Thursday, 24 January, 2013





Did your dad tell you that you should warm up your car before heading out on winter mornings and let it run anywhere from two minutes to ten? Truth is, this might have been a good idea for older cars but modern engines heat up much more efficiently and quickly -- and without that much help from you.

Newer Subarus have electronic fuel injection systems that are smart enough to know when the engine is cold and stay open for longer to give more fuel until the engine warms up. Air enters the Subaru engine's cylinders and the injectors spray gasoline that mixes with the air. Spark plugs ignite the mixture.

Once it does, the injection system adjusts and uses less fuel to keep the engine running. The engine uses an Engine Control Module, a microcomputer with sensors, to adjust the engine to driving conditions including not just the temperature, but also the position of the throttle, the temperature of the coolant, the speed of the vehicle, and more.

This is one smart engine.

The best way to warm up an engine, nowadays, is to drive it at slow speeds. Driving through your neighborhood on your way to the highway is enough to warm your engine up sufficiently before revving the engine to go faster without damaging it.

If you park your car outside in the winter, you might want to warm up your Subaru up for yourself and to help defrost your windows, but warming up your car for the engine jut wastes gas.

Do you think your Subaru is so old that it needs that warm up? Come down to Adventure Subaru and let us show you a 21st century car you'll love.