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Warming up the car?

Lisa Miles

I read an article via E&T magazine the other day about the carbon cost of 'warming up the car' on winter mornings before driving off and wondered how many people still do such a thing? 

I remember in the 1970's some of our neighbours would always have their car idling for a while and vaguely remember them saying something about getting the oil circulating around the engine first before driving off. But as far as I'm aware, there is absolutely no need to do that nowadays with modern cars, if it was ever needed before anyway! The manual of my own car specifically states that it should not be started and left in an idling state but should be driven as soon as the engine is on.

Warming up the interior of my own car on a winter's morning consists of me making sure the heated seat is on (which can be felt around 2 minutes into the journey Relieved) although one thing I struggle with on occasion is de-misting the windscreen which can take longer. However I bought myself a telescopic handled de-mister pad that I wipe over the inside before I switch on the ignition.

Out of interest is it (or was it ever) necessary to idle a car before driving off? Were my 1970's neighbours correct? Thinking 

  any tips from the experts in the Automotive and road transport systems Network? 

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    Please stop making me feel old.

    When I was a kid my dad had an A35 van converted to an estate car with a folding rear bench seat and windows cut into the rear side panels.

    It was kept in a garage with a sump heater under it over the winter, then coaxed into life in the morning with careful manipulation of the choke.

    I remember staying at my Grandparents one Christmas and it spent a couple of nights outdoors, it failed to start and flooded, so my dad had to take the spark plugs out and heat them in the oven to dry them off and heat them up.

    https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/engineheater.htm

    It was common practice to run the engine until the choke could be pushed in before driving off and to completely clear the windows of ice to ensure full visibility, these days people just jump into their vehicles and expect to drive off immediately without even clearing the windows, like the girl who pulled out in front of me this morning.

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  • 0

     

    Please stop making me feel old.

    When I was a kid my dad had an A35 van converted to an estate car with a folding rear bench seat and windows cut into the rear side panels.

    It was kept in a garage with a sump heater under it over the winter, then coaxed into life in the morning with careful manipulation of the choke.

    I remember staying at my Grandparents one Christmas and it spent a couple of nights outdoors, it failed to start and flooded, so my dad had to take the spark plugs out and heat them in the oven to dry them off and heat them up.

    https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/engineheater.htm

    It was common practice to run the engine until the choke could be pushed in before driving off and to completely clear the windows of ice to ensure full visibility, these days people just jump into their vehicles and expect to drive off immediately without even clearing the windows, like the girl who pulled out in front of me this morning.

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