To start or not to start engines in winter

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moparker

moparker

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Do you members who live in the northern states start your cars every so often on the winter? I personally don't. Mainly due to they are buried and I can't get to them. I also pull the batteries and bring them in and put them on a battery tender. Let me know what you guys do.
 
Your best best is to use something like Sta-bil or some other fuel treatment so your fuel doesn't sludge up during the winter. I never had a vehicle that just sat over the winters when I was Michigan, but I would say starting them once in a while and letting them run for about 20 mins or so couldn't hurt. Will keep the fluids from gumming stuff up and what-not. A plug in block heater is usually a good idea if you don't have a heated garage or even a garage period. Just my .02¢
 
I put sta-bil in the tank just before winter set in,and start and run it for 20-30 every month or so....
 
It's better to leave them sit, not running, unless you have the opportunity to warm them all the way up to full operating temperature (i.e., drive the car). A partial warmup will just throw a bunch of water and acid in the crankcase and exhaust system.
 
sta-bil in the fuel drain & change oil before you start it all the dirt sludge and heavy particles will have settled to the bottom of the pan while sitting all winter
 
The only issue with starting them when it is cold is the lack of oil when they first start up do to the oil being cold and not flowing very quickly.
 
Blownfish said:
The only issue with starting them when it is cold is the lack of oil when they first start up do to the oil being cold and not flowing very quickly.
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This is true thats why i disconnect the ignition and crank until the oil pressure comes up where i like,then i fire it off...
 
experts say to not start, even when running the engine for 30 min the trans fluid will warm slightly then when it cools you may get condensation in it.
 
I've always ran mine once a month for a good 1/2 hour, well within operating range. Once warmed up, I give it a few shots on the throttle, to push the condensation in the pipes out.
Sta-Bil in the fuel, batterie disconnected and on a tender.
I've never had any issues in 25 years.

Oh, and I also close the garage door for 3-5 mins while the car is running, the CO2 will kill any rodent.
Note: the garage is not attached to the house.
 
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