changing oil in cold engine

Here are some previous long and detailed discussions on this topic:

Q

Thread 'Better to change oil hot or cold?'

I bet this has been covered before... probably many times - but I couldn't find it, so if you guys have an opinion or can give me some search terms or links that would be great.

My Q has been sitting for 4-6 weeks untouched, and is in need of an oil change. Should I start it up and drive it for a while to get the oil hot and circulating before the change, or just drain the oil out cold?

I have heard that it's good to drain the oil while it's hot to keep the dirt and impurities that are in it in suspension. In this case, I wonder if it wouldn't be more beneficial to drain all of the oil...
C

Thread 'Oil Change: Hot or Cold?'

When doing an oil service is there any difference between draining the oil when it's cold or draining it when its up to operating temperature?

I always made sure the engine is hot, but does it actually make any difference?

How about in the winter, when it is cold outside? 0W20 seems to flow very easily even at 0C. Do I need to warm up the engine first?
S

Thread 'Hot or Cold oil change?'

I was always told to do an oil change when the oil was hot or warm, I think the logic was that more contaminants were in solution and the oil drained out faster.

But now I think on that logic, if the oil needs heat to keep contaminants in solution then I should have changed the oil long ago and I already have an engine full of sludge and varnish.

With modern thin synthetic oils used over reasonable intervals, does it make any difference if you change the oil hot or cold ?
R

Thread 'Hot vs cold oil change observation..'

Normally, I'm a hot oil change guy. I change the oil after driving. My most recent oil change I did after the car sat overnight.

When removing the oil filter in a hot oil change, a substantial amount of oil runs out (some from the filter, but I think a fair amount from inside the engine).

I noticed with the cold oil change that nothing ran out from inside the engine when I removed the oil filter. There was some oil in the filter, but not as much as when doing a hot oil change.

Is this to be expected, or has all the oil drained past the anti-drainback valve in the filter (or is it...
Owen Lucas

Thread 'Hot vs cold oil change video, long vs short drain time lapse.'

Hopefully this video helps settle the debate between changing oil hot vs cold and how much extra oil you get out when you drain it for 12 hours.

I'm sure most BITOGs already knew the answer to this question but I thought it would be nice to see the different temp oils in action, especially with a 12 hr time lapse.

Definitely not a scientific method but I tried to eliminate variables as best I could to ensure the oil pan was as empty as possible before filling it up again for each change.

  • Like
  • Wow

P

Thread 'Changing oil when engine is cold.'

I'm looking for some informed opinion about the necessity of warming the engine before changing the oil, which I've been doing for the past 30 yrs. I have 3 low mileage vehicles to change every 4 mos. with dino since they are used 90% of the time for short trips. I could probably save about 25% of the time involved if I didn't drive each one first to bring it up to operating temp which I doubt the dealer shops bother to do. I will probably not reach 100K miles on any of them but would like to be able to sell them or pass them along to relatives knowing that the engines don't have excessive...
Elkins45

Thread 'How long do you let it cool before draining oil?'

I just came home from a drive and I pulled the car up onto the ramps before I shut it off in preparation for changing the oil. How long to you usually let a fully warm car cool down before draining the oil? I'm pretty sure it's still too hot to touch anything on the bottom of the engine right now.

On a related note, I would hate to be the pit guy at one of those quick lube places.
E

Thread 'Cold oil change vs hot oil change'

Has there ever been a study on the difference? Common sense says that hot oil change is better- but if the filter is working does it really matter?
B

Thread 'Engine temp before oil change?'

I'm due for an oil change soon. I have a 2019 Ram 5.7L with under 10k miles. Wondering if it is best to change the oil while the engine is still hot (after it's had 5 - 10 mins to drain back into the pan) or after letting it cool off and sit overnight? I have heard several theories on the subject over the years but am interested to hear the opinions of others here.
Thanks
  • Like
W

Thread 'Oil change with warm or cold oil?'

This car has been parked since November in a non-heated cement floor garage in central PA. My past practice has been to start the car and drive until up to temp and change the oil. Is that recommended? Or is it wiser to drain the cold oil out of the pan over the next few days and refill with fresh oil and a new filter?

