Car moving question

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What happens when one occasionally goes and starts a car to move it and then turns it off (10-15 seconds). Does that cause anything wear wise. Perhaps insignificant...just curious.
 
I used to do that with my Nissan van, with a diesel engine. One time it ran for 30 sec, started going rough and stalled. The cam shaft seized, broke and pushed the valves up into the camshaft, breaking it even more. The camshaft is the last to get oil in an ohc...the journal can only run on hydrodynamic lubrication for so long without replenishment.
 
10-15 secs...Oh the agony and pain. Its awful in extremely cold climate and just plain bad anytime. Throw in N and use them leg muscles
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If the vehicle is driven regularly, shouldn't be a problem as fresh oil will be delivered to the top end. But if it gets shuttled around for a few seconds then shut down way more often than it is driven, make sure it runs at least a minute or so each time to get good oil flow to the top end. This also gives the battery more of a chance to recharge after starting.

If the cars need to be shuttled like that regularly, perhaps devise some sort of plan to reduce such unnecessary cold starts and "micro trips". Change what order the cars are parked? Back out the first car to let a second one exit, then pull the first car back into the driveway so it gets a little more run time?
 
Originally Posted By: Silk
I used to do that with my Nissan van, with a diesel engine. One time it ran for 30 sec, started going rough and stalled. The cam shaft seized,


This was obviously an engine that was never allowed to reach full oil pressure for QUITE A FEW successive start-stop cycles.
 
Originally Posted By: mbacfp
What happens when one occasionally goes and starts a car to move it and then turns it off (10-15 seconds). Does that cause anything wear wise. Perhaps insignificant...just curious.


If it's ONCE in a while, no big deal.

Don't make it a daily routine, OK?
 
I don't do that personally. However, today I moved my motorhome to work on servicing the generator...then moved it back. Got me thinking what does that do to the motor and oil in that short time. Rare event...just curious. My neighbors have cars they move around all the time with kides leaving, etc. Just curious.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
This was obviously an engine that was never allowed to reach full oil pressure for QUITE A FEW successive start-stop cycles.


Yep, start it up, move it...move it back. A few weeks later do the same again. Being an IDI it wasn't a good runner on start up, so I would just shut it down. I have since decided it's not a good thing to do.
 
Originally Posted By: mbacfp
What happens when one occasionally goes and starts a car to move it and then turns it off (10-15 seconds). Does that cause anything wear wise. Perhaps insignificant...just curious.


Typically the engine falls out within a few days.
 
If it gets driven regularly, insignificant. If that's all the running it sees for extended periods... let it idle at least a minute every 3-4 times you do it, or if it has sat more than a few days.
 
Anyone remember "lawn mower syndrome"?

It happened when you started your car to roll it out of the garage in order to get your lawn mower out.

THEN, when you went to restart it, the engine required 30 seconds to 2 minutes of cranking BECAUSE the hydraulic lifters had been emptied (squeezed empty) during the initial running of the engine. The prolonged cranking time was said to be needed to replenish oil pressure.

I thought it was a total fabrication. I still do. AND I learned about it back in the pre-internet" days of letters to the editor (in magazines).
See, even then there were falsehoods to be weary of.
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
older v8s take a long time to get oil to valves, years ago started one with valve cover off and it takes a while!!!


Really old engines (like antique aircraft engines) had no oil flow to the valves.... AT ALL!!!
(But I can see how the cam seized in your Nissan diesel)

Frontiers_of_Flight_Museum_December_2015_104_%28Curtiss_OX-5_engine%29.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Kira

THEN, when you went to restart it, the engine required 30 seconds to 2 minutes of cranking BECAUSE the hydraulic lifters had been emptied (squeezed empty) during the initial running of the engine.


Complete hogwash.

Lifters bled completely down barely diminish valve lift.... maybe 10%.
The engine will run just fine.
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
Anyone remember "lawn mower syndrome"?

It happened when you started your car to roll it out of the garage in order to get your lawn mower out.

THEN, when you went to restart it, the engine required 30 seconds to 2 minutes of cranking BECAUSE the hydraulic lifters had been emptied (squeezed empty) during the initial running of the engine. The prolonged cranking time was said to be needed to replenish oil pressure.

I thought it was a total fabrication. I still do. AND I learned about it back in the pre-internet" days of letters to the editor (in magazines).
See, even then there were falsehoods to be weary of.


it's a thing but as I heard it due to spark plugs fouling with fuel.

The condensation in your exhaust will eat it away faster.
 
Originally Posted By: Marco620
10-15 secs...Oh the agony and pain. Its awful in extremely cold climate and just plain bad anytime. Throw in N and use them leg muscles
thumbsup2.gif



x2
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
it's a thing but as I heard it due to spark plugs fouling with fuel.
The condensation in your exhaust will eat it away faster.


This. The acids in the cold engine water vapor (those steam clouds) deposit all along the system at shutoff, not so much when there is drier exhaust after warmup which also boils moisture out of the oil once that hits 212*F. And the gas fouling.
I had to move the sold Acura last week in 32*F, and the next time it started gas stunk up the cabin. Give it a few minutes running at least if moved.
 
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