Cold Starting Question

[Vspec]

So winter fast approaching I have to ask this question.

I realize that almost all the tear and wear of a engine will happen when its first started and very cold. So check it. I have a 03 Nissan Sentra SER Spec-V QR25DE, currently filled with Mobil 1 0w-40.

To start my car I have a CRAZY system.
1. Insert key to ON position, allow fuel pump to prime and diagonistic bells to finsh ringing.
2. Pull Key out and repeat step 1 (double prime the fuel pump)
3. Making sure all accessories are off (no radio, lights, heat, cold, anything) with the transmission in neutral, turn the key and start the engine, do not turn on the heat or activate any accessories, allow the engine to reach a moderately warm temperature.

After this I drive the car very delicately in the cold weather, No shifts above 3,000 rpm. (6,200 being redline)

Is there anything else I can do to minimize strain\wear\tear on my vehicle when cold starting?

 

[626LX2.0LATX1998]

use block heater in winter.

 

[Matt_S]

You're already going overboard. Why would you need to do anything further? 0w-40 oil is already designed to give sufficient protection in cold weather. You don't need to deny yourself heat or radio just to get another few miles out of the engine. Besides, if your car is like most, you'll eventually get rid of it for some other reason than the engine.

My advice is to relax and enjoy the car. Don't stress so much.

 

[labman]

If you want to protect the bearings on start up, why are you giving the fuel pump a head start on the oil pump? May as well turn on the heater. All the coolant goes through it until the thermostat opens anyhow. The additional drag on the alternator to run the fan and radio is minimal. Having the defroster going in cold weather is very important. More cars make an early trip to the junk yard due to accidents than worn out engines.

Maybe add a block or radiator heater, stick to the gentle warm up, and forget the rest. Pennsylvania isn't that cold.

*iatrogenic (iatro- + Gr. gennan to produce) resulting from the activity of physicians. Originally applied to disorders induced in the patient by autosuggestion based on the physician's examination, manner, or discussion, the term is now applied to any adverse condition in a patient occurring as the result of treatment by a physician or surgeon, especially to infections acquired by the patient during the course of treatment. Cf. nosocomial.

 

[Cyprs]

I had that engine in a 03 Altima which sadly got total off last year, now I have the same engine in the 165 HP version in the 05 Nissan X-Trail

I use 0-30 XD3 syn oil year round, fast flow cold, rated at -60F cold flow rate, we get down to -42C or F here.

I Plug in block heater on timer according to degree of cold temps. I scrape all the windows, open drivers window slightly to keep windows from fogging. I start and run engine with heater off , (I find this stops circulation of cold
coolant through heater hoses and warms engine quicker and I find that the heater is far more efficient when I do put it on later because engine warmed quicker). I also idle engine in neutral to help warm transmission.

I run the engine about 5 minutes in -40F after 8 hours blockheater plug in, (rule of thumb on summer and winter starts is I idle till the temp gauge just reaches the first cold line on gauge just above the bottom out point on gauge.)

After the idle in -40F I drive off extremely gentle up to about 20-25 miles per hour on highway shoulder, never exceeding 1700 rpm on tack in lower gear. I would not drive over 2000 rpm cold, I also keep in low gear at 1700 rpm to take load off engine,I dont lug cold at low rpm in high gear. This engine is at full operating on heat gauge in 1.5 mile slow drive to my turn off at the junction. At this point I will not romp on gas, oil does not get to operating temp just because water temp is at full operating level, that oil is still cool in sump at extreme cold driving. I drive it resonably until sure the oil is caught up in heat.

I always warm up engine idling first and then
with gentle drive off in +100F or -40F. Even in summer, high wear metal operating zone is 160F or less. I see many motorists go to great lengths in cold winter starts to protect their engine, these people think nothing of starting the same engine up in +80F summer, idle 5 seconds, drop in gear, and tear off like a raped ape from 80F to 160F in High Wear Metal zone. I dont practice my -40F extreme gentle drive off in summer but I do idle till temp gauge moves and drive respecting the vehicle as I would respect my body in warming it up proper before exerting in physical activity to prevent human damage.

Vspec, do what you think is best for your car within your patience level/tolerance, it sounds to me like you have patience and care about your Nissan. I find your routine interesting on fuel pump priming, every time I get into my gassers I turn key and look for the "wait to start button" out of habit because of my Cummins Diesel. possibly this is good

for my gassers.

