Myths

Reality

(1) The engine should be warmed up before driving.

(1) Idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather.  The best way to do this is to drive the vehicle.

(2) Idling is good for your engine.

(2) Excessive idling can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs and exhaust systems.

(3) Shutting off and restarting your vehicle is hard on the engine and uses more gas than if you leave it running.

(3) Frequent restarting has little impact on engine components like the battery and the starter motor.