How oil in pan gets warmed up in frigid temp?

[TFB1]

Ummm I've never seen frozen oil(no you ain't gonna catch me in places that get that cold)...

I suspect the oil is shrinking in volume all the way down to the point of gelling, then unless solid, any expansion just pushes it's way out of the filter, pump etc... If it really froze you would be hearing of busted oil passage, ballooned filters etc...

 

[Garak]

Does oil expand when it freezes? Few substances actually do that, aside from water.

 

[Umibozu]

At those temps a block warmer is a must IMO.

 

[SuperDave456]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Does oil expand when it freezes? Few substances actually do that, aside from water.


That was my thought. Most substances shrink and become denser when frozen.
Water is different due to the crystalline structure when frozen, it becomes less dense, and therefore ICE floats on water.

 

[shell_user]

ROFLOL!! GARAK, I also didnt know that oil would freeze!! Some people here make me scratch my head, others make me wonder why some people even bother breeding!!

 

[hisilver]

Originally Posted By: abycat
Originally Posted By: hisilver
And think of the transmission fluid. Takes a loong time to get warm.


I have a Trans temp gauge on my f550 and just idling the Trans warms up in a few minutes.

Yep, I also drive a 550 and it does heat right up. Rarely gets that cold though.

 

[rslifkin]

I don't have a trans temp gauge on the Jeep, so I don't know how much it warms up at idle. However, when it's in the low single digits, after about 30 seconds at idle and a 1/2 mile of driving (at most) the trans will allow shifts to 4th, which indicates the fluid temp (in the pan) is at least 50* F. I've IR gunned the trans pan and found the temp around 80 degrees after 3.5 miles in that weather (fluid was probably around 90* or so in the pan). I also have a big cooler and no thermostat on it, so as soon as the fluid thins out enough to flow well through the smaller channels of the cooler it's got full cooling.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: shell_user
ROFLOL!! GARAK, I also didnt know that oil would freeze!!

He he, it certainly will. I've seen 10w30s that wouldn't pour at all in -40. I'd hate to see what a straight 50 would be like in that weather. Oil just freezes a little differently than what we're used to with water and aqueous solutions. Water doesn't gradually thicken over a wide spread of temperatures and finally become solid.

 

[steve20]

part of the exhaust system on the 2005 Accord 2.4 acts as a transmission fluid heater by design.

Wonder what it does crawling along in a traffic jam when it's 100 degrees out?

 

[fsskier]

Most of my cars have sat outside in the winter.... starting every winter morning at temperatures between -34 f and 0 f much of the time. On to a 3 mile drive to work. Since 1996 I have used nothing but 0W20 (Mobil 1) and my last two vehicles still had strong motors at 300,000 miles. Much longer lived engines than cars I owned just a few years earlier, and I suspect that 10W30 or even 5W30 are not good choices for outside vehicles.

Now, I own a nice heated 2 car garage, but it is used for projects and boats, of course.
I would not really need a car at all, except to pull a boat to the river!

Endlessly heating an engine with a plug in heater seems like a waste to me.... does not help when at work or on mountain ski vacations anyway.

Just run the right oil....0W20 or 0W30 would be my choice.

Back to the original question: How does the pan oil heat up? The oil pump instantly begins pumping large quantities of oil through the block, although most goes through the pressure relief valve at first. During this drip it is quickly heated to "block" temperature and warms with it. Your oil pan will be too hot to touch after a five mile drive, even on the coldest days.

 

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted By: fsskier
Your oil pan will be too hot to touch after a five mile drive, even on the coldest days.


That's way too general a statement. It depends a lot on the vehicle. In 35* F weather, the Jeep will be just hitting full coolant temp (200*) at the end of a 4 mile drive. At that point, an IR gun to the oil pan reads about 115*, and it's certainly not too hot to hold your hand on. Another 3 miles gets it up to 160 - 170*.

My sister's old 94 Camry would warm the coolant within 1.5 miles, and the oil was probably fully warm before the 3 mile mark, as it had an oil/coolant heat exchanger.