No Loitering! Why Idling in Winter Is No Longer a Best Practice

It’s commonly thought that it’s a good idea to warm your car up for several minutes before you start driving during the winter. More than half of Americans say they let their cars run for a while before they begin driving. But recent research shows this is not a great idea at all. While your car will be less fuel efficient at first, the fact is that, overall, idling your car during the winter is far more costly.

If you’re interested in best practices when it comes to your car, talking with trusted experts in auto repair in Everett, WA is the way to go. Read on to find out more about why you don’t need to keep the car running for several minutes before getting on the road:

• Old-time advice: If your car was made in the last three decades, you don’t need to warm it up on a cold day. Older cars had carburetors that determined the mix of air and fuel in the engine and took time to adjust to colder temperatures. Newer electrical fuel injection systems are standard on cars now. These maintain the right ratio of fuel and air going into the engine no matter what the outdoor temperature may be. The electronic sensors on your car have made warming it up first a thing of the past.
• How long to idle: Maybe you want to just warm up the car because you don’t want to sit in it while the car’s still freezing. However, federal environmental agencies warn that you shouldn’t warm it up for more than 30 seconds before getting on the road. The fact is that by leaving it idling, you waste fuel, hitting yourself in the pocketbook and doing no favors to the environment.
• A significant impact: Studies have shown that even a short warm-up period of five to 10 minutes has a disproportionate effect on fuel consumption. In fact, idling alone accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire domestic steel and iron manufacturing industries. The country would save billions of dollars along with negative environmental impacts, which has brought idling to the attention of state lawmakers who are considering passing statutes on non-traffic idling.

All that stress on your car’s engine is bad news, too. At some point, everyone needs auto repair in Everett, WA. You want your car to run properly every time you start it up. That’s why Auto Truck Service Inc. has been serving our local community of Everett since 1978. We’re a locally owned and family operated business offering personalized customer service experience to ensure that all your needs are met. Our loyal customers know that we get the job done right the first time, every time.

Our wide range of services includes general auto repair, diesel services, marine engine repair and custom machine shop services. We also provide repair services for fleet vehicles, motor homes and high-performance vehicles. Stop in or call today to learn more about our services—we look forward to helping you!

Categorised in: Car Repairs