{"organism":"Page","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","children":[{"organism":"Metadata","model":{"title":"Do you need to warm up your car?","text":"\u003Cp\u003EIs warming up your vehicle a winter must, or a thing of the past?\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","links":[{"name":"Do you need to warm up your car?","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/_jcr_content/root/metadata.shellimg.jpeg/1698229802289/warm-up-your-car-promo.jpeg","alt":"Do you need to warm up your car?","width":6919,"height":3897},"date":"2023-07-20T10:29:00.000Z","tags":[{"name":"Vehicles","value":"vehicles:"},{"name":"Drive Well","value":"shell:business/business-customers/drive-well"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/metadata"},{"organism":"ContentOwner","model":{},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/contentowner"},{"organism":"Container.Header","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.com.au/_jcr_content/root/header/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/header/inherited","model":{}},{"organism":"Breadcrumb","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/"},{"name":"Shell fuels","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels.html"},{"name":"Go Well Content Hub","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub.html"},{"name":"Do you need to warm up your car?","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/header/breadcrumb"}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/header","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Main","children":[{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"PageHeader","color":"inherited","model":{"title":"Do you need to warm up your car?","text":"\u003Cp\u003EIs warming up your vehicle a winter must, or a thing of the past?\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/_jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/page_header.shellimg.jpeg/1698071682312/warm-up-your-car-promo.jpeg","alt":"Do you need to warm up your car?","width":6941,"height":1734},"date":"2023-07-20T10:29:00.000Z"},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/page_header"},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"Author.Info","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple/author","model":{"links":[{"name":"By Shell on Jul. 20, 2023"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/_jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple/author.shellimg.png/1698070507597/shell-pecten.png","alt":"Shell Pecten","width":2500,"height":1405}}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple/text","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EAs the winter chill begins to grip Australia, it raises the age-old question: do you need to warm up your car before driving?\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor many of us, watching our parents sit idle for several minutes after starting their car in the morning is a core memory. The idea was that the engine needed time to become fully lubricated after the oil drained to the bottom overnight, and that warming up an engine allowed all components to reach optimum temperature.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis notion has endured somewhat from the days when engines used carburetors, which did require a few minutes to get the mixture of air and fuel just right for the car to run smoothly.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, now that most cars have been using fuel injection (as opposed to carbureted engines) for the past 30 or so years, engines \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/car-technology/a19086/warming-up-your-car-in-the-cold-just-harms-engine/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eno longer require this extra warm-up time\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile oil still drains to the bottom of the block when a car is stationary, most modern vehicles have sophisticated lubricating systems that can have the oil exactly where it needs to be in as little as 20 to 30 seconds from the time you’ve started the car.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EModern oils have also improved, providing superior lubrication and better performance, even in cold weather.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis means that by the time you’ve plugged in your seatbelt, made sure your phone is safely connected to Bluetooth and picked your music for the day, your car is ready to drive.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt may not be fully up to optimum temperature, but that’s much less of an issue with modern cars, so you’re not risking any damage to your engine if you simply start up and drive off.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are, however, some minor benefits to waiting a few minutes before driving off on a cold morning. The obvious one is that by allowing the car to properly warm up, you’ll be able to quickly clear any condensation on your car windows, allowing you to see safely.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is especially true in colder climates, such as alpine regions or Australia’s southern states, where temperatures can drop so low overnight that the windows are prone to severe frosting.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving said all that… if you’re driving an older car with a carburetor, then warming up your engine before you drive off is not just a good idea, but almost a necessity. Most cars with a ‘carby’ will also have a choke, which allows for a richer fuel-to-air ratio in order to get the engine running smoother, faster.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETypically, you’ll need to let the engine run for a few minutes before closing the choke and letting the carburetor get into its ideal working range.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor anyone in a modern car, the idea of warming up your engine is a thing of the past – like shoving a cassette into the tape deck – so you can start up and drive away with confidence, knowing that your engine is running fine.