Idling an engine
Ok all; I am not a mechanic, and I didn't stay at any hotel/motel last night. After reading a post in "Begining RVing" concerning oil change and idling, most of the people said that idling for more...
Forum Discussion
This question comes up all the time and there is just as much misinformation about it as there are old wives tales. If you are in Fargo, North Dakota and its -40F outside, a block heater would be appropriate overnight. If its so cold out that your windows/mirrors fog up, it would be a good idea to wait until the defrosters/seat heaters work so you can see.
Generally, if the vehicle starts and runs smoothly without hesitation you are good to go. Since you are either driving an oversize vehicle or towing a trailer, or possibly both, good practice says to wait until the oil temp/pres gauge (if you have one) and coolant temperature gauge show signs of movement before you do any "spirited driving."
Everybody always talks about the viscosity of the oil which is IMO a moot point. Todays multi-viscosity oils are far thinner than those of yesteryear. What is far more important is that the working clearances inside the engine/transmission are "happy" with each other. Most modern engines/transmissions are made from a variety of materials (cast iron, aluminum, forged steel, copper, lead, tin, chrome, plastic, phenolic resin, paper) to name a few. All have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Your engine is designed to work best when they all reach normal operating temperature. Friction between two surfaces is inversely proportional to the temperature difference between them. (engineering 101)
Chum lee
Generally, if the vehicle starts and runs smoothly without hesitation you are good to go. Since you are either driving an oversize vehicle or towing a trailer, or possibly both, good practice says to wait until the oil temp/pres gauge (if you have one) and coolant temperature gauge show signs of movement before you do any "spirited driving."
Everybody always talks about the viscosity of the oil which is IMO a moot point. Todays multi-viscosity oils are far thinner than those of yesteryear. What is far more important is that the working clearances inside the engine/transmission are "happy" with each other. Most modern engines/transmissions are made from a variety of materials (cast iron, aluminum, forged steel, copper, lead, tin, chrome, plastic, phenolic resin, paper) to name a few. All have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Your engine is designed to work best when they all reach normal operating temperature. Friction between two surfaces is inversely proportional to the temperature difference between them. (engineering 101)
Chum lee
