One of the biggest killers of any motor is cold oil. Your oils minimum temperature should be 158 degrees F before you push it. Most 996tt's only have water temperature and normal is approx. 180 degrees. So what does that mean? It means that with an outside ambient temperature of 74 degrees you can let your car idle for approximately ten minutes for the water temperature to reach 158 degrees. The head water temperature will reach approx. 174 degrees and your oil temperature will be approximately 74 degrees.

I would patiently wait for 158 degree water temperature and then slowly drive (under 2000 rpm's) for a little more than 10 miles at which point my oil temperature is at 158 degrees F. If you push your car any sooner, you are pealing years of life off the motor.

What I discovered yesterday was a very interesting product called Radiator Relief. I drained one quart from my system and added one quart of Radiator Relief. I was a little skeptical and the results were not exactly what I was expecting. When I warmed up the motor it took four minutes to reach a 158 degree water temperature versus twelve minutes. The difference between the head and coolant water was only five degrees. The time it took the oil temperature to reach 158 degrees after the water temperature got to 158 degrees was the same. The car when pushed after everything was warmed up was running only 5 degrees cooler.

Just thought I would pass this on as this product is a definite help in accelerating motor warm up and reducing wear.

 

Chad won't the 12 mins dpending on outside temps?

 

Yes Duane, you are correct. My outside or ambient temperature was 74 degrees. If it is colder it will take longer than ten minutes. If hotter, then less time. The point I was trying to convey is with this product the warm up time is less tha half no matter what the temperature. The difference between head and coolant temperature was also closed.

The real point is the reduced wear. How many people wait 12 minutes and then slowly drive another ten miles? I was shocked when I discovered that my coolant temperature was 158 degrees and my oil temp. was only 74 degrees after ten minutes of idle time.

 

Where did you get this stuff?

 

The company that makes it is Design Engineering. Their website is www.designengineering.com . Go to products and then down to radiator products.

 

Good info!!!! I always wait 10 minutes or more before I get on my car but my wife tells me I am too **** about everything. This will settle the score. Thanks man!!!!!!!

 

Thanks Chad, I am going to order it!!

 

Chad, isn't lugging a cold engine (under 2k rpm) not so great either? I'd think there's a trade-off between on the one hand minimizing friction wear, e.g., ring-to-cylinder wall, vs. on the other hand stressing the rod bearings by lugging the motor until you get good oil temps. In other words, robbing Peter to pay Paul. As opposed to being in the, say, 2500-3500 rpm range during the "easy" driving to not lug the motor but still not rev it.

I have no idea; just a thought. Up until now, I've tried not to load the motor much at all under 2500rpms (at any temp really, but especially when stone cold).

 

I've heard similar theories and always beleived that the best possible warm up was to drive at moderate RPMs (not too high, not too low) until the engine oil is warm.

As for determining when the engine oil is warm, absent an oil temp gauge I've been using the engine oil metering system as a surrogate. The engine oil meter will not work unless it deems the oil to be sufficiently warm. I know about how far I get from my house before this occurs, and then double check at the stop light with a quick read. (It also ensures that the car has sufficient oil...)