Getting Worried about Startup Wear, what can I do?

[HawkeyeScott]

Would it make you feel better if you put an engine heater on it for use this winter? About 5 years ago I had an old 4.0 Jeep motor that was getting up there in miles. I cringed everytime I'd start it below freezing just because of the noises it made until it ran for a few seconds. So I spent $40 and had a block heater put on. When it would get really cold (lived in IA at the time so 0-degree weather isn't out of the question), I'd just plug it in. It was nice the next morning when it would start quietly and warm up quickly. It won't solve all your worries, but you could look at it as a move to restore some of the life you think the new schedule is taking out of the engine.

 

[Merkava_4]

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And she does not wait to drive off. She starts it and less than 15 secs off she goes.

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LOL!!! . . .

Even Bill's wife gets a rolleyes gremlin.

 

[ARB1977]

I wouldnt worry about stuff like that. Change the oil regularly and move on.

 

[Palut]

Be real easy on the car until it warms up. Here's what I do:

Start the car and idle 15-30 seconds, depending on the oil temperature, to let oil circulate. Drive as gently and smoothly as possible, keeping the revs low as possible, never exceeding 3000 rpm, and load as light as possible until coolant temperature reads normal. I allow myself a little more load but still drive as gingerly as possible until the oil tops 120°. As the oil continues to warm I gradually allow myself more revs and more throttle. Once the oil reaches 160°, which is where my current oil will thin to a thick 50 weight, I allow myself to drive however I want.

Examine the routes you take daily. It's much easier to drive gingerly when you don't need to accelerate up hills or start and stop a lot. Proper route selection can make it possible to be very good to your engine as it warms.

I also used that oil viscosity vs. temperature graphing tool posted on this site to find out how thick my oil is at a given temperature, which gives me an idea of how much throttle I can give based on whatever the current oil temperature is.

All this may make no difference, but at the very least it makes me feel better about startup wear.

 

[remmious]

If you want a piece of mind for start up wear I would focus more on your filter and combine that with a good oil. The filter can make a difference during the cold month periods.

 

[HACCOFFICER]

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If you want a piece of mind for start up wear I would focus more on your filter and combine that with a good oil. The filter can make a difference during the cold month periods.

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I use Amsoil EAO29 Oil filter combined with Amoil ASL

Also I would like to add that 90% of my mileage is highway,so I dont worry much about my driving routes and such.

 

[beanoil]

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Have no choice, can't afford to trade it until its paid off. It will be paid off in 6 years. I drive 36,000 per year.

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Something just isn't clicking with me here. I drive 30k business miles per year, and know how many starts I have a day from place to place on the average. Obviously, you have to be running the car for some distance during the day to get 36k a year, so even though you indicate several "cold" (IMO, from your description: they aren't) starts a day, you are running the car at some point up to temp, and for an extended time. I say quit worrying and drive.

 

[surfstar]

The engine will last - worry more about suspension/etc as the car ages. Amsoil oil and filter will protect it just fine. Sleep well at night and worry about other things.

 

[HACCOFFICER]

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Have no choice, can't afford to trade it until its paid off. It will be paid off in 6 years. I drive 36,000 per year.

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Something just isn't clicking with me here. I drive 30k business miles per year, and know how many starts I have a day from place to place on the average. Obviously, you have to be running the car for some distance during the day to get 36k a year, so even though you indicate several "cold" (IMO, from your description: they aren't) starts a day, you are running the car at some point up to temp, and for an extended time. I say quit worrying and drive.

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I travel alot. Work is 30 miles each way 6 days per week, Take my wife to work everyday which is 40 miles per day, take the son to school which is aprox 20 miles per day. take 2 trips per month that adds up to 1000 miles total.

 

[bob_ninja]

Like other said don't worry too much. Now synthetic does flow better, so you could mix in 1-2 qt of synthetic. That could be cheap insurance against startup wear, especially in the coming colder months.

For instance, here in Canada I go to 80%-100% synthetic during winter for obvious reasons.

 

[mechtech2]

Not much for you to do.
You paid for the car, so drive it as necessary.
I'd use a 0-X or 5-X oil in it.

 

[ziggy]

For what its worth.....
Ive noticed big time much smoother and faster starting, right after ive changed my oil, or have used Marvel Mystery oil, in my 95 plymouth neon. Ive used plety of others, as well as lucas, and MMO turns my car over with half turn fo the key, in prescribed doses per instructions. Youget the feelin, wear is minimal

 

[TurboTravis]

6 years to pay off that car? What is the payment? 20 dollars a month?!

T

 

[Camu Mahubah]

http://www.wolverineheater.com/

Click it!...It's okay...they are a site sponsor!

 

[HACCOFFICER]

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6 years to pay off that car? What is the payment? 20 dollars a month?!

T

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No, that would make cost of the AVEO $1,440 20x72months

( I wish I only paid 1440 for it). Try $292 per month. $12,780 (price after rebates and down payment) and 4000 transfered from my old car loan.

Seems to be some jokers on this board that likes to make fun of the Aveo crowd

. This Aveo is a much better car then any car I'm owned before.

 

[wgtoys]

All the worry about start up wear is quite overdone IMO. Hybrid cars start and stop their engines exceedingly often, but we are not seeing they die early death because of it.

The best thing you can do for your car is to park it in an attached garage overnight if that is an option for you.

But mostly, stop worrying about it. Make sure to maintain the other fluids on your car more often than GM says to. With your usage I would certainly be changing the transmission fluid once a year and flushing the brake fluid once every other year. Change out the coolant once every other year as well. GM tends to call transmission fluids lifetime fill, but doing so may well reduce that lifetime.

When you use up your Aveo it might be smart to look at a Honda Fit for it's replacement. By then they should be plentiful and I would rather put my money on a Honda than on a GM-Daewoo product.

 

[Gary Allan]

You have very few starts per mile. Cold or otherwise.

 

[Max_Wander]

For 12 years we had a '89 626 do dead-of-winter cold starts with ---- only knows what kind of dino oil, 10w30 probably. The trip was to pick up my sister who worked 1 mile away. We sold it in '04 to my friend who used it as a long-haul beater for another 2 years. No oil changes n that two years! Engine and transmission were never touched. We bought this car from Hertz in 89 after it had been in an accident. FEAR NOT AND DRIVE!!

 

[Auto-Union]

Toss some 2-Cycle oil into the fuel. Maybe shut the key off with the throttle depressed to coat the cyl areas with some 2-C. How's that?

 

[HACCOFFICER]

I'll try to stop worrying. I will be hard to do, but I'll try.

Thanks for all your help