Would the fresh oil run down over the internal parts and pre-lubricate them before initial start up?

Where does the moisture form in an engine that has been sitting? Laying on top of the oil in the pan or clinging to internal parts?

I am thinking it is probably better to...
T

Thread 'Any benefit to changing oil when engine is warm???'

A lot of OC procedures say to let the engine warm completely up before change the oil, but is that really necessary? Does it matter if you're using syn vs. dino? Most of the time, I either move my car into place at the house or it's already in place for the change, so the engine is pretty much cold when changing. Is there a benefit to driving around the block first? Wouldn't that just get more oil pumping toward the top of the engine, therefore less in the sump to be drained out? Please excuse my ignorance.
smile.gif
R

Thread 'How long to let car cool off before Oil change'

I'm getting ready to change oil in the F150, I just drove about 3 miles from Wally World. How long should I wait before changing it? TIA
O

Thread 'Warming the oil for oil change'

I know many, self included, will take a short drive or idle the engine prior to an oil change so that the oil will drain more quickly. I have a magnetic heater that goes on the oil pan to warm the oil during the winter. Wondering if I can use this to warm the oil prior to changing it? Only concern is warming up the oil filter prior to changing as a cold filter might be more difficult to remove. Guess I will find out.
  • Like
C

Thread 'at what condition to change your oil?'

my dad have always told me to change my oil when the engine have reached operating temperature. his reason is that oil flow better when its hot, therefore, more oil will drain out when changing the oil, so i usually change my oil right when i just got back from somewhere, and when the engine is hot. however, i'm thinking that since i'm using multi-grade oil(5w30). oil is thinner when it's cold and thicker when it's hot, so changing it when the car been sitting for a few hours or over night will get more oil out. plus, the oil is already seattle down into the oil pans.

what do you guys...
C

Thread 'A thought on changing oil when hot or cold.'

I always change my oil when it is hot. It folws better and that should cause it to get more oil out then when it is cold. A friend of mine changes his when it is cold because he says after it the car has been sitting for awhile all the "grit" in the oil is at the bottom of the pan. He says when you change it when it is hot after just running it all the "grit" is now all over the engine and not in the pan so it stays in the engine. Does he have a point? I know when you take a sample for UOA it says to take when the oil is hot.
C

Thread 'Can I change the oil when the oil is cold?'

I change oil on many vehicles from pickups to cars to heavy equipment for my family. Often it is hard to get to change the oil after it has been running for a while to get it hot.

I would like to change some of the oil when the engines are cold. Will that leave a lot of problem materials in the engine instead of draining out with hot oil?

Thanks!
B

Thread 'Oil change - drain hot, warm, or cold?'

Sorry if this has been discussed before....Something my grandpa always told me was to drain your oil when the engine was hot. After thinking about it shouldn't you drain when all of the oil is in the drain pan? It just seems that when the engine has just been turned off it could take hours for the oil in the "nooks and crannies lol" would take a while to drain.

So am I correct in my assumption that a cold engine is better to change the oil on? Plus an added bonus is that your forearms do not get 2nd degree burns when your arm inadvertantly scrapes the exhaust!
M

Thread 'How important is it to drain oil hot?'

Everybody "knows" that draining your engine oil when hot is "better" (gets more crud out, drains faster), but reading a book on oils and filters I bought from Noria, they suggest that draining cold is just as good.

I'm wondering about say a motorcycle that you want to change the oil going into winter storage, and for whatever reason you don't get it done till the snow flies.

Seems to me that in this case the best thing would be to drain the old oil cold, then replace the oil, maybe take the spark plugs out, spin the motor good to distribute the new oil, and call it good.

Or would it be...
M

Thread 'warming oil before an oil change.'

Anyone else wing the pee out of their car/truck before taking it in for an oil change?

His dropped the work truck off for a change and wrung the holy heck out of it on the way there, you know, to warm the oil up:)
J

Thread 'Dumb Oil Change Questions???'

