Keeping an engine sweet - advice
Discussion
After reading the 'change up before 2000rpm' thread, many of the post gave advice on how to keep an engine in good condidtion, most of it contrary to the goverments eco advice.
Sadly I've learnt to drive in the midst of the eco driving era, but thankfully I had an instructor who wasnt big on eco driving, so advoided alot of bad advice. Yet I still feel I have lacked good advice on keeping an engine in good condition while driving enthusiastically, from people who know, so I ask the good minds of PH for some help.
A few things I do.
Let the engine settle for 30secs-1minute on a cold start.
Let the engine warm up in the first few minutes of driving, changing up at 2500rpm, before driving hard.
Keep the rpm from dropping too low (2000ish), if I am dwadling through a village at 30 I'll keep the revs at 2000ish in third. Although from posts it seems 2500-3000 is best for petrol engines.
Redline when on a hoon, yet if Ive been driving like its 1963 and I'm in the Targa Florio for 10-25 mins, I'll calm down on the leg home.
I understand that most of it is commonsense, yet thought I would seek out some extra advice from PH despite fears of 'people are thick these days' posts...
Thanks in advance.
Sadly I've learnt to drive in the midst of the eco driving era, but thankfully I had an instructor who wasnt big on eco driving, so advoided alot of bad advice. Yet I still feel I have lacked good advice on keeping an engine in good condition while driving enthusiastically, from people who know, so I ask the good minds of PH for some help.
A few things I do.
Let the engine settle for 30secs-1minute on a cold start.
Let the engine warm up in the first few minutes of driving, changing up at 2500rpm, before driving hard.
Keep the rpm from dropping too low (2000ish), if I am dwadling through a village at 30 I'll keep the revs at 2000ish in third. Although from posts it seems 2500-3000 is best for petrol engines.
Redline when on a hoon, yet if Ive been driving like its 1963 and I'm in the Targa Florio for 10-25 mins, I'll calm down on the leg home.
I understand that most of it is commonsense, yet thought I would seek out some extra advice from PH despite fears of 'people are thick these days' posts...
Thanks in advance.
Give it the beans as soon as you turn the key, show the car you mean business! Servicing is for wimps and people with too much money, so the trick is to sell it just before something big falls off, like the gearbox. Most cars in the UK are fitted with a 5 speed cruise control, you should use that to maintain a safe speed at all times, the skipping sound is the cruise control limiter also known as a 'R.E.V.S. limiter'...
Basically just don't drive it like a complete tool and you'll be fine
Basically just don't drive it like a complete tool and you'll be fine
Always better to warm an engine up on the move IMO and my Dad's whose an retired mech engineer.
Keep revs sensible until then and frequent oil and filter change using decent oil.
Of course with my last car I did neither but it was still going strong on 140k miles when I sold it this week
Keep revs sensible until then and frequent oil and filter change using decent oil.
Of course with my last car I did neither but it was still going strong on 140k miles when I sold it this week
steveo3002 said:
frequent oil changes
You're on thin ice with that one! 
I hope you've got your flak jacket at the ready.According to some, frequent oil changes will wreck your engine but if run it on the same
Liquid Tuna said:
An engine's warm when the oil is up to temp, NOT the water. Most cars these days only seem to have a water temp gauge. The oil takes longer to warm up.
And even then when there is an oil temp gauge, often this is calculated by the cars ecu from the coolant temperature rather than a direct oil temp probe
Warm the engine up before giving it the beans - usually takes about 8 to 10 miles to get oil up to temp - or twice the distance/time it takes to get the coolant up to temp. You don't have to drive it like a granny during the warm up period, just don't thrash it the red line!
Warm the engine down at the end of a spirited run - just take it easy for the last couple of miles. Particularly important for turbo engines which should be left to idle for a good ten to twenty seconds before switch off to allow that spinning turbo to run down and for the oil to cool the turbo bearing.
