If you idle your car in cold weather for too long, you might be wasting your time and money.

Some people believe it is better to warm-up a car before driving away, but experts say that doesn't take as long as you might think.

Martin Restoule, Coordinator of Transportation Trades, at Algonquin College, says that on a cold day, just two or three minutes will do the trick.

"Your engine and transmission are expensive components. You do want to circulate the oil through the engine,” says Restoule. “Oil is very thick when it’s cold and you want it to thin-out to lubricate the components in the engine.”

While not helpful to your car, idling does contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, making it bad for the environment.