Morning all! Could not sleep last night and for some reason I was pondering a few things about my planned oil change today. So here it goes.

1) Is it better to change the oil after the engine as sat overnight so most of the oil can settle in the drain pan along with the "junk" you want out? Or is it better to let the motor idle for a few mins to circulate things?

2) Should you fill the new filter with fresh oil before installation? Or just replace empty?

3) Is it better to take an oil sample when oil first starts to drain? Middle? Toward the end? Any difference?

4) Any other tricks or...
E

Thread 'oil changes when engine oil is room temp?'

anyone ever done it over an engine life time or seen any tests of cold (room temp) oil changes?

my guess is its not much different in effect on the engine as hot oil changes.
 
kschachn said:
Here are some previous long and detailed discussions on this topic:

Q

Thread 'Better to change oil hot or cold?'

I bet this has been covered before... probably many times - but I couldn't find it, so if you guys have an opinion or can give me some search terms or links that would be great.

My Q has been sitting for 4-6 weeks untouched, and is in need of an oil change. Should I start it up and drive it for a while to get the oil hot and circulating before the change, or just drain the oil out cold?

I have heard that it's good to drain the oil while it's hot to keep the dirt and impurities that are in it in suspension. In this case, I wonder if it wouldn't be more beneficial to drain all of the oil...
C

Thread 'Oil Change: Hot or Cold?'

When doing an oil service is there any difference between draining the oil when it's cold or draining it when its up to operating temperature?

I always made sure the engine is hot, but does it actually make any difference?

How about in the winter, when it is cold outside? 0W20 seems to flow very easily even at 0C. Do I need to warm up the engine first?
S

Thread 'Hot or Cold oil change?'

I was always told to do an oil change when the oil was hot or warm, I think the logic was that more contaminants were in solution and the oil drained out faster.

But now I think on that logic, if the oil needs heat to keep contaminants in solution then I should have changed the oil long ago and I already have an engine full of sludge and varnish.

With modern thin synthetic oils used over reasonable intervals, does it make any difference if you change the oil hot or cold ?
R

Thread 'Hot vs cold oil change observation..'

Normally, I'm a hot oil change guy. I change the oil after driving. My most recent oil change I did after the car sat overnight.

When removing the oil filter in a hot oil change, a substantial amount of oil runs out (some from the filter, but I think a fair amount from inside the engine).

I noticed with the cold oil change that nothing ran out from inside the engine when I removed the oil filter. There was some oil in the filter, but not as much as when doing a hot oil change.

Is this to be expected, or has all the oil drained past the anti-drainback valve in the filter (or is it...
Owen Lucas

Thread 'Hot vs cold oil change video, long vs short drain time lapse.'

Hopefully this video helps settle the debate between changing oil hot vs cold and how much extra oil you get out when you drain it for 12 hours.

I'm sure most BITOGs already knew the answer to this question but I thought it would be nice to see the different temp oils in action, especially with a 12 hr time lapse.

Definitely not a scientific method but I tried to eliminate variables as best I could to ensure the oil pan was as empty as possible before filling it up again for each change.

  • Like
  • Wow

P

Thread 'Changing oil when engine is cold.'

I'm looking for some informed opinion about the necessity of warming the engine before changing the oil, which I've been doing for the past 30 yrs. I have 3 low mileage vehicles to change every 4 mos. with dino since they are used 90% of the time for short trips. I could probably save about 25% of the time involved if I didn't drive each one first to bring it up to operating temp which I doubt the dealer shops bother to do. I will probably not reach 100K miles on any of them but would like to be able to sell them or pass them along to relatives knowing that the engines don't have excessive...
Elkins45

Thread 'How long do you let it cool before draining oil?'

I just came home from a drive and I pulled the car up onto the ramps before I shut it off in preparation for changing the oil. How long to you usually let a fully warm car cool down before draining the oil? I'm pretty sure it's still too hot to touch anything on the bottom of the engine right now.

On a related note, I would hate to be the pit guy at one of those quick lube places.
E

Thread 'Cold oil change vs hot oil change'

Has there ever been a study on the difference? Common sense says that hot oil change is better- but if the filter is working does it really matter?
B

Thread 'Engine temp before oil change?'

