Warming your car up

I’m old and it’s cold…it’s warming up.
Only disadvantage is used fuel and we all know the venue don’t use much.

In that article, the arguments against warming up your car are pretty weak. They seem mostly focused on environment issues like saving gasoline and minimizing emissions, not safe driving or keeping your vehicle in good shape. Sure, it consumes a bit of extra fuel. But fuel is cheap compared to automotive repairs. I usually go for a three to four minute warm-up in single digit or sub-zero weather (Fahrenheit). Never had a problem doing that.

"Sources" for the article are auto repair chains, IIRC. The same ones that try to get you to change the oil and filter, and the air and cabin filters early.

I would say that they don't want you to let the engine get up to temp. especially in cold weather because then you would drive away and more then likely at speed, and by starting the car and let the engine run for about 20 or 30 seconds and then pull away you'll probably not drive at speed, and that way the rest of the things like the transmission, power steering and the drive unit fluids will warm up better before you start to drive at speed especially in very cold weather...as well a gradual warming up period is better for everything including things like tires...I'd think the modern vehicles may have closer tolerances and different oils etc. than the old ones...just a guess on my part.

Driving it warms it up. Remote start it to help the ice on the windows and long enough to clean up before heading out.

Old Thread sorry but we're still in Winter mode here in the Midwest. My car is currently undergoing repairs but I remote start mine in the garage and let it warm (Don't worry the garage door is open). Im 44 years old and I don't like cold cars either.

I find in Saskatchewan winter I get worse mpg or /l/100. Summer tend to get 4-6l/100km depending how I drive and in Winter with temps below -15C or colder tend to get 7-8l/100km. I find as it warms up it gets better. I use my auto start when below -15c. I find the PTC heater weak when that cold. I was in BC last winter its warmer but same results.

My fuel economy responds exactly the same. The PTC heater is only 450 watts max so not great in extreme cold but does help since the little engine takes a while to heat the coolant so the heater core can provide all the heat needed. Putting the heating system in a mode that allows re-circulation mode helps by not pulling in outside air.