higher speeds. When heat is commanded, they often will idle under even under no load conditions just to maintain coolant temp. These are conditions which otherwise would use zero fuel.

A fun party trick in my hybrid is that I can turn on and off my engine during the winter at a stop light by using the on/off switch for the climate controls. It’s instantaneous.

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#114

Post by UncleEntity » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:08 PM UTC

Glawen wrote: post #90

WalterBright wrote: post #75

The best thing you can do to make your engine last is change the oil regularly.

Engine oil gets a lot of cargo cult on automotive forums. Personally, I never saw an engine die because it missed the schedule by some thousands km. I wait until my car tells me it needs an oil change, and then I wait a bit more :).

The manufacturers say change the oil every 3000 miles (or whatever), the oil commercials say it is good up to 100,000 miles, split the difference is what I say.

My last vehicle did have a bit of a valve train knock though…

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#115

Post by pshirshov » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:09 PM UTC

Glawen wrote: post #100

pshirshov wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the unsafe and a very inconvenient way. So lot less frequent than various heaters (autonomous pre-start ones, electric ones and the timers).

Indeed but the aftermarket webasto cost quite some money. The guy was a pensioner who probably used his car once a month

There are still electric heaters which plug into the temperature sensor hole and they are dirt cheap. But yep, some people still do all that open flame crap.

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#116

Post by postalrat » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:12 PM UTC

godelski wrote: post #42

psychphysic wrote: post #9

For me the benefits far outweigh the increased wear on the engine. I don't really need my engine to last 400k miles like it can in perfect circumstances. I need fog free windows, be comfortable driving the car without gloves on making the steering slip. To be able to focus on getting around and not shivering. I don't drive these days but back when I did those were all issues I had for my 5am start getting to work. An…

> I need fog free windows Personally I can't drive with ice on my windows. Can't really see outside and I'm pretty confident that's illegal. Like 80%, but I'm not a lawyer.

Unless you have been driving for 2 hours you will probably have some ice on your windows some days here in MN.

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#117

Post by leoh » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:19 PM UTC

I wonder if a solution to this problem could be channeling gasoline through a convoluted pattern of tubes adjacent to a heating element

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#118

Post by BeetleB » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:21 PM UTC

psychphysic wrote: post #9

For me the benefits far outweigh the increased wear on the engine. I don't really need my engine to last 400k miles like it can in perfect circumstances. I need fog free windows, be comfortable driving the car without gloves on making the steering slip. To be able to focus on getting around and not shivering. I don't drive these days but back when I did those were all issues I had for my 5am start getting to work. An…

> I need fog free windows

You don't need to warm the engine much to get that. It will clear up even with cold wind blowing on it.

https://engineering.stackexchange.com/questions/3174/which-i...

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#119

Post by bombcar » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:22 PM UTC

cactusplant7374 wrote: post #78

bombcar wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a real important point - many drivers in the cold aren’t dressed for it at all and though even many rural roads will have someone pass by relatively soon a warm car is going to be nicer. Of course anyone driving in freezing areas should have winter survival gear but who actually does?

Also, wearing heavy jackets in a car is just damn uncomfortable.

Especially since about ten minutes in you’ll be boiling and opening the window.

Re: Warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine (2016)

#120

Post by Jordrok » Sun, Dec 25, 2022, 10:24 PM UTC

amluto wrote: post #21

Wow. This is unreal. The OP says: > In a blog post on its website, Smart Motors Toyota says letting your car idle in cold temperatures can shorten the life of your engine by stripping away oil from the engine’s pistons and cylinders — two critical components that help your engine run. > via VERIFY Great, they got some kind of content from somewhere else. Let’s follow the link to verifythis.com: > Yes, warming up your…

I think you're misunderstanding. The "myth" being referred to in that third link is that it's beneficial to warm up your engine by letting it idle for a long time. This was previously true for cars with carburetors, but is no longer useful for modern cars.

The idea that idling the engine for an extended time after a cold startup can cause damage is correct, and that idea is consistent in all three articles you're referring to.