Taking care of our vehicle’s engine is essential to prolong its life, so if you’re one of those who starts the car and leaves immediately, be very careful because you could be endangering the health of the engine without realizing it. Now, a professional mechanic has confessed on TikTok that this habit, which seems harmless at first glance, can cause premature wear of the engine’s internal parts and end up costing you thousands of euros in repairs, and since we don’t want that for anyone, we’re here to tell you how you can prevent it in a simple way.
The key is in the engine oil, which is essential to lubricate and protect the internal components. If you don’t give it enough time to distribute itself correctly before you start driving, the engine runs dry for the first few seconds.
Wait before driving
We’re not telling you to wait ten minutes with the engine running, but when temperatures drop, oils become thicker (and even condense), which makes it take much longer for them to reach all parts of the engine, so if you start the car and it automatically starts to move, the engine is running without proper lubrication, which increases friction and wear on the cylinders, pistons and connecting rods.
To avoid this friction, experts advise waiting thirty seconds before starting, because otherwise you are overexposing the most expensive parts of the engine.
This bad habit can cause significant damage to the vehicle, which could result in repair costs reaching $5,000…
What damage does it cause to the engine?
As we were saying, a lack of lubrication in the engine can cause several problems, starting with the engine and internal parts lasting less (which will mean you will have to take the engine to the garage more often), and these are not exactly cheap breakdowns… on the other hand, unless you love spending on fuel, this causes a lot more fuel to be spent (because the engine works inefficiently) and finally, power and performance of our vehicle is lost in the long term. Basically, there is no advantage in starting the engine and starting it, you can wait a few seconds!
Change your habits
As easy as waiting a few seconds before starting to drive and avoiding accelerating with a cold engine can save you from seeing your trusted mechanic many times. It’s not that we don’t like him, it’s that he doesn’t look good on your wallet! So, you know, wait a little to start driving once you turn on the key, especially if you live in an area with very low temperatures (which, you could even consider using an oil suitable for cold climates that has less chance of condensation).
So, even if you are very impatient, you will surely listen to us and wait a little while before your car starts running, you will see how your wallet and your engine will thank us for this information!!