Glossary / General

cold start

16 Episode Mentions

Too Afraid to Ask

When you start a car that has been sitting for a while, the engine is cold and the oil is thick. It takes a little time for the oil to flow everywhere it needs to protect the engine.

Technical Definition

A cold start occurs when a vehicle’s engine is started after it has been idle for an extended period, typically with low operating temperature. During this phase the engine oil is thick and may not circulate quickly enough to lubricate all components.

Hear It Discussed

"The cold start is amazing on this car. Oh, yeah. This cold start is seriously, in the top few I've heard..."
Koenigsegg Record; RTR Spec 3 Review The Smoking Tire 15:20

"Yeah, it's not like cold start every single time. Exactly."
2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SE Talking Cars (MP3) 29:59

"It's not good for the engine. And that's also another one of those kind of fallacies where what's not good for the engine is a cold start. When you get up in the morning and you start your car,..."
The Top Ten WORST New Car Tech That We Didn't Ask For! | Ep. 338 TFL Car Chat 51:09