My wife thinks I am nuts!
05-21-2009, 02:23 PM
#1
4th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,860
My wife thinks I am nuts!
Before I take my mustang or vette out of the garage, i crank it up and let it iddle for at least a minute. since our stangs don't have an electric oil pump, i give it some time to start flowing oil. Is this stupid? How many other members do this? the only disadvantage I can think of is a little money(gas) burning...is it better to crank her up, and put it in reverse and hall ****? please comment!
jason
jason
05-21-2009, 02:27 PM
#3
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,169
^^ I did the same thing in my 07 when I had it and I do it in my cobra also. I also turn the key all the way (don't start it) and let the fuel pump kick on first. This helps makes the fuel pump last longer and start easier.
05-21-2009, 02:52 PM
#6
My girlfriend thinks I am nuts too when I will let it warm up a little before I take off. This is actually a pretty important step though, at least to me, and I'll never not do it.
90% of excessive engine wear happens at start-up, when the oil is "cold" and to thick to flow easily. The oil needs to get up to operating temperature before it's working at it's optimum level. The lower the temperature of the oil, the harder it is to flow through the engine, putting stress on the engine to pump it. Imagine what happens when people cold start their car, but then rev it, or even worse, drive away and floor it and drive aggressively. That's only asking for trouble, if not in the near future, certainly down the road.
This is also an area where a full-synthetic oil shines. They flow much easier, even when compared to a regular oil with the same rating. They're easier on the engine as the engine doesn't have to work as hard to flow the oil.
90% of excessive engine wear happens at start-up, when the oil is "cold" and to thick to flow easily. The oil needs to get up to operating temperature before it's working at it's optimum level. The lower the temperature of the oil, the harder it is to flow through the engine, putting stress on the engine to pump it. Imagine what happens when people cold start their car, but then rev it, or even worse, drive away and floor it and drive aggressively. That's only asking for trouble, if not in the near future, certainly down the road.
This is also an area where a full-synthetic oil shines. They flow much easier, even when compared to a regular oil with the same rating. They're easier on the engine as the engine doesn't have to work as hard to flow the oil.
05-21-2009, 02:55 PM
#8
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Katy, Texas
Posts: 134
I do the same thing. I nag the wife when she doesn't do this in her car or the mustang...
05-21-2009, 03:13 PM
#10
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,495
On a cold start, I wait until the low pressure oil warning light is off and the RPMs in neutral drop to about 1000. Then I drive at a moderate speed until the coolant temperature gauge needle is in the middle of the normal range.