I'm due for an oil change soon. I have a 2019 Ram 5.7L with under 10k miles. Wondering if it is best to change the oil while the engine is still hot (after it's had 5 - 10 mins to drain back into the pan) or after letting it cool off and sit overnight? I have heard several theories on the subject over the years but am interested to hear the opinions of others here.
Thanks
  • Like
W

Thread 'Oil change with warm or cold oil?'

This car has been parked since November in a non-heated cement floor garage in central PA. My past practice has been to start the car and drive until up to temp and change the oil. Is that recommended? Or is it wiser to drain the cold oil out of the pan over the next few days and refill with fresh oil and a new filter?

Would the fresh oil run down over the internal parts and pre-lubricate them before initial start up?

Where does the moisture form in an engine that has been sitting? Laying on top of the oil in the pan or clinging to internal parts?

I am thinking it is probably better to...
T

Thread 'Any benefit to changing oil when engine is warm???'

A lot of OC procedures say to let the engine warm completely up before change the oil, but is that really necessary? Does it matter if you're using syn vs. dino? Most of the time, I either move my car into place at the house or it's already in place for the change, so the engine is pretty much cold when changing. Is there a benefit to driving around the block first? Wouldn't that just get more oil pumping toward the top of the engine, therefore less in the sump to be drained out? Please excuse my ignorance.
smile.gif
R

Thread 'How long to let car cool off before Oil change'

I'm getting ready to change oil in the F150, I just drove about 3 miles from Wally World. How long should I wait before changing it? TIA
O

Thread 'Warming the oil for oil change'

I know many, self included, will take a short drive or idle the engine prior to an oil change so that the oil will drain more quickly. I have a magnetic heater that goes on the oil pan to warm the oil during the winter. Wondering if I can use this to warm the oil prior to changing it? Only concern is warming up the oil filter prior to changing as a cold filter might be more difficult to remove. Guess I will find out.
  • Like
C

Thread 'at what condition to change your oil?'

my dad have always told me to change my oil when the engine have reached operating temperature. his reason is that oil flow better when its hot, therefore, more oil will drain out when changing the oil, so i usually change my oil right when i just got back from somewhere, and when the engine is hot. however, i'm thinking that since i'm using multi-grade oil(5w30). oil is thinner when it's cold and thicker when it's hot, so changing it when the car been sitting for a few hours or over night will get more oil out. plus, the oil is already seattle down into the oil pans.

what do you guys...
C

Thread 'A thought on changing oil when hot or cold.'

I always change my oil when it is hot. It folws better and that should cause it to get more oil out then when it is cold. A friend of mine changes his when it is cold because he says after it the car has been sitting for awhile all the "grit" in the oil is at the bottom of the pan. He says when you change it when it is hot after just running it all the "grit" is now all over the engine and not in the pan so it stays in the engine. Does he have a point? I know when you take a sample for UOA it says to take when the oil is hot.
C

Thread 'Can I change the oil when the oil is cold?'

I change oil on many vehicles from pickups to cars to heavy equipment for my family. Often it is hard to get to change the oil after it has been running for a while to get it hot.

I would like to change some of the oil when the engines are cold. Will that leave a lot of problem materials in the engine instead of draining out with hot oil?

Thanks!
B

Thread 'Oil change - drain hot, warm, or cold?'

Sorry if this has been discussed before....Something my grandpa always told me was to drain your oil when the engine was hot. After thinking about it shouldn't you drain when all of the oil is in the drain pan? It just seems that when the engine has just been turned off it could take hours for the oil in the "nooks and crannies lol" would take a while to drain.

So am I correct in my assumption that a cold engine is better to change the oil on? Plus an added bonus is that your forearms do not get 2nd degree burns when your arm inadvertantly scrapes the exhaust!
M

Thread 'How important is it to drain oil hot?'

Everybody "knows" that draining your engine oil when hot is "better" (gets more crud out, drains faster), but reading a book on oils and filters I bought from Noria, they suggest that draining cold is just as good.

