Western New York Drivers Have Been Making A Huge Mistake

After years of making this winter mistake, people are telling us to stop. But if you live in Buffalo, New York, it may be difficult to change this habit. 

Admittedly, I have been doing this for years and have never had a problem personally, but maybe it’s time to change my ways before I do. 

Winter is officially here in Western New York, and we have already seen two serious snowstorms this season. Temperatures get colder, and the snow seemingly gets heavier. 

That’s why many of us will start our car and allow it to help defrost the windshield and warm up the engine before embarking on a rather treacherous drive through the streets of Buffalo. 

But maybe, we’re wrong for doing this. 

While it may be a common practice for many drivers to let their car warm up before taking it on a drive, recent research has indicated that this can cause problems for your vehicle later on. 

Warming up your car before driving in colder weather could cause long-term damage to the engine. The main reason for the damage is that extra fuel will fill the combustion chamber, which can get into your cylinder walls and cause a potentially long-lasting problem. According to the Family Handyman, gasoline works as an excellent solvent, and “too much on your cylinder walls can dissolve the oil that lubricates your cylinders, leading to a shorter life on crucial components.”  

Maybe back in the day you needed to warm up your cars, but most vehicles built after 1980 no longer need to warm up before driving. 

It does make you wonder, though….why do most new vehicles come with a preset feature that lets drivers start their cars remotely?