Minnesota has the most miserable winters in the country, and most of us think we need to warm up our cars before driving off. It's time to stop, it's bad for your car.

Winters here are brutal and nobody likes to hop into a cold car, which is why some of us let it run for a while before hopping in. There's the other group that warms up their car because they've always been told that you should let your engine warm up before driving it. Guess what - it's actually bad for your car if it runs on gasoline.

As you'll see in the video above, cars run because of a mixture of air and vaporized gasoline. In the winter, gas doesn't evaporate as much and causes your car to run rich. Your cylinders end up losing the lubrication the oil provides while running your cold car idle, and lessens the life of your engine. You should always give your car 30-60 seconds of idle time before driving it, not matter what time of year.

I know, it's worth having a warm car, so you're likely to keep doing it. I'm with you on this honestly. I hate winter, so if my car has to take the brunt of the damage to keep me comfy and warm then so be it.

More From 96.7 The River