Many car manufacturers claim that an internal combustion engine no longer needs to be warmed up to operating temperature. They justify this claim by the high manufacturing standards to which the engines are manufactured and the choice of materials.
But if you want to enjoy your vehicle for a long time, you shouldn't listen to them, according to German magazine Autobild.
Every engine needs to be warmed up, they say, to minimize wear. Cold engine oil is usually much thicker and more viscous than engine oil that is at operating temperature. During a cold start, it takes longer for the oil to be pumped to the bearings and lubrication points of the engine and turbocharger.
If you accelerate immediately after starting, you risk insufficient lubrication of important parts, which in turn leads to greater wear and, in the worst case, even engine damage. Of course, this also applies to cold starts in the summer, but even more so in winter temperatures, reports HAK Revija.
What to do?
Start the engine first, then fasten your seat belt. Anyone who follows this little rule does the engine a lot of good. However, even if the oil has reached all the important lubrication points in the engine or in the turbocharger, the engine should not be put on the gas immediately. An internal combustion engine consists of more than 1.000 parts made of different materials.
This means that components expand at different rates as they heat up. For example, pistons heat up very quickly due to the combustion that takes place in the cylinder, which causes them to expand faster, reports N1.
The cylinder walls, which are part of the engine block, take longer to do this. The clearance, or distance between the pistons and the cylinder walls, becomes too small, which means additional wear.
The cylinder head is also often made of a different material than the engine block. If the components are not evenly spread, leaks can occur near the cylinder head gasket.
Stress cracks can also occur in the cylinder head. Until the engine reaches operating temperature, the engine speed should remain in the lower third of the rev range. It is recommended not to apply full throttle. However, warming up is not good if the car is stationary.
Then all the components can't warm up as quickly and efficiently as they should. So, go ahead, but don't push the engine until it's warmed up.
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