You should warm up your car in winter, but only briefly—usually 30 seconds to 2 minutes—then drive gently to let everything reach temperature more efficiently. Long 10–15 minute idling sessions are largely outdated for modern fuel‑injected cars and mostly waste fuel while adding pollution.

Should you warm up your car in the winter?

For most modern gas cars, a short warm‑up is enough for the engine, and the rest of the “warm‑up” should happen while you’re driving calmly. Older carbureted cars, EVs, and extreme cold conditions are partial exceptions that need a bit more care.

What actually needs warming up?

Your car has several things that don’t love the cold.

  • Engine oil thickens in low temperatures, so it needs a few moments of running to circulate and properly lubricate moving parts.
  • Transmission and differential fluids also start thick and loosen as they warm, which happens faster when you’re driving, not idling.
  • Tires, brakes, and suspension components work best once they’ve been moving for a bit, which is another reason gentle driving is more useful than long idling.
  • Windows and mirrors need heat to defrost and clear fog, which is a major safety factor on dark winter mornings.

A useful way to think about it: your engine “wakes up” quickly at idle, but the rest of the car only really warms when it’s rolling.

How long should you warm up?

The ideal warm‑up depends on the car and how cold it is, but it’s much shorter than old myths suggest.

For most modern gas cars

  • About 30 seconds to 1 minute of idling is enough to get oil flowing through the engine.
  • In very cold conditions, up to about 2 minutes is fine before you start driving.
  • After that, drive gently—no hard acceleration or high RPMs—until the temperature gauge is near normal.

For older, carbureted cars

  • Cars from roughly the mid‑1980s and earlier with carburetors often need a longer warm‑up so the fuel mixture stabilizes.
  • A few extra minutes can prevent stalling and hesitation, especially in deep winter, but you still want to avoid extended idling far beyond what’s needed for smooth running.

For EVs and plug‑in hybrids

  • EVs don’t have the same “engine warm‑up” issue, but the battery and cabin still benefit from preconditioning (warming while plugged in).
  • Many EVs let you schedule preconditioning through an app so the battery is at a good temperature and the cabin is warm when you leave.

Is it bad to let your car idle a long time?

Long, unnecessary idling is more harmful than helpful for most modern cars.

  • Fuel waste: Idling burns fuel while going exactly nowhere, which adds up over an entire winter.
  • Engine deposits: Prolonged idling can encourage carbon buildup inside the engine and on spark plugs, which can affect performance over time.
  • Pollution: A cold engine running at idle emits more pollutants per minute than when driven and fully warmed up.
  • Legal/local rules: Some regions now have anti‑idling regulations because of air‑quality concerns.

So if you’re idling for 15 minutes “for the car’s sake,” that’s mostly a leftover habit from the carburetor era rather than a real requirement for modern engines.

Safety, comfort, and real‑world habits

Even if the engine doesn’t need a long warm‑up, you still need to see and function.

  • Defrost and visibility: It’s worth idling long enough for the defroster to start clearing ice and fog; driving with a half‑frosted windshield is genuinely dangerous.
  • Cabin comfort: Letting the car blow at least lukewarm air before you set off can make you more alert and less tense behind the wheel.
  • Good routine: Many drivers use the engine’s first minute to scrape windows, clear snow from the roof and lights, and load the car—during which the engine is quietly getting its brief warm‑up.

A practical approach: start the car, turn on the defrosters, get out and clear snow and ice, then drive away gently once you’ve finished.

What forums and experts say lately

This has become a recurring winter topic in car communities and news outlets in the last few years.

Common themes from recent articles and forum threads:

  • Modern engines: The consensus is that modern fuel‑injected cars don’t need to “sit and warm up” for long; short idle plus gentle driving is recommended.
  • EV trend: As EVs spread, more discussion focuses on preconditioning batteries and cabins via apps rather than traditional idling.
  • Climate matters: In extreme climates (far north, very low temperatures), people lean more on block heaters and a bit more warm‑up time, but still avoid needless long idling.
  • Comfort vs. efficiency: Many drivers admit they warm up more for personal comfort than mechanical necessity—and that’s okay as long as it’s not excessive.

A typical “middle‑ground” forum tip is: warm it while you’re scraping and loading, then baby it for the first few miles.

Quick “how‑to” for winter starts

Here’s a simple step‑by‑step for a modern gas car on a cold morning.

  1. Start the car, turn on front and rear defrosters.
  2. Let it idle for about 30–60 seconds (up to 2 minutes in very harsh cold).
  3. Scrape windows, brush snow off roof, hood, and lights while it idles.
  4. Once you have clear visibility, set off and drive gently—no full‑throttle, no high RPMs—until the temp gauge is at normal.
  5. Avoid leaving it parked and idling for 10–20 minutes unless visibility or extreme cold absolutely demands it.

If you drive an EV, instead schedule preconditioning while plugged in so both the cabin and battery are ready when you leave.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.