“Do you like to roll out of bed and hit the road right away?” The answer is probably no, and maybe your car shouldn’t either. This creator at Aeschbach Auto (@aeschbachauto) in Wisconsin asked his fellow mechanics about car hygiene, specifically, whether they actually warm up their cars before driving them.
Are people actually warming their cars?
If the people are mechanics, then yes. There was a resounding “Yes” throughout the garage. According to the mechanics, it’s an absolute necessity.
“About 15 to 20 minutes every day,” says one mechanic.
“In the winter, sure. Keep everything warm and heat the oil up to operating temperature so it doesn’t thicken any more than syrup,” says another.
“All the time,” repeated the other mechanic. “Do you like getting out of bed and running?”
The video had garnered more than 569,000 likes and more than 8.7 million views as of Saturday.
Follow Ask the mechanic, “Do you warm up the car before driving it?” #car maintenance #mechanic #Cartok #oil #OilChange #CarCommunity #CarSoftTikTok #MechanicSoftTikTok #Automatic Repair #Classic Cars #gas #Ford #Mercedes #Audi #Volvo ♬ Original Sound – Aeschbach Auto
What are your viewers saying?
For the most part, viewers don’t think this is necessary, especially not for as long as some of the mechanics mentioned.
“I’ll back up before the camera goes off,” said one comment, which has 34,000 likes.
“You have to shift into reverse before the engine finishes starting. Ain’t nobody got time for that,” wrote another.
“15-20 minutes is insane and a waste,” lamented one user.
“10 seconds is the best I can handle…I’m going to be late for work,” another commenter said.
Another user warned against idling, writing: “I live in Sweden where it gets cold. Let the car idle for 30 seconds, wait for the RPMs to settle, then drive smoothly to warm up the car. Idling any longer is a waste/bad thing.”
Is that true?
The truth of this seems to be debated. Despite the expertise and advice of these mechanics, some sources say they aren’t necessary for the long term.
According to one article AAAAccording to the American Automobile Association, you should warm up your car for the amount of time it takes to fasten your seat belt. Similarly, Consumer Reports state Driving in winter is the best way to warm up your engine, since only a few minutes are needed and “the engine is fully lubricated long before it reaches full operating temperature,” although the cold may mean you need more time to demist windows, etc.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Aeschbach Auto for comment via phone and TikTok message. We left a voice message and will update this article if we hear back.
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