IF you really want to make your engine last ,heed this advice:

AS WITH ANY OIL (synthethic or conventional), If you really want your engine to last to 200K or even 300K....
My best advice is to let your engine warm up (not too much idleing, but by light driving right away) for about the first 5 to 10 minutes of driving.

Now, the car can be driven right away, but tell the "wife" to just be EASY on the pedal for about 5 to 10 minutes before they give it a lot of gas.

An Oil Engineering FACT:
ALL oils need to reach (or approach) 212 F before they protect at their best, and it takes a little while for the oil to warm up to this temperature.... Most Oil Engineers will confirm that oil dosen't lubercate very well at lower temperatures. This is biggest mistake people make is taking off real quick when their engine's are still very cold[/u].... I see mostly women driving "wild Eyed and Crazy" (whom don't know any better) do this all the time in my neighborhood...they start the car and they just "Floor the pedal" right away racing down the street, all when their engines and oil are still very cold..(respectivly cold)
Bottom line, they are "killing the life" out of their engines! (or worse yet... your engine)...
Makes me cringe as they have no idea of the error of their ways...
I can almost hear the engines wailing..."take it easy on me" "I'm not warm yet!!!"
THIS IS another reason why 90% of wear occurs at startup....women!
Same can be said of marriage..."90% of wear occurs at start-up"

Believe it or not, I've finially got my wife trained on this one with her 07' camry....
If you follow this advice and take it easy for the 1st 5 to 10 minutes of driving, your engine will last much, much longer.
Over and out.

 

Good info!

 

Great advice and this is the way I have driven since the beginning.

I do let it sit for a minute or so before driving, but for the first 5 minutes or more I am easy on the pedal.

 

Because every man knows better.....

 

Get 'em Hab!

 

I certainly agree with your statement in general, but have you got a source on that number (212)?

I'm working on getting my oil temp down from its highs of 235-240 deg F and I'd like to confirm an ideal oil temp.

 

This is a myth imho, my work van has never ever been warmed up except int he winter. The engine was replaced by a junkyard engine when we got it and who knows how many miles that one has on it, I know I have logged 20k of all city driving really and the I6 keeps on going and going and going. FYI: Dodge ram van..

Other work vanis a ford E350 with 250k, who knows what previous owner did but we dont let it warmup. Same goes for the chevy van which the odo broke after 150k and by now it has to have 250k on it.

Frequency of changes and good upkeep is key, letting the truck warm up may or may not help but thus far it doesnt affect my company.

 

If i could get her to keep her foot out of it at anytime it would be an improvement.

 

I got that number (212F) from a oil engineer's article and I'll see if I can dig it up and I'll PM you on it. I think 212F (for engine oil) is a Minimum temperature for the best lubricity. Although seemingly a little high, you'll probably be fine at 230 to 240 F.
Now if your oil reaches 300 F plus, i would be a little worried and at that temp (300F +) your likely racing the hell out of the engine...300F is where many conventional oils start to break down. Synthethics can handle that temp with no issues....That's why racers almost always run synthethics. SYN's are simply much tougher oils for high temperatures...

 

There is little need to let the car "warm up" before driving. The main issue before driving is making sure oil has made its way around the engine. So give it 15 seconds or so and you'll be fine.

At idle, engines produce very little heat. The best way to warm up the oil is to lightly drive the car as suggested in the thread. But having it sit and idle is a waste of gas and won't really help prevent wear.

MadCityRich

 

Thanks, I'd appreciate that.

 

What oil do you currently run? Brand and Weight/viscosity?

 

lol and not true, a lot of men need to know this and I am one of em.

 

MadCityRich makes the best point I think in that oil pressure is probably more important than the temp. It probably takes a few seconds for the pump to build pressure and get oil to every little spot in the engine after it settles. I'd be most worried about that causing engine wear.

 

You want to let the oil circulate as much as possible before you put heavy loads on the motor, warmer oil means more consistent temperatures throughout the block so thermal expansion/contraction issues with seals in metal components don't occur.

212 degrees F: it's when water boils...

The reason you want the oil temp to get to 212F is to boil off any moisture that made its way into the system when the car is out of use. I don't think keeping at 212F makes any difference in lubricity but it needs to get up there for a bit to boil of moisture/contaminates and it will as long as the motor is kept turning with light load for a few minutes...this is why stop-and-go is detrimental to oil life span in most cases.

Ideal oil temperatures are usually about 180F to 205F for circulating oil (if reading a gauge) but naturally oil closer to the combustion area will be hotter.

Good post... luckily my gf's dad is as much of a gearhead as I am so she already knows warm up first... unless its a rental :-)

 

READ THIS!

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php...tor_oil_basics

 

LOL So true.

 

I agree with you!

Even if you let your engine warm up, your other parts aren't warming up if you're stationary. So I've heard it is better to drive lightly until the engine, transmission, axle and any other parts are warm.

 

Especially because Engine oil, the point of the topic, manages to find it's way into the drivetrain too...

 

Thank you for posting that and This was the ARTICLE I was trying to find to refrence. I read it a while ago and good job finding that! AND what a good LONG article and what a great read! Its comforting to know i'm semi-right about a few things....

People, it dosent get more strait foward than that....

You'll need to "Check" some of your beliefs about oil "at the door" when you read this good article...