changing oil in cold engine

[BobsArmory]

I like my oil drain like I like my women. Hot, Fast and all mixed up.

 

[Snagglefoot]

1. Start motor.
2. Drive onto ramps.
3. Change oil.

I never bother to warm the oil. I dropped the oil pan once and it was clean. The oil filter keeps the oil clean. That's its function. 280,000 miles and counting.

 

[GaryMX5]

My routine is to back the car from the garage into the driveway, leave it running, get the rhino ramps that hang on the wall and place them in the approximate location, pull the car into the garage, get out realign ramps, pull up on ramps, set parking brake. Usually the oil is warm but no where near hot. Most Mazdas have a little trap door/cover that's removed to access the drain plug and filter which is convenient. Unfortunately the filter seems to always "burp" when the seal is released and oil runs down the sides of vertically positioned filter. There's not much room to get hands out of the way when spinning the filter off and there would be a good chance of getting burned if the oil was hot. I then let it drain for a good 10 minutes or more as I'm rarely in a hurry.

 

[Jetronic]

For me it's not the hot oil, rather the hot oil filter that's a PIA to deal with. If it's too hot to hold in my hand that's a problem.

I could drain the oil hot and wait an hour for the filter to cool. But would prefer to just keep going with an oil change once I start.

you can change 100°F oil, it's neither hot or cold....

 

[TomYoung]

Pour clean oil in to flush out the pan ? Yeah , that's not going to happen .

Why not?

 

[TomYoung]

This whole thread, and the many other threads cited on the same topic are perverse, subversive and warped. Who introduced this notion of changing oil on a cold engine? What sicko decided to ignore the deep seated American value of doing this the right way? What’s next? Coffee on ice for $8 a cup?

 

[demarpaint]

I drain the oil warm, I take a short ride and drain it. I let it drain at least 30 minutes. You want the contaminants in suspension. Having said that you could start an engine and run it a few seconds and get the contaminants in suspension too. Just be sure to let the oil drain, the longer the better. Some engines are tough to service the oil filter when they're hot. My wife's 08 Liberty is a royal pain in the butt to replace the filter on, especially when it's hot. Sometimes common sense comes into play, along with safety.

 

[IndyFan]

I´ve always done it hot and mostly let it drain for a long time. Never had an engine wear out. Lol.

 

[Donald]

This whole thread, and the many other threads cited on the same topic are perverse, subversive and warped. Who introduced this notion of changing oil on a cold engine? What sicko decided to ignore the deep seated American value of doing this the right way? What’s next? Coffee on ice for $8 a cup?

Changing oil cold is downright un American.

Like changing oil and not getting a UOA

Like changing oil filter and not cutting it open.

Like changing oil and not using a new drain plug washer.

 

[Patman]

The additional oil will take the most direct route to the oil pan without circulation. So what are we flushing besides $2.50 or more for that half-quart?

It depends on the design of the engine and oil pan. In some cases pouring some fresh oil in there might help push out some old oil and in some instances it might not.

 

[Nmr1981]

Anecdotal story, I used my vacuum fluid extractor to change the oil in my mower and a friends jet ski while the engines were cold and it took forever compared to warm. I feel like I get better flow and more debris out of the engine when it is warm. This is just an observation and personal preference and absolutely not based on facts.

 

[PontiacHO]

If you drain the oil cold vs warm there are consequences… Your engine will only reach 300k vs 315k. Beware!

 

[Donald]

If you drain the oil cold vs warm there are consequences… Your engine will only reach 300k vs 315k. Beware!

And at 300K is almost guaranteed for the engine to fall out if you changed the oil cold all those years.

 

[ATex7239]

I prefer to do my oil change Euro style. Done cold and only between 10am to 2pm, while smoking a chocolate cigarette and drinking espresso.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Changing oil cold is downright un American.

Like changing oil and not getting a UOA

Like changing oil filter and not cutting it open.

Like changing oil and not using a new drain plug washer.

Don't forget the Snappy torque wrench, or the highly calibrated elbow...

 

[nomas]

Why not?

Can you prove to me that there is some kind of measurable positive benefit to this ? " Peace of mind " doesn't count . I'll stick with what works for me . You do you .

 

[Bob in Utah]

Hot oil for my changes…

Drain plug drops in pan ?

Have a spare on hand or magnet to pick up with

 

[Dave Hess]

I've always heard that an engine should be warm before the oil is changed. This seems counter intuitive. During the cooling process the oil has been able to completely drain into the pan. So why warm it up and let the oil settle again? BTW I use 5w20 despite what the manual reflects (0w20). I live in a warm climate.

I drain when cold. Why burn my hand with very hot oil ?

 

[Rand]

I prefer to drain warmed up but not hot (120f-140f oil temp = perfect)

For some like my subaru it doesnt matter too much except it splashes more on my enclosed(fail design) drain pan.

The hemi ram could be a burn hazard with the oil filter location.

I do think its better to drain warm or hot, vs cold but the difference isn't much in the long run.