Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Engine warm-up FAIL

Miller88 · 12-27-2014, 05:35 PM

Now that I'm at a computer ...

If there's any sort of load (driving, etc), it'll warm up to 180F and maintain 180F. In the summer it will run a bit warmer, but it never runs below it. I don't think the thermostat is bad ... but the car is relatively efficient. If it's -10F out and the car is just idling, I don't think it uses enough fuel to make heat. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I have hit the radiator hoses with an iR thermometer along with shooting the coolant in the radiator with an iR thermometer - nothing was flowing into the radiator. I've toyed around with the idea of replacing it with a 190F thermostat out of a late model Ranger (it will interchange) ... but I can't figure out where the fan is programmed to turn on and what's ideal operating temperature.

On my Cherokee, I know the ideal temperature is 210 ... so that's what I shoot for in the winter. Even though the hottest thermostat I can get is 190.

On top of the labor involved, it's a thermostat housing / sensor / thermostat all - in - one. One can try to replace just the thermostat, but that often doesn't go well as you have to cut them apart and mold them back together.

On topic ...

I think a lot of older people are just programmed to idle the car. When my parents started driving, it was all carburetor vehicles with SAE30 and SAE40 oil in them. Mayyyyyyyyyyyybe a "light" 10w-40.

Carbureted cars, especially with thick oil, don't like to run in the cold. I can imagine the frustration of cranking your car for 3 days straight, pumping the pedal 30,000,000 times - having it finally start running on 1 or 2 cylinders, just to drop it into gear and have it stall. Back at square 1.

Takes a while before SAE30 will start flowing well. Also takes a while before a carbureted engine will actually drive a transmission without stalling.

I usually run 0w-20 in the Focus in the winter. It flows instantly. It has EFI, so it starts instantly; no cranking for an hour while I pump a gas pedal and hope and pray it might start sometime this year. I usually wait until it idles below 2500RPM and I take off.

12-27-2014, 05:35 PM	#21 (permalink)
Miller88 Master EcoModder Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: NY state Posts: 501 XJ Cherokee - '00 Jeep Cherokee Sport 90 day: 12.96 mpg (US) FoFO - '11 Ford Focus SE 90 day: 36.78 mpg (US) Thanks: 1 Thanked 51 Times in 38 Posts	Now that I'm at a computer ... If there's any sort of load (driving, etc), it'll warm up to 180F and maintain 180F. In the summer it will run a bit warmer, but it never runs below it. I don't think the thermostat is bad ... but the car is relatively efficient. If it's -10F out and the car is just idling, I don't think it uses enough fuel to make heat. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I have hit the radiator hoses with an iR thermometer along with shooting the coolant in the radiator with an iR thermometer - nothing was flowing into the radiator. I've toyed around with the idea of replacing it with a 190F thermostat out of a late model Ranger (it will interchange) ... but I can't figure out where the fan is programmed to turn on and what's ideal operating temperature. On my Cherokee, I know the ideal temperature is 210 ... so that's what I shoot for in the winter. Even though the hottest thermostat I can get is 190. On top of the labor involved, it's a thermostat housing / sensor / thermostat all - in - one. One can try to replace just the thermostat, but that often doesn't go well as you have to cut them apart and mold them back together. On topic ... I think a lot of older people are just programmed to idle the car. When my parents started driving, it was all carburetor vehicles with SAE30 and SAE40 oil in them. Mayyyyyyyyyyyybe a "light" 10w-40. Carbureted cars, especially with thick oil, don't like to run in the cold. I can imagine the frustration of cranking your car for 3 days straight, pumping the pedal 30,000,000 times - having it finally start running on 1 or 2 cylinders, just to drop it into gear and have it stall. Back at square 1. Takes a while before SAE30 will start flowing well. Also takes a while before a carbureted engine will actually drive a transmission without stalling. I usually run 0w-20 in the Focus in the winter. It flows instantly. It has EFI, so it starts instantly; no cranking for an hour while I pump a gas pedal and hope and pray it might start sometime this year. I usually wait until it idles below 2500RPM and I take off.