How long before engine oil is fully warm (petrol & diesel)?
Discussion
Using my torque app I can geekily monitor how warm the coolant is getting for my engine, though it doesn’t seem to detect oil temperature so I can really only use it as a rough guide. I’ve noticed my diesel’s coolant takes up to 20 minutes to warm up driving conservatively whereas the other half’s petrol only takes 5.
Although the diesel is more efficient (the reason for the longer warm up time), I work on the basis this also means it has more time to conduct the heat to the oil. Am I right in thinking the oil will be almost fully warm by the time the coolant is? How long should you give it for the petrol’s oil to be fully warm seeing as the heat won’t have had chance to conduct to the oil in such a short time?
Opinions from those of you with oil temp gauges or any engine experts would be very welcome
Although the diesel is more efficient (the reason for the longer warm up time), I work on the basis this also means it has more time to conduct the heat to the oil. Am I right in thinking the oil will be almost fully warm by the time the coolant is? How long should you give it for the petrol’s oil to be fully warm seeing as the heat won’t have had chance to conduct to the oil in such a short time?
Opinions from those of you with oil temp gauges or any engine experts would be very welcome
Oil usually takes longer than coolant to heat up, can't help on a basic rule but most of my cars have taken 5 min or so to show water temperature but another 5 to show the oil at temperature if they had gauges for both. The diesel probably has a cast iron block so takes longer for heat to transfer out plus running at lower RPM so less fuel being burned to create heat.
My Golf has an oil temp guage and it takes 10 miles at motorway speeds - 60ish - to reach 90 degrees.
I had a air cooled 911, fitted with an oil cooler, did a 37 mile lap around the TT circuit in June 1995 and it didnt reach working temperature, blanked off the cooler and it was ok.
Forget water temperature as a guide to oil temperature, the Golf is blowing warm air and the needle up to the middle within one mile.
I had a air cooled 911, fitted with an oil cooler, did a 37 mile lap around the TT circuit in June 1995 and it didnt reach working temperature, blanked off the cooler and it was ok.
Forget water temperature as a guide to oil temperature, the Golf is blowing warm air and the needle up to the middle within one mile.
I never ever give my car the beans until I'm a good 20 minutes/ ten miles into the journey.... in the winter I tend to leave it even longer.
A failing I see or hear about often is people who switch their car on and let it warm up on idle before setting off. It's a pointless exercise, the kindest thing to do is drive it immediately and just be gentle for a while.
A failing I see or hear about often is people who switch their car on and let it warm up on idle before setting off. It's a pointless exercise, the kindest thing to do is drive it immediately and just be gentle for a while.
sparks_E39 said:
I never ever give my car the beans until I'm a good 20 minutes/ ten miles into the journey.... in the winter I tend to leave it even longer.
A failing I see or hear about often is people who switch their car on and let it warm up on idle before setting off. It's a pointless exercise, the kindest thing to do is drive it immediately and just be gentle for a while.
20 minutes, jesus, your missus is a lucky lady if you are prepared to spend that long on things A failing I see or hear about often is people who switch their car on and let it warm up on idle before setting off. It's a pointless exercise, the kindest thing to do is drive it immediately and just be gentle for a while.
With switched off EGR it takes long time...everybody talks about EGR and there is many myths about EGR.
at 0deg C it takes about 30km to warm up engine oil and it stays around 80deg C...unless you have radiator cover for winter.
With dynamic EGR, which assists in engine warm-up process my Octavia HR I warms-up coolant in about 10km but engine oil stays about 50deg C at about 3deg C (recent reading...getting cold in mountains). So I guess, it will take an other 10km to warm-up engine oil as well.
It depends on car. Skoda uses coolant/oil heat exchanger...usually called "oil cooler". I think every VAG car since 2006 (or even older) uses this system. Modern cars have pre-heater or aux-heater already built in and one sit in warm car with 80deg C coolant.
I've improved cooling of my engine intensively due new engine calibration and my engine hardly keeps warm at sub 10deg C temperatures. I must use coolant radiator cover over winter.
at 0deg C it takes about 30km to warm up engine oil and it stays around 80deg C...unless you have radiator cover for winter.
With dynamic EGR, which assists in engine warm-up process my Octavia HR I warms-up coolant in about 10km but engine oil stays about 50deg C at about 3deg C (recent reading...getting cold in mountains). So I guess, it will take an other 10km to warm-up engine oil as well.
