Test automation for Engine Warmup feature testing

Warming up is essential for the engine's performance as well as life. Engine warmup basically relates to setting the initial levels of oil and coolant in the engine parts. Many drivers are into the habit of accelerating the vehicle on startup which may lead to damaging of engine parts. To prevent this damage, the software algorithm for engine warm up does not allow the engine to respond to any acceleration for some initial time period. This feature is deployed in almost all types of vehicles ranging from light duty to heavy duty. Hence, ECU software must be tested to verify the warmup functionality within the initial few seconds of startup. In this paper, the concept of engine warmup and conditions to be verified within its active period is presented.