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Watch how an engine warms up, thanks to a thermal camera

File this one under "things you didn't think were interesting, but totally are."

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok

Engineering Explained is a great YouTube channel that loves digging into the automotive side of science. This time, he's turning his attention to the engine, and he's brought a thermal camera along for the ride.

OK, maybe there isn't actually a ride involved. Instead, EE digs into the science of a warming engine. His thermal camera points under the hood of his Subaru Crosstrek, and we get to see just which parts of the engine warm up first after a start in brisk 22-degree F weather.

The video doesn't solve the age-old question of whether or not you need to warm your engine all the way up before driving in winter (I'm in the "no" camp, for a variety of reasons), but it does show that the oil filter and alternator heat up well ahead of, say, a battery.

Science!