Dear Tom and Ray:

My drive to work each day is less than a mile from my home. Because I often work at night, walking is out of the question. My husband tells me my car should be "warmed up" longer than it takes me to drive to work (which takes about four minutes). Is it more beneficial for the engine if I were to leave 10 minutes early and take the "scenic route" to work, or let the car warm up in the garage for several minutes? I understand that excessive idling isn't the best thing for the car either. What would you recommend? - - Dee Dee

Tom: Gee, life IS complicated these days, isn't it, Dee Dee?

Ray: Here's the deal. One of the worst things you can do to a car is run it for just a few minutes. When you do that, you generate moisture, but you don't let the engine get hot enough to burn it off.

Tom: So the moisture seeps down past the rings into the crankcase and dilutes your oil, and it collects in the exhaust system and promotes rust there.

Ray: So it IS a good idea to let the engine heat up and reach operating temperature. And as you've figured out, there are several ways to do that.

Tom: Taking the scenic route to work would be the better method -- from the car's point of view. The car warms up faster when it's being driven, as opposed to just idling in the driveway.

Ray: On the other hand, taking the scenic route to work is inconvenient, not to mention wasteful. And the scenic route does lose some of it's "je ne sais quoi" when you're driving at night, wouldn't you say?

Tom: So I'd go for a compromise position, Dee Dee. In addition to your short trips to work, make sure you use the car for your longer, half-hour- plus trips on the weekends. That'll give the engine a chance to heat up and vaporize the excess water you've been collecting all week.

Ray: Maybe you could volunteer to do all the carpooling on the weekends -- even if you don't have kids!

How can you tell if a used car is in good condition -- or even OK, for that matter? Find out by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know." Send $3 and a stamped (55 cents), self-addressed, No. 10 envelope to Used Car, PO Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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