Before a winter's drive: Should you prewarm?

Do you really need to warm up your car on a cold winter morning? The answer might surprise you.

Decades ago on a cold day, it was common to start the car 15 to even 30 minutes before driving to warm the engine up, lessen rough engine idling and get the oil and cabin warm. This isn’t necessary with modern cars.

Modern cars are equipped with computers that tell the engine the precise mix of fuel and air for perfect ignition in all conditions. Synthetic oil flows quickly to lube the precisely engineered and manufactured components. Additionally, the vehicle’s emission controls work quickly to get a vehicle’s catalytic converters to optimum temperatures, scrubbing the exhaust of dangerous chemicals that cause smog.

In fact, it is recommended to drive the vehicle moderately around the block or two, to get the operational temperatures into the sweet spot for warming the cabin and the car engine. If you need to clear the windows of ice or snow and to warm the cabin, using a remote starter and running it for 10 minutes or so should do the job. Use the Weather & Radar temperature forecast to see how cold it will be at night and be prepared for the next morning’s forecast.

Electric cars are slightly different. A cold battery will not perform as well as a warm one, lowering range. Energy is consumed to warm the cabin, diminishing range further. If the car is plugged in for charging overnight, the EV, using the onboard computer connected to a mobile app, can be programmed to use the house electricity to warm the cabin and the battery. This will increase the range of the battery and make the cabin toasty and warm before heading out.

When you hit the road, remember these Winter driving tips and use the Weather & Radar Android Auto application to get the latest weather while on the road.