Motorists risk damaging key engine components such as their pistons and cylinders by making a vital mistake when starting their vehicle, according to a leading car modifier.
YouTube star TorqueCars warned road users could be caught out if they push their cars too hard after starting them up.
The specialist warns of the risks associated with piston slap, where components rattle around inside an engine before they have properly heated up.
It means vehicle owners are more at risk of suffering costly engine damage in the first five minutes of a journey than at any other time during a trip.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, TorqueCars explained: “You want everything to be correctly bedded into place.
“As the piston is going up and down and handling the explosion going on inside the cylinders, you really want that piston and the piston rings to be as close to the cylinder wall as possible otherwise you’re just going to lose all of that energy.
“Plus if it’s not fitting precisely it’s going to rattle around and that’s a condition we will refer to as piston slap.
“Now all engines experience piston slap but it’s usually to a very small degree unless the wear and tear has happened.”
TorqueCars explained he had seen components destroyed simply because owners had not taken time to warm up their vehicles slowly.
Later in the trip, components will properly warm up which will reduce the amount of contact between the piston and the cylinder.
He added: “If you drive the car too hard in that cold warm-up period where the piston slap is happening and the pistons are just effectively moving around inside the cylinder from left to right, you’re going to be damaging the piston rings, the pistons and the cylinders themselves.
“I’ve actually seen score marks on the cylinder walls, I’ve seen cracked pistons and damaged piston rings just because the car has been driven too hard during that warm-up cycle.
“All the while it’s cold there is a lot more lateral side-by-side motion going on but as it warms up things start to bed in nicer and most of the energy from the explosion in the exhaust is pushing the piston down.
“There is very little lateral movement when the engine is warm.”
Failing to follow the advice could see road users slapped with hefty repair costs early in the New Year.
Some road users have reported paying over £1,000 for a full piston replacement in what could be a major dent amid the cost of living crisis.
Meanwhile, installing a new cylinder is likely to cost anywhere between £140 and £275 depending on the manufacturer.
