Team,
Have a short commute to my work each day, less than a mile. Would execute the best solution and just walk, but I have to make other work related trips during the day . What is the effect or the best way to diminish the effects of a short start up and drive without getting up to operating temps? Should I start and idle (even in warm weather) prior to the first short drive of the day? Is this even an issue for maintenance/engine longevity?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

What I've been told on the subject is that most harm is being done when the oil doesn't reach full operating temperature. Optimaly, your oil should get to at least 135F for it to burn off contaminents. It takes about 7 miles at 45F to reach 135F oil temp. As a by-product of combustion, you get water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, carbon monoxide (very little) and sulfuric acid. All these things end up in oil as hydrochloric/hydrobromic acids that gets deposited on metal parts and eats them away. There are several things you can do to prevent this. Oil has acid buffer additives in it to reduce acid but they deplete over time so changing the oil often is a good idea. I drive 2.4 miles each way to work so i change my oil every 3 months in the summer and 2.5 months in the winter. I only avaerage 900 miles between oil changes. (We have a 10 months summer and 2 months winter here.) Another thing is to swap out your thermostat for a higher rated one. The hotter the better. this will allow the engine to get hotter before allowing coolant to reduce the temp of the engine and oil. The stock one is 180F I think, which works well here in Texas. You could also get a block heater. They make some that look like heating pads that you can stick to the oil pan. They work great and the oil will be very close to operating temp when you leave. I had one on my old truck. Great but a pain to plug in if you live in an apartment!
Also, idling should be kept to a minimum. When idling, you don't burn much gas, which in turn doesn't produce enough heat to warm up the oil. When I leave, no matter what temperature, I leave the truck in 1st gear until I absolutly have to go faster in traffic. That keeps the rpm's up to about 1800 and the engine temp gauge moves alot faster than if you let it idle. You could also take it out on the highway every weekend for about 10-15 miles to get rid of the sludge and acids.

 

Thanks for the reply, appreciate the info. Have considered the block heater even though its a gasser; will go ahead and get it now. Makes sense, especially with a cold (er) climate.