car expertMany motorists put their car in a parking space with the nose facing forward. Reader Merijn van der Velde wonders whether that is better for your car. Our car expert Niek Schenk answers.
Ask: ‘Some motorists believe that reversing with a cold engine is extremely harmful to the engine. That is why they prefer to enter the parking space with the back of their car when they arrive at the parking lot, so that they can drive away immediately upon their return. With a lot of twisting and stabbing and patience of fellow road users, this usually succeeds in reversing parking. But I wonder if it is true that reversing with a cold engine is so harmful that it should be avoided at all times.’
Auto editor Niek Schenk replies: ‘The idea behind this statement is that a cold engine consumes more fuel than an engine that is already warm. To prevent that extra fuel consumption, it may be more convenient if you reverse into a parking space on arrival, because then the engine is still warm. On departure – and a cold engine – you can usually drive straight ahead, because you don’t have to maneuver. This way the engine soon makes more revs and you are also faster at cruising speed. So you can indeed counteract the extra consumption due to a cold engine.
But the statement that forward parking is extremely harmful to the engine is going too far for me. Modern car engines can withstand being cold, unless the driver demands extreme performance right from the start. Accelerating quickly with a cold engine is never good: neither for fuel consumption nor for the environment. Nor for the condition of the engine technology in the longer term.’
Our car editor Niek Schenk answers reader questions every week. Mail your question to [email protected]
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