Four Reasons Why You Need To Let Your Car Warm Up In The Winter
Yes, we all know cars need to be warmed up before you abuse them, but why is that really? I wanted to try out this ‘advanced post editor’ so I decided to pretend I’m Engineering Explained this morning.
Alright, let’s roll.
Alright, let’s roll.
1. The sound of cold starts
When you start your car up, the engine will deliberately run at a slightly higher RPM to warm up the catalytic converter so it becomes effective and reduces emissions ASAP. The process has a distinct sound and provides a good time to get out of the car and listen to the beautiful sound of your exhaust.
2. Thermal expansion
Solids - like metal - expand as they get warmer. Engineers have to take this into consideration when designing an engine, and be clever with spacings and clearances to allow room for size changes.
E.g.: Your piston and cylinder may have different thermal expansion coefficients, meaning they’ll react differently to changes in temperature. When your engine is not at operating temperature, some bits and pieces in it are essentially the “wrong” size, causing added friction, wear and tear. Not a good time to hit VTEC.
E.g.: Your piston and cylinder may have different thermal expansion coefficients, meaning they’ll react differently to changes in temperature. When your engine is not at operating temperature, some bits and pieces in it are essentially the “wrong” size, causing added friction, wear and tear. Not a good time to hit VTEC.
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