Keeno SAABy
Many years ago I bought a new SAAB with a Ford V4 engine. I had once been told that when starting with a cold engine you should drive as if you were 'running in' until the engine reached the normal working temperature. Do you think that this advice is still true today? I always did this, and ran the car for many years. On one of the service visits the man who ran the garage, from where I bought the car, told me that the engine was in the best condition that he had ever seen in an engine with so much mileage. I have a neighbour who has a Honda, which is not kept in a garage. He always drives as if he is in a hurry, tearing up the road every morning, even when it has been minus 15c overnight. What do you think about this?
Asked on 28 August 2010 by JH, Bowdon
Answered by
Honest John
You avoid more than 2,000rpm until up to temperature because the oil is not properly circulated. In Scandinavia, drivers use an electric element in the radiator or in the sump to warm up the engine. For its new 1.6 diesel engine, Renault has now devised a three-stage warm-up whereby the block heats first, then the heater matrix and only when all is at temperature does the thermostat open and the coolant start to circulate through the radiator.
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