In my experience, I get 1000 fold more out of my vehicles with every effort I do to care for them. My warm up habit is small part of my vehicle care.

I have been driving Nissan/Datsun 27 years now, dont fail them and they wont you. One thing I do on my diesel and gassers is when the engine is warm and shut off, at start up idle 30 seconds to pressure up before driving off. Warm starts ups
are important too, your manual probably tells you to idle 30 seconds at every start up as my Nissan X-Trail manual does.

I am on this BITOG site to better my warm up routine too, I would not be using Wolverine Heat pads this year if not for good BITOG advise last year. Heat pads may change few variables/minutes etc. in my routine but the basic methods wont change.

Cyprs

 

[Vspec]

^Awesome, setup. I love it. Unfortunatly in the states I cant get 0-30 XD3, you should deff let your fuel pump prime. Thats it. Nissan dealerships have told me to do this time and time again. Especially during extremely cold, or hot starts.

I think I might drive easier yet when first driving.

 

[labman]

''you should deff let your fuel pump prime. Thats it. Nissan dealerships have told me to do this time and time again. Especially during extremely cold, or hot starts.''

Maybe they need a fuel pump upgrade.

 

[Tosh]

I think the reasoning on this thread demonstrates that people will only hear the advice they want to hear. It's also called rationalizing.
Taking the stealership's advice on priming the fuel pump twice? That is "crazy." Priming is what suction pumps need. With an in the tank pump, the impeller is already submerged, and 'priming' is not an applicable term for this type of pump. What Vspec is doing is just pressurizing the fuel system twice. Why twice is a different question, as to me it just seems like wearing down the battery. All around, I think Vspec would be best served by a block heater in freezing temperatures. Then there's the debate about the time and gas wasted letting a car idle, but I think that's been covered to death. I'm not getting on you for being obsessive, Vspec. I just wanted you to think about what is actually happening.

 

[XS650]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tosh:
I think Vspec would be best served by a block heater in freezing temperatures. Then there's the debate about the time and gas wasted letting a car idle, but I think that's been covered to death. I'm not getting on you for being obsessive, Vspec. I just wanted you to think about what is actually happening.

---

Right, it's pretty well accepted by some smart people that warming the engine up as slowly as you can keeps it running in the cold high wear condition longer than putting a light load on it (driving gently).

 

[Cyprs]

Vspec, I was in process of writing my "novel" post earlier when you posted Nissan's requirement on the fuel pump prior to cold starting. Nothing like that is in my Nissan manual or ever said at Nissan Dealership up here, I am going to talk to my service manager on this soon, sounds like I should be doing the same procedure on my Nissan before my cold starts. Thanks.

Cyprs

 

[Vspec]

Not a problem Cyprs, and guys this isnt what I just want to hear, seeing as to I am reading this, not listening to this post.

All information is taken under serious thought and consideration. Cars are expensive, repairs are expensive, maintaining and taking care of your car is cheap. So the more I know and the better I take care of it the better off I am.

XS650 - If what you said is true, then just getting in your car and driving it cold (at low RPMS obviously) is healthier for the engine?

 

[bar1]

Vspec, get a block heater, heating pad or coolant heater (Webasto or Espar).
Why all that idle time? It's better to drive while the engine gets hot. That way you get mileage as the engine wears..
Start car, scrape all the windows, drive, but keep rpm low until temperature rise.
And, why double prime a pump that is submerged in fuel?
I don't know about Nissan, but my '96 Audi and my '05 GM Opel will automatically slow down the fans and close a valve to the heater core when coolant temperature is low.

 

[Vspec]

Haha, funny. Well I prime the pump in the Spec because of the failure rates that those pumps see. Nissan recommends allowing them to prime in just the order that I preform. At least my dealership does.

As for not turning on accessories, I dont turn them on at first, making the least amount of stress on the engine. Keep in mind that Im not ready to go for the first 10 minutes after I start the car. The car idles up for about 5-10 minutes max. So for about 5 minutes its just the engine and basic\minimal functions that the engine has to power.

As for a block heater, im sure I could search here and find alot and I will when I go home, but how important do you think that would be in a Pennslvania winter? Temperatures will be dropping to probably 10-f. I plan to switch out the Mobil 1 0w-40 for some 0w30 Mobil 1 or GC (if I can find the GC!)

All input, including that of me suffering from iatrogenic is very much apprecaited and put into serious consideration.