What possible damage would cold-starting and not allowing to warm up from -20F do?

[SunnyD]

Just curious - I'm a perpetual car n00b. And when did manufacturers start recommending oil changes every 5000+ miles? Am I really that old?

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

5000 miles?? Since when did it change from 3000?

 

[RedRooster]

Last week, it was hovering around -50F(without windchill) up here, and people were starting their cars after leaving them overnight unplugged.
I'd imagine a few winters of NEVER plugging your car in would be bad, but a week of it is nothing.
-20F is like summer!

 

[The Stigenator]

5000 miles.. my focus uses that.....

as for cold startups.. i have been told by my dad, always let her warm up a bit (2-3 minutes or so or more) or drive slowly until the engine gets up to speed. But he did mention on colder days let it idle for a while before taking off. So the oil can get to some temprature.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: GtPrOjEcTX
5000 miles?? Since when did it change from 3000?

My Kia recommends the first oil change at 7500 miles and 5000 miles every change after that... or is it the other way around. I was wondering, I figured they were using synthetics or something, but all the recommend (variance for temperature of course) is your typical SAE 5W30. Go figure.

 

[isekii]

Lexus recommends 5k intervals on their cars.
I had initial 1k oil change check up done, and another one done at 6k.
At 10k I switched over to Synthetic. I'm gonna either go on the 5k interval or the 7.5k interval.

 

[wischeez]

Oil changes are recommended at 3k for standard SAE oils, and 6k for synthetics. Most cars in cold climates are recommended to use 5-30w, except most newer Fords which use 5-20w.

On your question of warming up the engine or not, it should be allowed to warm up for a minute or two than driven at moderate speeds (not foot in the carb.). It will actually warm up faster while you are driving. It's also better for the engine than sitting and idling.

(mechanic for 31 years)

 

[ScottMac]

A few years ago, it got to -20-something in Chicago. My roomate at the time had a Pontiac(?) 6000. Once he got it started, it ran for about 20 seconds or so, then he revved it ... and the engine went rough and died then would not start.

It turned out that the pin/key/fastener holding the timing gear on the overhead cam sheared

My understanding is that today's new, higher tolerance engines do not tolerate stiff / dirty oil very well.

FWIW

Scott

 

[moonshinemadness]

Cold weather = cold/less runny (Vicous?) oil. Doesnt lubricate as well, doesnt travel round the engine as well. Also different parts of the engine may warm up at different speeds, warming up means expansion and especially in turbos and things the turbine may expand while the shell hasnt calling at least rubbing if not jamming of the turbine in the case.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

The GM Triplets (Envoy, Bravada, Trailblazer) are 7500 between changes on the I6 engine.

 

[Mark R]

Pretty much all cars made in the last 4 or 5 years have at least 10k mile oil change intervals and 20k is now becoming increasingly common - although there does appear to be some adjustment of this depending on the target market.

E.g. in Europe lexus specify a 10k mile service interval, apparently in the US it is 5k miles - for the simple reason that US customers expect to change the oil every 5k.