I'm wondering about say a motorcycle that you want to change the oil going into winter storage, and for whatever reason you don't get it done till the snow flies.

Seems to me that in this case the best thing would be to drain the old oil cold, then replace the oil, maybe take the spark plugs out, spin the motor good to distribute the new oil, and call it good.

Or would it be...
M

Thread 'warming oil before an oil change.'

Anyone else wing the pee out of their car/truck before taking it in for an oil change?

His dropped the work truck off for a change and wrung the holy heck out of it on the way there, you know, to warm the oil up:)
J

Thread 'Dumb Oil Change Questions???'

Morning all! Could not sleep last night and for some reason I was pondering a few things about my planned oil change today. So here it goes.

1) Is it better to change the oil after the engine as sat overnight so most of the oil can settle in the drain pan along with the "junk" you want out? Or is it better to let the motor idle for a few mins to circulate things?

2) Should you fill the new filter with fresh oil before installation? Or just replace empty?

3) Is it better to take an oil sample when oil first starts to drain? Middle? Toward the end? Any difference?

4) Any other tricks or...
E

Thread 'oil changes when engine oil is room temp?'

anyone ever done it over an engine life time or seen any tests of cold (room temp) oil changes?

my guess is its not much different in effect on the engine as hot oil changes.
Click to expand...

Man, glad I can read fast 👀
 
Astro14 said:
As the oil cools, contaminants might precipitate out. A cold drain would leave them in the pan.

So, draining hot ensures that they are in suspension, and allows the oil to drain more quickly.
Click to expand...
This! I live in northern Virginia. While I was on active duty (USN) I had to drive down to Quantico on business. It was miserably hot. When I got home from the trip I decided to change the car's oil at fort Myer. The shop wasn't' busy so I got a lift very quickly. The oil was black even though it had about 5k miles on it. So, get the engine up to full operating temperature before changing yes. Yes, you'll like get burned a bit, but your engine will love for it!
 
I have done cold drains since my first oil change with my dad as a kid cause that’s how he did it. No need to contend with a hot engine and hot oil as far as I’m concerned. Maybe it matters. Maybe it doesn’t. But I don’t care about a minuscule amount of contaminants being left behind. I’m also leaving a quart or more of old oil remaining in the engine behind too. It is what it is.
 
Marcozi said:
This! I live in northern Virginia. While I was on active duty (USN) I had to drive down to Quantico on business. It was miserably hot. When I got home from the trip I decided to change the car's oil at fort Myer. The shop wasn't' busy so I got a lift very quickly. The oil was black even though it had about 5k miles on it. So, get the engine up to full operating temperature before changing yes. Yes, you'll like get burned a bit, but your engine will love for it!
Click to expand...
My engine is a hater. It doesn’t appreciate anything I do for it. A simple thank you or a card at Christmas or on my birthday or just every once in a while would be nice. But no.
 
Propflux01 said:
If I do a cold exchange, I do it at night before bed, and let it drain overnight.
Click to expand...
This is disaster waiting to happen for me. I have horrible luck. The first time I try to do this someone will break a bone and need to go to the ER at 2am and the other vehicle will have a dead battery or flat tire. I’ll be trying to finish an oil change or put on a spare tire while my wife screams at me with a compound fracture.
 
<sarcasm>This is how I look at it... According to the majority consensus here at BITOG, quick-lube joints do everything wrong. Quick-lube joints drain the oil hot, otherwise they wouldn't be quick. So that's obviously the wrong way.</sarcasm>
 
I usually have to move the vehicle to the garage or area where I change, so its typically warmish. But there are times where I encounter a very old rig with very old oil that I will not attempt a start until the oil is changed. But that is referring to an engine oil that once could have come from a carboard or steel can.
 
Great comments! As a result of the wealth of knowledge and opinions expressed, I've decided to just drain oil maybe 1 hour after the engine is turned off. I'll proceed with the Valvoline Extra Protection 5w20 every 6 months. Since becoming dormant (retired), I might see 2k - 3k miles per car during that time.
 
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