Full throttle on cold engine

[Bladecutter]

I hate to say this, but here goes:

If you are more worried about how much engine wear might occur when merging onto a highway, instead of safely merging onto a highway without disturbing other traffic, then chances are, you probably shouldn't be driving at all.

Your first task while driving is to DRIVE.

BC.

 

[lexus114]

I have mentioned before on here,I have a couple of steep hill`s I have to pull after work. It`s on a major two lane road,and their is always someone who climbs up my butt when the motor is still cold and trying to pull the hills. I have no trouble at all with hills when the motor is up to temp. but when cold, it has a bit of a time, also funny how fast the temp gauge goes up after going up these hills.

 

[willix]

If you are in gear with a load on the engine, there is no real problem.

 

[Smokescreen]

Have you ever considered a block heater or oil pan heater? With a cheap manual outlet timer and a little experimentation, you could have warmed up oil at the turn of the key every morning, lessening the effect.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: Reddy45

I haven't noticed any ill effects, but I feel bad for romping on the gas so early. Should I take the alternate route home that puts me on a road full of buckles and pot holes?


I posted the following months ago. Read it and feel BETTER!

Anecdotal evidence: A guy I work with has one of those "Harley Davidson" Ford 150's. Leaving the parking lot at 5 AM (we work nights), after only 15 seconds since starting, he FLOORS IT until he reaches 90 mph or so. Every day. He then backs off for a few stoplights, then FLOORS IT again until getting up on the interstate.

He has done this for 5 years that I know of. I asked what engine work he has had done (without mentioning his acceleration habits), and he said "nothing" with a straight look on his face.

I would have guessed it would have blown by now, but it hasn't

 

[rationull]

This is one of my favorite recurring topics. I've started at least one thread on this topic before. I'm in effectively the same situation. I live literally right off a 55 mph road (as in, down the driveway, turn onto the highway) and while work is now about a mile from the freeway our old office was literally right next to the interstate onramp. 5 miles after getting on the freeway I'm climbing a 3 mile 7% grade at 3500 RPM.

I used to obsess about it but over time I've stopped caring. My wife certainly doesn't care (and never has) and her car runs better than mine anyway. I think if it mattered we'd see cars dying way sooner than they do.

Generally I just avoid giving it too much throttle or revving it past 3-4k RPM until the temp gauge is normal (this is in a 1.8 liter Civic).

 

[brianl703]

I used to work right next to the on-ramp for I395S in Alexandria, VA. The car I had back then, a 1995 Ford Contour with a 2.5L Duratec V6, is still on the road today with over 240,000 miles on it with the original engine which has never had any internal repairs done on it.

I merged onto that highway like I meant it, too.

 

[rpn453]

If the temperature gauge is already starting to move, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Lethal1ty17]

as long as there is oil covering everything, it'll be just fine. have you not seen how companies like ford torture test their engines? cold engine goes wot to redline over and over and over.

 

[CBR.worm]

I'm in the same boat. My house is less than one minute from a 65mph two lane road that quickly merges onto a 70mph interstate where everyone is going 80+. If I pull out and don't get on it quickly I will get run over by a garbage truck going 70.

I keep the rpm down below 4,500 or so until it warms up, but the temp needle moves to center very quickly.

 

[morris]

back in the dark ages, i was at a truck show , big trucks. one maker of diesel engines they had an engine and some charts. the chart showed that over the engine life, the more cold starts it had the faster it wore out. not just starts but COLD starts

 

[mechtech2]

You'll use a bit more fuel than when warmed up.
But with today's appropriate oils, You can give full throttle to a partially warmed up engine.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

As stated without speculation, the rigorous studies have shown (using radioactive imbedded material and subsequent counts for wear verifcation) wear is ALWAYS many times higher (4x+) during acceleration and then wear is low during steady state, low load RPM whether the cruise RPM is 1500 or 4000. So if you wish your gasoline engine to last 300K miles plus, avoid hard and often acceleration. And, stay to the righ so i can pass

Me, I'm just looking for 50-60K service without blowing up, as that's my trade-in point.

link to VERY interesting swri wear studies:
http://www.swri.org/4org/d03/vehsys/radtrace/default.htm

 

[SteveSRT8]

Those statistics quoted are simply not applicable to ANY engine, just the one they tested.

The type of engine is a huge factor in this question.

 

[Thermo1223]

^ Arco

 

[Shannow]

My evening commute is:
- 50m of carpark;
- 300m of 50km/hr;
- 400m of 80km/hr;
- Highway 100km/hr.

My old carbed cars didn't like it greatly, but with modern 1990 and up fuel management systems (and diesels), they seem to not care an iota.

I can understand the carbed choked engines would be washing walls far more than an injection controlled engine too.

 

[mva]

Some BMW's have variable redlines that advance as the engine warms up.

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2009/09/2009-bmw-m3-video-of-the-variable-redline.html

Note that the tach does not reach its full redline until the oil temperature reaches about 165F (74C). It takes anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes of driving to get this hot.

They must do this to protect the engine when the oil is cold?

 

[fdcg27]

If you trade a car at 50-60K, Arco, why do you even think about the the oil you use?
Nothing blows up at that mileage without serious abuse.
Do you have any idea how much money you would save by adding 100K to your trade in or sale point for a vehicle?
I can't imagine disposing of a pedestrian, everyday sort of car at 50-60K.

 

[ltslimjim]

Originally Posted By: Thermo1223
^ Arco

Yeah, definitely don't buy a used vehicle from that guy.

 

[Junior96Stang]

I always warm up my car every where I go. Doesn't matter if is a cold day or hot. I also live like 2 blocks away from an on ramp I60, but that's doesn't worry my since I sit about 4-5min and is good but the time I merge on the on ramp.

Something I like to do is when I am on a hurry. I like putting my car on parking will I sit on a red light... I live in Cali so there is a lot of stop and go.

Yeah! I also hate people that merge at 35mph...