BobV
Second Unit
- Joined
- Jun 16, 1999
- Messages
- 275
The main mechanical reason for idling the vehicle for a length of time after startup has been mentioned... "to ensure the top end of the engine is being oiled". The colder the temprature outside, the longer it takes for the oil to reach the full engine. On a warm summer day that would take on average about 30 seconds, on a cold winter day (and I mean cold, not nambypamby US cold ), that could take upwards of 5 minutes if no preheating has been done (ie. block heater, inline heater, etc). Most of the wear and tear on your engine comes during this timeframe. Start the car and drive away immediately and your car will beging to do more damage to the environment over time then letting it sit for a few seconds at idle each time you start. Driving slowly is much worse than sitting at idle, even driving slowly your RPM is probably sitting around 1500-2500rpm.
I'm no mechanic, but I do repair my own vehicle, have a few mechanics in the family and was taught since I was knee-high to a grasshopper about how to take care of a vehicle.
I'm no mechanic, but I do repair my own vehicle, have a few mechanics in the family and was taught since I was knee-high to a grasshopper about how to take care of a vehicle.