Winter Idling Tips

Cooling off the Winter "Warm-Up"

When the cold weather descends on our community, we crave the warmth. And by extension, this means warming up our vehicles before driving.

But poor air quality is becoming a serious problem in our area - summer and winter - with Peterborough City and County often registering some of the worst air quality readings in Ontario. Reducing vehicle warm-up times can help with this problem and save you fuel costs!

Did You Know?

• With today's computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of "warm-up" idling on winter days before driving away. Even at -18°C, most cars require only 15 to 30 seconds of idling.
• Idling in cold weather is hard on your engine because it isn't working at peak operating temperature. When this happens fuel doesn't undergo complete combustion, leaving fuel residues that contaminate engine oil and make spark plugs dirty. The best way to warm a vehicle up to its optimal operating temperature is to drive it!
• When you warm-up a vehicle, you need to warm more than the engine. The tires, transmission, wheel bearings and other moving parts also need to be warm for the vehicle to perform well. Most of these parts don't begin to warm up until you actually drive! Start slowly and don't go for high speeds for the first 5 kilometers. Drive at a constant speed without quick stop and starts for your car to work properly!
• Warming up for only 30 seconds in cold weather will save fuel because it cuts the warm-up time in half! By reducing idling time by five minutes a day over a year, drivers can save 55 liters of fuel and a lot of unnecessary emissions.
• Safety still comes first! Drivers should ensure they have clear visibility before heading out. Keep a scraper for your windows available and make sure you have a set of gloves on hand to manage those cold steering wheels!