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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? 

  • 0 in reply to Chris Pearson
    Chris Pearson said:
    I always disengage the clutch any way for safety

    Funny you should say that Chris as I do too! Check the car is not in gear, disengage the clutch and then start the car. Relaxed️

  • 0 in reply to Chris Pearson

    Not that I am aware of. When the temperatures go below freezing the humidity drops dramatically so unless there is an obscure water leak into the clutch housing there is nothing to freeze.

    I am aware of clutches rusting in engagement on cars that have been standing for a long time (years) in the UK.

  • 0

    Check the car is not in gear, disengage the clutch and then start the car.

    I do the same. My partner didn't however, which caught her out when we got a new car - as the new one refuses even to try to start unless the clutch pedal is depressed.

       - Andy.

  • 0 in reply to AJJewsbury

    The same happened to me with a hire car some years ago. We had to ring the company to find out how to start the car. (I had, of course, tried the brake as with automatics.)

  • 0 in reply to AJJewsbury

      I also drive a Mitsubishi Delica from time to time which threw me at first never having driven an automatic before. You have to have your foot on the brake pedal in order to engage the auto gearbox which is done via a stalk lever on the steering column rather than in the centre console so a completely different driving experience to driving my TT! 

  • 0 in reply to Lisa Miles

    I like the switch on the column approach - my current car and the last one had it. With the current one, if you press the start button without having your foot on the brake, it simply does nothing. And you cannot engage gear without having your foot on the brake too. Mrs P's car is a little different. You cannot turn the key until the brake pedal is pressed, and at the end of a journey, you cannot remove it until P has been selected.

    Back to the warming up ... the engine idles quite quickly for the first 90 seconds to warm up the exhaust catalyst. The idle speed also depends upon which mode has been selected - comfort, sport, or sport+. All very clever stuff and only possible with a fly-by-wire system.

  • 0

    I had another look at the brochure I posted the link to above for the Austin and Triplex concept car, the windshield had a coating that was both the demister and radio aerial.

    There were a few manufacturers who used the rear screen heater as the radio aerial.

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