Warm Up Your Car Engine for Just 30 Seconds to 1 Minute – 2024-07-07 13:03:58

Illustration (Freepik)

Automotive expert from Bandung Technology University (ITB), Yannes Martinus Pasaribu revealed that warming up a car engine does not take a long time.

“The myth surrounding car maintenance that is still widely believed and carried out by car owners in Indonesia is the assumption that warming up the car engine for a long time every morning can extend the life of the engine, even though modern engine technology does not require long warming up,” said Yannes, quoted Sunday (7/7).

The habit of warming up the car engine for a long time is still often done by some drivers in Indonesia, even though this is actually a myth.

They believe in the myth that warming up the engine can improve engine performance and extend the life of the vehicle.

With today’s modern engine technology, Yannes continued, cars only need a short warm-up time, usually around 30 seconds to 1 minute, before they are ready to use.

“Warming up a modern car only takes regarding 30 seconds to 1 minute. This is enough to ensure that the engine oil circulates throughout the engine. Once warmed up, it is advisable to start driving gently. This helps the engine reach its optimum operating temperature more quickly compared to just sitting there warming up,” Yannes explained.

Also read: Warming Up Your Car for 30 Seconds is Enough for Optimal Performance

Meanwhile, for older cars, around the 1990s, they need to be warmed up for a longer time, around three to five minutes, because the engines are not as efficient as modern cars.

These output engines generally still use non-injectors, so the warm-up time is sufficient to ensure the temperature has risen to a safe level before being used for driving.

Warming up the car for too long can actually cause unnecessary fuel waste and exhaust emissions, and does not provide significant benefits to the engine.

“Warming up the car for too long wastes fuel without providing any additional benefits. Then, the exhaust gas produced when warming up the car contains water vapor, if heated for too long without moving, this water vapor can collect in the exhaust pipe and accelerate the process of rust formation,” concluded Yannes. (Ant/Z-1)