We are sharing this since some recent secondhand hybrid car owners (who happen to be non car enthusiasts) have been asking us this question when they meet us. They have embarked on owning a hybrid car after seeing the proposed fuel savings and the low used car values which have hit our used car market in 2020.
I remember my very first car. It was a carburetor fed Mazda Capella RE which needed to be warmed up on first ignition. The morning start-up.
My late dad would always say to me, ‘Start the engine, use the ‘choke’ and the let it idle’. You need to get the engine oil to rise and lubricate all the parts before you can start driving.
He added. ‘Never start an engine cold and drive away immediately’. Since we lived on the top of a gradual hill which had about 300m run downwards it was easy to coast down on the warm up and then get the rotary running by the time we hit the main road and the bottom of the hill. Good times.
Warming up your traditional petrol-powered car when it was cold was a necessary task until a decade ago. If you did not give the carburetor a few minutes to deliver the right blend of air and fuel to the engine, the car would sputter and stall once you started driving it.
With hybrid cars employing some relatively technology, some drivers might be concerned that they have a similar need to the carburetor-run vehicles of old.
Do I need to warm up my hybrid car? No, you don’t need to warm up your hybrid car. It’s not necessary.
Why hybrid cars don’t need to be warmed up
Hybrid vehicles don’t need to be warmed up because it doesn’t do anything for the engine. Your hybrid car is ready to drive as soon as you start it up even if the temperature is absolutely cold.
You only need to wait for the oil to be pushed out of the crankcase and into the oil passages which only takes a few seconds after the car starts. Once that is done, you are free to drive your hybrid vehicle as you please.
In fact, it is in your best interest to get your car moving as soon as possible. It takes time for the electric engine to heat up to the optimal temperature for fuel economy. The longer your car runs without moving, the worse your fuel economy will be.
Change your oil regularly
While changing your oil at the appropriate mileage markers is always a good idea, which can affect your car’s performance and potentially necessitate additional repairs.
Here are a few primary reasons you need to change your oil:
- Newer oil is better at maintaining engine lubrication.
- Newer oil is better at cooling the parts that make up your engine.
- Newer oil is better at getting rid of particles and sludge in your engine.
- Newer oil will improve your fuel economy and save you money.
- Newer oil will make your hybrid vehicle last longer and increase the amount of time until you need to buy a replacement.
