Is It Okay To Warm Your Car Before Driving Off In The Morning?


This discussion was raised up in one car page on Instagram (@supercarsofnigeria) and a lot of people gave their opinion. It was whether or not it’s good to warm a car first thing in the morning before driving off.

Below is the exact question:

Does it really make sense to let the car “warm up” before starting to drive in the morning?

We will bring to you the various answers to this question in a numbered form.

1.Mr A:

Gone are the days.. Except if it’s a carburetor engine then by all means warm up before driving.carburetor engines need to warm up properly to help the air and fuel mixture unlike like injectors which have sensors to appropriate.
you don’t need to warm up your injector vehicle before drive, start your car and drive is the most efficient and fastest way to warm your car instead of idling.

2. Mr B:

Honestly, no it’s a Nigerian superstitious mentality…..start the f’ing car and drive simple

3. Mr C:

Yes, it does. Lubricates the engine parts.

4. Mr D:

Naija mentality. Did user manual say start and let warm before driving

5. Mr E:

U need to allow the oil supply go round well before u start driving, u cant wake up and start running immediately

6. Mr F:

Unless your coolant sensor is bad and your spark plugs need replacement or its a carburetor then please warm up.. But for a perfectly wired injector vehicle it’s actually bad to warm up your car in the morning.

7.Mr G:

Yes you need allow your car warm up b4 driving . If u park outside in cold winter u will understand more . This isn’t 9ja mentality

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8. Mr H:

Just don’t start stressing the engine by going on higher RPMs. Just drive am jeje for a while. If your car is an old car, better respect yourself and do the needful.

9. Mr I:

Yes it does, I’ll is what I saw on YouTube for example, someone started and huracan and the digital display didn’t let the owner Rev it past 4000 rpm since the engine was still cold but once it was quite warm the red line moved to its normal 8500 rpm, so I guess warming is essential.

10. Mr J:

I haven’t seen any manufacturer that recommended warming cars. Modern cars don’t need such. Maybe wait a few seconds for oil and fuel to run thru the system. Asides that I don’t think it’s necessary.

11. Mr K:

Lol…. Yes it is good, start let it warm up a bit, imagine sleeping and you where slapped from your dreams…. And imagine you waking up at your own leisure… I don’t know if u understand but relate it.

12. Mr L:

It’s very important you let the car warm up before you start driving. The oil needs to be warm enough to lubricate all parts of the engine before you work it. I remember when I used to drive a Benz C240 and when I work the engine too hard before letting it warm up it will bring up the CHECK ENGINE light and the engine will begin to vibrate.

13. Mr M:

That idea was not born in Nigeria, people in temperate areas will attest to this, the notion just indirectly gives you enough time to observe your car and gives the engine enough time to lubricate, so in essence it’s good to spend a minute listening to your car, you might spot a fault if you’re patient enough. Else 30sec is ok for a new generation petrol engine car in Nigeria

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14. Mr N:

It doesn’t really matter these days in naturally aspirated engines running recommended oil grades.. Engine oils and engine designs have improved considerably after all these years. However, i think high performance Turbocharged engines need about abt a min or more…a warm up period is important in such force-fed engines because of the additional parts which need lubrication. A turbo failure can effectively wreck the entire engine and land ur wallet with a massive repair bill.

15. Mr O:

It’s to allow the oil pump time to properly circulate lubricants around the engine to protect the engine from unnecessary wear and tear.

16. Mr P:

Some cars warm up by itself. Like the Volvo xc90, when u start it when d engine is cool, the engine speed stays at about 1.5rpm and then drop back to normal after about 30 seconds.

17. Mr Q:

Of course it does….so you don’t just start revving a cold engine…..you gotta let the oil flow and stuff

18. Mr R:

Even if you jump in start and drive off, a car shouldn’t be driven hard until proper operating temperature has been achieved. This mainly refers to the circulation of oil at a proper temperature. All for protection of the engine