Short answer: for most modern cars, you don’t need to idle for long before driving. A brief idle to let oil circulate (roughly 30 seconds to a minute) is plenty, then drive normally. In cold weather you can let it idle a bit longer to defog windows, but keep the engine at light load until the temperature gauge rises. Driving gently for the first 5–10 minutes will bring the engine to operating temperature faster and with less waste than long idling. Details and practical guidance
- Modern engines: Fuel-injected engines reach operating temperature quickly once you start driving, so extended idling isn’t necessary. A short idle plus careful initial driving is sufficient. This reduces fuel waste and emissions.
- Cold weather caveats: If you need to clear frost or fog, you can allow a brief extra idle time (up to a couple of minutes) to help cabin heating and defogging, but avoid revving the engine or heavy acceleration until the thermostat opens.
- How to do it:
- Start the car and let it idle for about 30 seconds to a minute just long enough for the oil to circulate and for the exhaust to clear.
- Begin driving gently, avoiding high RPMs and full-throttle acceleration for the first several minutes.
- If you have a tachometer, you’ll usually see idle speed settle back to normal within a minute or so; use that as a cue to ease into standard driving.
If you’d like, share your car’s year, model, and typical climate, and the guidance can be tailored to your specifics (e.g., older carbureted engines versus modern direct-injection engines, or very cold conditions).
