Anybody else feel that the 4.6L/3V engine takes a relatively long time to reach full operating temperature?

My '08 with barely over a hundred miles takes about twice as long to warm up than the 2.5L all-aluminum engine I have in another car (at ~105,000 miles) or the iron-block/aluminum head SBC in still another car (~20,000 miles since the last rebuild).

I'm comparing based on first starts in the morning at about the same temperature (30°F - 40°F), and the SBC also runs a 6-ish quart pan.

Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks


Norm
(I think I just upshifted with this post . . . . . .)

 

Same here. Just start her up and drive easy the first few miles.

 

My Jeep is warm within 1/2 mile. Compared to that, it is cold blooded. Not a big deal. Just physics.

 

Thanks, guys.

Easy driving's the name of the game for a while, and always when the engine temp registers 'cold'.

I was hoping that I didn't get a car where all of the tolerances involved with cooling system performance stacked up in the slow-to-warm-up direction, and couldn't particularly blame it on either the all-aluminum construction or the extra quart or two of oil capacity.


Norm

 

The long warm up periodfor the S197 may be due to the use of a cooling system bypass hose, which flows coolant around the closed thermostat when the engine is cold. I had an '88 2.2L Mazda 626 with this setup that took even longer than my Stang to warm up.

 

Mine takes A long time to

 

My '07 takes a while to warm up, too. Got it last March, so just winding up my first winter driving.

What I do is learn the initial idle speed on a warm summer day (for mine, just under 1000 rpm). Then on chilly, or cold, or freezing days, I warm the engine at idle for one minute, then drive real gentle until it reaches operating temp. The exception is if the engine settles down to "hot day" idle speed in less than a minute. It will sometimes do this, for example, if I drive it some then in only sits for an hour or two in the cold air.

 

This is a controversial subject. Some people think that once you've driven the car for a minute or two at most, and most of the oil is out of the pan, you can floor it to heart's content without any fear of increased wear or stress.

Others think you should wait until the needle starts to move before going WOT.

 

I'm in the conservative group. More than just satisfactory oil flow is involved, as unequal expansions of the various parts in an engine can still cause metal-to-metal sliding contact depending on design dimensions and tolerances. For example, Ford probably does not use file-fit rings, but you could still get a "tight" one every once in a while. No way of knowing whether your particular engine has one of those or not.


Norm

 

What I would like to see is a scientific study done to truly put this one to rest.