In cold weather, how often should I start my car?
Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this story misstated what happens when liquids are frozen. Water expands when frozen, while most other liquids do not.
An intense cold snap is threatening to smash record lows across much of the nation through Thursday.
With temperatures sliding and winter fast approaching, many car owners are asking: How often should I start my car to warm it up?
Turns out, the answer doesn’t lie in frequency.
Experts at AAA, a federation of motor clubs, say it’s not a good idea to warm your car up to keep it from freezing.
“Ninety-five percent of the cars on the road today don’t use carburetors, so you no longer need to warm them up on cold days,” said Mike Calkins, manager of technical services at AAA.
Instead of repeatedly starting up your car to keep it warm, drivers who are concerned about their engines