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"PageTags","model":{"tags":[{"name":"Vehicles","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/tag-search.html?tag=vehicles%3A"},{"name":"Drive Well","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/tag-search.html?tag=shell%3Abusiness%2Fbusiness-customers%2Fdrive-well"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple/page_tags"},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple/text_422443251","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003EDisclaimer\u003C/sup\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003EViva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.\u003C/sup\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":8,"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple_293563569/text","model":{"title":"You may also be interested in"}},{"organism":"Author.Info","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple_293563569/author","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EBy Shell on Jun. 15, 2023\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"How to use car mirrors when driving","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/how-to-use-car-mirrors-when-driving.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/_jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple_293563569/author.shellimg.png/1698071323434/shell-pecten.png","alt":"Shell Pecten","width":2500,"height":1405}}},{"organism":"Author.Info","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple_293563569/author_1635186879","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EBy Shell on Apr. 04, 2023\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"All your car cleaning questions answered","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/all-your-car-cleaning-questions-answered.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/_jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple_293563569/author_1635186879.shellimg.png/1698071328547/shell-pecten.png","alt":"Shell Pecten","width":2500,"height":1405}}},{"organism":"Author.Info","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple_293563569/author_2079556770","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EBy Shell on Jan. 17, 2023\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"6 off-grid places to stay in 2023","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/six-off-grid-places-to-stay.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/_jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple_293563569/author_2079556770.shellimg.png/1698071334045/shell-pecten.png","alt":"Shell Pecten","width":2500,"height":1405}}}],"colspan":4,"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/simple_293563569","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.XF","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co/experience_fragment","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main/section_copy_copy_co","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/main","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Footer","children":[{"organism":"Breadcrumb.Large","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/"},{"name":"Shell fuels","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels.html"},{"name":"Go Well Content Hub","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub.html"},{"name":"Do you need to warm up your car?","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/footer/breadcrumb"},{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.com.au/_jcr_content/root/footer/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/footer/inherited","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content/root/footer","model":{}}],"id":"/conf/shell/settings/wcm/templates/base/structure/jcr_content/root","model":{}}],"model":{"title":"Do you need to warm up your car?","text":"As the winter chill begins to grip Australia, it raises the question: “do I need to let my car warm up before I drive away?” Here’s what you need to know.","date":"2023-07-20T10:29:00.000Z","links":[{"name":"canonical","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car.html"},{"name":"errorUrl","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/error.html"},{"name":"hierarchy","value":"en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car"},{"name":"homeTitle","value":"Shell Australia"},{"name":"homeUrl","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/"},{"name":"locale","value":"en-AU"},{"name":"title","value":"Do you need to warm up your car? | Shell Australia"},{"name":"textDirection","value":"ltr"},{"name":"template","value":"base"},{"name":"contentPath","value":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car"},{"name":"externalDisclaimerText","value":"Shell plc Legal Disclaimer\r\nYou are now leaving the Shell website.\r\nThe link you have selected will direct you to a website that is not controlled by Shell plc or any member of the Shell Group. Accordingly, neither Shell plc nor any member of the Shell Group endorses, adopts, certifies or otherwise validates the information and material contained on the linked website. This includes its sponsor and any policies, activities or services offered on the site, by any advertiser on the site or linked to the site.\r\nThank you for visiting the Shell website."},{"name":"themeMode"},{"name":"lastModified","value":"2026-07-15T11:36:41.279Z"},{"name":"dateModified","value":"2026-01-29T00:00Z"},{"name":"themeName","value":"base"},{"name":"themePath","value":"/etc.clientlibs/amidala/clientlibs/theme-base"},{"name":"themeCss","value":"/etc.clientlibs/amidala/clientlibs/theme-base.ACSHASHb291465fc8d3c7bcefde74d34044b698.css"}],"tags":[{"name":"Vehicles","value":"vehicles:"},{"name":"Drive Well","value":"shell:business/business-customers/drive-well"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/_jcr_content/root/metadata.shellimg.jpeg/1698229802289/warm-up-your-car-promo.jpeg","alt":"Do you need to warm up your car?","width":6919,"height":3897}},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/do-you-need-to-warm-up-your-car/jcr_content"}
