Quote:
Originally Posted by 2013Versa
I read a book a while back (How to make your car last forever) that explained how every time an engine is started, before the oil pressure builds up to do it's normal job, the metal-to-metal wear on the main bearings and the other initially non-lubricated parts of the motor like the camshaft and timing gear is the same as if you drove 500 miles.
|
IMHO,any book that claims even a cold start is equivalent to 500 miles driving would have to be suspect, especially considering the abilities of modern lubricants.
Shutting off the engine for a few minutes at the lights isn't enough time for ALL the oil to drain back from wearing parts and a warmed up engine (and oil) regains full circulation very quickly on restart.
The only consideration I see is, have you saved enough fuel through not idling for those few minutes to more than cover the extra load on the charging system that the starter used.
In most cases, I think it's worth switching off for even a short stop.
I'm on my third Nissan/Datsun (all autos). The first was 25 years old when I sold it, still with the original starter and the second ran 20 years on the original. I don't think you have much to worry about in that regard.