Change oil and filter frequently and use good quality stuff. No more than 10k miles between changes with semi or fully synthetic oil (half this distance if using ye olde 20/50 mineral oil ....... but does anyone still sell/use this stuff these days?) and keep the oil topped up to the max mark - don't overfill, that can cause some engines a host of problems.
Keep coolant level topped up on max and re-fresh every two to three years - quality anti-freeze and de-ionised water. Get coolant leaks fixed.
Just these simple 'good housekeeping' actions will mean you can thrash the provebial pants off the motor for well over 100k miles with no problems or real loss of performance.
Warm the engine down at the end of a spirited run - just take it easy for the last couple of miles. Particularly important for turbo engines which should be left to idle for a good ten to twenty seconds before switch off to allow that spinning turbo to run down and for the oil to cool the turbo bearing.
Change oil and filter frequently and use good quality stuff. No more than 10k miles between changes with semi or fully synthetic oil (half this distance if using ye olde 20/50 mineral oil ....... but does anyone still sell/use this stuff these days?) and keep the oil topped up to the max mark - don't overfill, that can cause some engines a host of problems.
Keep coolant level topped up on max and re-fresh every two to three years - quality anti-freeze and de-ionised water. Get coolant leaks fixed.
Just these simple 'good housekeeping' actions will mean you can thrash the provebial pants off the motor for well over 100k miles with no problems or real loss of performance.
I have wondered about this too, and the manual is a bit inconsistent - on one hand it says to "accelerate briskly" from standstill, and on the other it says to drive carefully until fully up to temp:
I did like how it mentions this though:
manual said:
Full speed ahead
Driving off expends considerably more
energy than driving at a constant speed.
So when starting off, drive for no more
than two vehicle lengths (approx. 5 m) in
1st gear and accelerate briskly with the
throttle at least three quarters of the way
down.
Environment!
You will save energy and help to
protect the environment if you refrain
from warming up the engine before
driving off and switch the engine off
when stationary due to a traffic
induced delay.
And later it says how you should not accelerate too hard until the engine has warmed up...?Driving off expends considerably more
energy than driving at a constant speed.
So when starting off, drive for no more
than two vehicle lengths (approx. 5 m) in
1st gear and accelerate briskly with the
throttle at least three quarters of the way
down.
Environment!
You will save energy and help to
protect the environment if you refrain
from warming up the engine before
driving off and switch the engine off
when stationary due to a traffic
induced delay.
I did like how it mentions this though:
manual said:
Letting go
It is always better to let the vehicle roll
with the transmission in gear and to apply
no gas than to roll in neutral. This way,
fuel consumption is zero (deceleration
fuel shutoff).
It is always better to let the vehicle roll
with the transmission in gear and to apply
no gas than to roll in neutral. This way,
fuel consumption is zero (deceleration
fuel shutoff).
Let it warm up a bit, then give it a bit, change the oil once a year and dont worry about it, a bit of mechanical sympathy but 12 miles for it to warm up, bugger that, life is not long enough and neither are most of my journies, if the car breaks I will fix it or get another one. I think car people end up with more issues than half of the muppets that treat them like crap, it is like cars get needy if indulged too much.
I dont worry at 115,000 miles if its still running at 200,000 as at my mileage it will take until I am 70 and I dont intend to have the car, something age related (me or the car) will creep in by then, rust, accident or whatever, so give it a minute and then it gets treated to some revs.
I dont worry at 115,000 miles if its still running at 200,000 as at my mileage it will take until I am 70 and I dont intend to have the car, something age related (me or the car) will creep in by then, rust, accident or whatever, so give it a minute and then it gets treated to some revs.
esvcg said:
Liquid Tuna said:
An engine's warm when the oil is up to temp, NOT the water. Most cars these days only seem to have a water temp gauge. The oil takes longer to warm up.
Is that why the M BMW's have the red-amber-green lights by the rev counter as well as a temp gauge?Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff