Warming Up Your Car Engine

Reader Question: To whom it may concern:

My family is in this big silly debate about whether it is necessary to warm up your car in the winter. I have been taught always to warm up your car so that oil and all fluids run freely through the engine.

My mother now has my 20-year old convinced that there is a large dangerous chance of your car catching on fire if you let it warm up. She said that it has to do with the new ignitions and such.

Can you resolve this PLEASE?

I want to do what is best for cars to prevent unneeded wear and tear.

Thanks in advance.

Deannie

Hey there Deannie,

It is a good idea especially when it is cold outside to let your engine warm up a bit before you head out. Just like your body on a cold day, you do not want to jump out of bed and run around the block.

If you do that, you are likely to get a sprain or worse. Before you run or jog, you should stretch and walk around to get your body ready for the shock of the run. Just like your engine, letting the engine slowly warm up on its own, just 1 minute on a very cold day is a great idea.

I am not sure where your mom got the idea about the new ignitions, I have never heard of such a thing. I have heard of a few vehicle fires due to faulty cruise control switches and ignition switches on Ford products but those vehicles caught fire with the engine OFF, which is really scary. That issue has supposedly been taken care of.

Blessings,
Austin Davis