Hard on Engines? Re: <VV> Re:Winter

FrankCB at aol.com FrankCB at aol.com
Sun Dec 4 14:48:19 EST 2005


Padgett,
    Well, as I understand it, the QUICKER an engine reaches operating temp. 
the less wear it suffers.  Engines will reach operating temp much sooner if 
they are doing some work beyond simply idling in the driveway.  So when I 
startup, as soon as the warning lights go out and the oil pressure gauge needle comes 
up, I start driving moderately on local roads.  The exception is, of course, 
if there is a half inch of ice on the windshield.(:-)
    For the last new GM car I bought (a 1995 TransSport minivan) I paid $18 
extra to include a block heater.  When I had to drive every day to work in the 
cold NJ winter, I would plug in the block heater through a timer so about 3 AM 
the heater would turn on and when I started the engine 4 hours later, the 
engine block temp was about 40 to 50 degrees above ambient.  Not only does the 
engine start much more quickly, it wears less and delivers heat much more 
quickly to warm the driver as well as using less fuel since the cold enrichment 
period is much shorter.  At 400 watts, 4 hours means 1600 watt-hrs or 1.6 kW-hr.  
My electricity costs about 12 cents per kW-hr so each time I do that it costs 
about 19 cents.
    Guess that's why I can never buy a new car "off the lot" but have to 
order it from the factory so I get the options I want and not the ones I don't 
want (like "mag" wheels - but that's another story (:-)
    Frank "fussy and opinionated" Burkhard
    

In a message dated 12/2/05 11:32:42 AM Eastern Standard Time, pp2 at 6007.us 
writes:
Why is a long warm up hard on the engine ? Always thought most normal wear 
occurs during start and was good to idle at least long enough to get 
everything circulating.

For example the oil pressure switch/light is always located near the oil 
pump so is the first to see pressure and last to see it go away.

Always give my cars 20-30 seconds even at 70F to get full circulation going 
particularly since the oil is thickest then. Have always thought that for a 
good engine, idling in neutral is about the easiest duty.

Padgett


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