Posted on 1/30/2026
Short trips feel harmless. You start the car, drive a few minutes, park, and do it again later. No long highway pulls, no heavy towing, nothing that seems tough on the vehicle. But engines are built around heat cycles, and short trips create a pattern where the engine rarely reaches its ideal operating conditions. Over time, that can show up as extra wear, more deposits, and maintenance problems that seem to come out of nowhere. If most of your driving is around town, it helps to know what is happening inside the engine during those quick runs. Why Engines Need Time To Warm Up Properly When an engine is cold, oil is thicker and does not flow as quickly through tight passages. Modern oils are far better than they used to be, but cold starts are still one of the highest-wear moments for any engine. The engine computer also runs a richer fuel mixture while the engine warms, because fuel does not atomize as well in a cold intake and combustion chamber. A longer drive g ... read more