Idle 30 seconds? I may use that long to fasten the seat belt, put it in gear and get my hands back on the wheel. There are times when it is bitter cold, but damp or something, and the windshield frosts up as fast as you scrap it. In that case, idling until the defroster warms up may shorten the engines life, but extend that of the driver.
Idle time?
- Thread starter Chris B.
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I HAVE READ ON THE OIL BIBLE WEBSITE that 15 seconds coats the engine. 15 secs ideal in most temps. One minute is great but one car man recommends no more than 3 min before fuel dillution prob. And yes to the man that said no high rpm for 12 minutes when it has been sitting for more than 3 hours. If you are anal about wear
1 sec at idle for every degree below freezing F. +22f=10sec +12f=20sec and so on.
man i remember when i was a kid my dad would warm his 78 camaro up for atleast 20 min every morning before he took us to school if there was frost on the ground. i can imagine what the inside of that 305 must look like.it does however have 14X,XXX miles on it and has never been apart. never had anything but quaker state 20w50
Lots of cold start idling, no negative effects
I thought there would be a fuel dilution issue with all the idling, but there isn't. I agree with a previous post that fuel injection has done "the trick". No need to worry about this issue IMO.
If I'm stopped at railroad tracks or at any of a few traffic lights in my area that seem to take 2-3 minutes to turn would it be beneficial for to shut off the engine while waiting?
I say the **** with fuel price. And since idling is bad. Go out about fifteen or twenty minutes before leaving. Start the engine and put a brick as fast as you can on the accelerator. That should give you a fast warm up and a warm car when you leave. And since there is no idle time. There not be any damage to the engine.
And save it. Fuel is cheap. It is the companies dime.
If you have to deal with very cold conditions(sub zero C or sub 32 Deg f)then you should be running your engine on a 0w-? synthetic of some sort if cold start engine wear is a concern.
Will you need a warmup cycle?Only if the engine won't respond to the throttle in a consistent manner that will enable you to drive without the risk of stalling etc.
Just take it easy till the engine is up to temp and if you do need to warm it up then do so at an elevated idle rpm.Say the engine normally idles at 800 rpm then let it warm up at say 1500 rpm.Whay you ask?
Because almost all 4 stroke piston engines rely on oil fling from the bigends to lube the cylinder walls.At very cold temps when the oil viscosity is high this cylinder wall lubrication can compromised.
So if you must use a warmup cycle then keep it to a minimum and do it at a slightly raised idle rpm.Easy.
Ciao
Will you need a warmup cycle?Only if the engine won't respond to the throttle in a consistent manner that will enable you to drive without the risk of stalling etc.
Just take it easy till the engine is up to temp and if you do need to warm it up then do so at an elevated idle rpm.Say the engine normally idles at 800 rpm then let it warm up at say 1500 rpm.Whay you ask?
Because almost all 4 stroke piston engines rely on oil fling from the bigends to lube the cylinder walls.At very cold temps when the oil viscosity is high this cylinder wall lubrication can compromised.
So if you must use a warmup cycle then keep it to a minimum and do it at a slightly raised idle rpm.Easy.
Ciao
Consult and follow your owner's manual, imo.
I agree with Shmoe. If you look at any engine tests, wear is highest at low temps and gets progressively less as engine temp approaches operating temp.
With modern FI engines, an overich mixture at startup is almost negligible. Not like the good old days of heavily choked, carburated motors that washed away oil from an overly rich mixture. So idling a while is not going to cause damage from gas wash.
Dare I say it, but we are all spouting the line that car manufacturers are feeding us. Don't idle, just drive, idling is bad!
You have to look at the car manufacturers' motivation in recommending no idling. Engine longevity is not their utmost priority. Federal regulation is! And one of the major regulations is fuel efficiency. Idling cars make 0 mpg, so they tell us don't idle, just drive.
I don't warm my car up to operating temp before I drive, but I do let it idle 3-5 min before I drive. The warmer the engine is before you drive, the longer it will last.
With modern FI engines, an overich mixture at startup is almost negligible. Not like the good old days of heavily choked, carburated motors that washed away oil from an overly rich mixture. So idling a while is not going to cause damage from gas wash.
Dare I say it, but we are all spouting the line that car manufacturers are feeding us. Don't idle, just drive, idling is bad!
You have to look at the car manufacturers' motivation in recommending no idling. Engine longevity is not their utmost priority. Federal regulation is! And one of the major regulations is fuel efficiency. Idling cars make 0 mpg, so they tell us don't idle, just drive.
I don't warm my car up to operating temp before I drive, but I do let it idle 3-5 min before I drive. The warmer the engine is before you drive, the longer it will last.
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