It depends on car. Skoda uses coolant/oil heat exchanger...usually called "oil cooler". I think every VAG car since 2006 (or even older) uses this system. Modern cars have pre-heater or aux-heater already built in and one sit in warm car with 80deg C coolant.
I've improved cooling of my engine intensively due new engine calibration and my engine hardly keeps warm at sub 10deg C temperatures. I must use coolant radiator cover over winter.
hajes said:
With switched off EGR it takes long time...everybody talks about EGR and there is many myths about EGR.
at 0deg C it takes about 30km to warm up engine oil and it stays around 80deg C...unless you have radiator cover for winter.
With dynamic EGR, which assists in engine warm-up process my Octavia HR I warms-up coolant in about 10km but engine oil stays about 50deg C at about 3deg C (recent reading...getting cold in mountains). So I guess, it will take an other 10km to warm-up engine oil as well.
It depends on car. Skoda uses coolant/oil heat exchanger...usually called "oil cooler". I think every VAG car since 2006 (or even older) uses this system. Modern cars have pre-heater or aux-heater already built in and one sit in warm car with 80deg C coolant.
I've improved cooling of my engine intensively due new engine calibration and my engine hardly keeps warm at sub 10deg C temperatures. I must use coolant radiator cover over winter.
Radiator cover?, many modern cars have flaps that close off the air flow to the rad during warm upat 0deg C it takes about 30km to warm up engine oil and it stays around 80deg C...unless you have radiator cover for winter.
With dynamic EGR, which assists in engine warm-up process my Octavia HR I warms-up coolant in about 10km but engine oil stays about 50deg C at about 3deg C (recent reading...getting cold in mountains). So I guess, it will take an other 10km to warm-up engine oil as well.
It depends on car. Skoda uses coolant/oil heat exchanger...usually called "oil cooler". I think every VAG car since 2006 (or even older) uses this system. Modern cars have pre-heater or aux-heater already built in and one sit in warm car with 80deg C coolant.
I've improved cooling of my engine intensively due new engine calibration and my engine hardly keeps warm at sub 10deg C temperatures. I must use coolant radiator cover over winter.
Depends on all sorts of things, but in my experience it's usually a bit longer than coolant. Modern oils have got much better at operating before they're completely warm though, so in practice once the coolant is up to temperature you're not going to do much harm even if the oil is only at 50-60 degrees.
I think the "oil must be completely up to temperature before stressing the engine" attitude is a hang-up from days when we used poorly refined mineral oils in our engines. It hasn't really been necessary since the 80s.
I think the "oil must be completely up to temperature before stressing the engine" attitude is a hang-up from days when we used poorly refined mineral oils in our engines. It hasn't really been necessary since the 80s.
Pica-Pica said:
Radiator cover?, many modern cars have flaps that close off the air flow to the rad during warm up
Why would you want to reduce air flow to the radiator during warm-up when there's no coolant flowing through the radiator until the thermostat opens anyway? ETA: Ah you mean the oil cooler? Interesting point though, do cars with an oil-cooler not have a thermostat on the oil system? If not, why not?
Following on from OP, is it necessary / good practice to get oil fully up to temperature before working the engine?
As people have said, it can take 20 mins+ and I do wonder how much damage you are going to do once modern oil is at say 60deg
(That said I always get the oil fully up to temp in the 997 before switching out of ms daisy mode)
As people have said, it can take 20 mins+ and I do wonder how much damage you are going to do once modern oil is at say 60deg
(That said I always get the oil fully up to temp in the 997 before switching out of ms daisy mode)
A bit of a tangent but connected
I drive a 3.0cdi Vito
I often join the A1 close to home. During the summer by the time I’ve done 10 miles my mpg has climbed to 30mpg and rising.
Yesterday it took 28! Miles to get to 30mpg
It does have an aux heater I think because the blower gets warm super fast. I’m assuming though everything else is taking much longer and hence using more fuel
I drive a 3.0cdi Vito
I often join the A1 close to home. During the summer by the time I’ve done 10 miles my mpg has climbed to 30mpg and rising.
Yesterday it took 28! Miles to get to 30mpg
It does have an aux heater I think because the blower gets warm super fast. I’m assuming though everything else is taking much longer and hence using more fuel
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