Remote Starter Question
02-03-2017, 07:47 PM
#1
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Remote Starter Question
I got a brand new TLX 2016 last year: I'm currently putting up with the worst of Canadian winter which is the end of January, and we have very cold temperatures, sometimes under -20C. My car is left outdoors, and climbing into it in the morning feels like holding your ball-sack on a pack of ice and having Parkinson disease at the same time, to the point where I'm having second thoughts about entering traffic. If I drive off with it cold, the whole thing feels like a piece of slime or a jello, it cant accelerate properly, can't turn properly and all its mechanical functions are reduced in some way.
If you have not guessed it by the title of the topic, I found the remote starter function extremely beneficial to me. I start the car from my apartment while pulling my Jeans and getting ready to leave, and, 7 minutes later, I get in the car and it's all warm and cozy. I can immediately drive off in sports mode and the thing is just amazing, the engine is warm enough to get past that jello effect and I can just drive the thing beautifully. My question is very simple:
Can I damage the engine if I use the Remote Starter function daily to warm up the engine, or is it better to drive off with it cold and accelerate under 2k through that jello effect until the engine is warm? What's best for my car?
If you have not guessed it by the title of the topic, I found the remote starter function extremely beneficial to me. I start the car from my apartment while pulling my Jeans and getting ready to leave, and, 7 minutes later, I get in the car and it's all warm and cozy. I can immediately drive off in sports mode and the thing is just amazing, the engine is warm enough to get past that jello effect and I can just drive the thing beautifully. My question is very simple:
Can I damage the engine if I use the Remote Starter function daily to warm up the engine, or is it better to drive off with it cold and accelerate under 2k through that jello effect until the engine is warm? What's best for my car?
02-03-2017, 08:31 PM
#2
Three Wheelin'
Doubt it, I mean you're using it for its purpose. You're already warming the engine up by remote starting it and should be fine to drive off as normal once you're good to go.
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02-03-2017, 08:35 PM
#3
Three Wheelin'
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As a fellow Canadian going through a long cold winter, I can feel my pain. Luckily I garage my car and find that it warms up quite quickly. I do always start off in ECO, especially with the ice as quick acceleration is not generally advisable. I move up to Normal after a while, and usually only engage Sport on more open roads, if dry. This also works best for the transmission.
As for the Remote Starter, it's certainly useful. Just a caution, however, that most experts that I have read feel that over 30 to 60 seconds of idling is not great for the engine, and driving with slower acceleration is the safest way to warm up the engine and the car. Doing that every day could be a problem, but I rely on those that understand engines much more than I do. I live in a residential area, so it's never an issue to drive that way for the first part of any trip.
As for the Remote Starter, it's certainly useful. Just a caution, however, that most experts that I have read feel that over 30 to 60 seconds of idling is not great for the engine, and driving with slower acceleration is the safest way to warm up the engine and the car. Doing that every day could be a problem, but I rely on those that understand engines much more than I do. I live in a residential area, so it's never an issue to drive that way for the first part of any trip.
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Ksa (02-06-2017)
02-03-2017, 08:44 PM
#4
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Thank you for your replies guys. I quickly googled this and found:
https://www.perfectionistautosound.c...starter-myths/
I'm not sure how reliable this source is, it's a company located in Alaska. Are there any mechanics here that can clarify if this is a Myth or not? I would hate to take an approach that damages the engine on the long run, whatever that approach may be.
https://www.perfectionistautosound.c...starter-myths/
2. They are bad for your engine
The reality is that remote-starting your engine is good for it. When it is cold outside, the oil in your engine is much thicker than after it heats up. Allowing your engine to preheat before driving off will make your drivetrain last longer.I'm not sure how reliable this source is, it's a company located in Alaska. Are there any mechanics here that can clarify if this is a Myth or not? I would hate to take an approach that damages the engine on the long run, whatever that approach may be.
02-03-2017, 09:24 PM
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Found something a bit better:
" When your engine is cold, the gasoline is less likely to evaporate and create the correct ratio of air and vaporized fuel for combustion. Engines with electronic fuel injection have sensors that compensate for the cold by pumping more gasoline into the mixture. The engine continues to run rich in this way until it heats up to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a problem because you're actually putting extra fuel into the combustion chamber to make it burn and some of it can get onto the cylinder walls."
Stephen Ciatti, a mechanical engineer who specializes in combustion engines at the Argonne National Laboratory, told Business Insider. "Gasoline is an outstanding solvent and it can actually wash oil off the walls if you run it in those cold idle conditions for an extended period of time."The life of components like piston rings and cylinder liners can be significantly reduced by gasoline washing away the lubricating oil, not to mention the extra fuel that is used while the engine runs rich. Driving your car is the fastest way to warm the engine up to 40 degrees so it switches back to a normal fuel to air ratio.
What I don't get is the engineer's explanation tends to actually favor idling and remote starting, because if cold temperatures require a richer fuel to air ratio, and the extra fuel dissolves the oil, how is pressing the gas pedal going to help this situation? I recall on a really cold day, I let it warm up for 20 seconds and drove off taking it easy, came to an intersection to take a left. As there was a small window of opportunity to make that left, I hit the gas a bit harder to make it through, and literally seconds after I could notice a smell of gasoline inside the car. Once you're in traffic many things can happen and in that particular situation I don't feel that the car was ready to be in traffic at all. Sure the car warms up faster, but you're throwing in more fuel as well, that's why it warms up faster.
Anybody knows?
" When your engine is cold, the gasoline is less likely to evaporate and create the correct ratio of air and vaporized fuel for combustion. Engines with electronic fuel injection have sensors that compensate for the cold by pumping more gasoline into the mixture. The engine continues to run rich in this way until it heats up to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a problem because you're actually putting extra fuel into the combustion chamber to make it burn and some of it can get onto the cylinder walls."
Stephen Ciatti, a mechanical engineer who specializes in combustion engines at the Argonne National Laboratory, told Business Insider. "Gasoline is an outstanding solvent and it can actually wash oil off the walls if you run it in those cold idle conditions for an extended period of time."The life of components like piston rings and cylinder liners can be significantly reduced by gasoline washing away the lubricating oil, not to mention the extra fuel that is used while the engine runs rich. Driving your car is the fastest way to warm the engine up to 40 degrees so it switches back to a normal fuel to air ratio.
What I don't get is the engineer's explanation tends to actually favor idling and remote starting, because if cold temperatures require a richer fuel to air ratio, and the extra fuel dissolves the oil, how is pressing the gas pedal going to help this situation? I recall on a really cold day, I let it warm up for 20 seconds and drove off taking it easy, came to an intersection to take a left. As there was a small window of opportunity to make that left, I hit the gas a bit harder to make it through, and literally seconds after I could notice a smell of gasoline inside the car. Once you're in traffic many things can happen and in that particular situation I don't feel that the car was ready to be in traffic at all. Sure the car warms up faster, but you're throwing in more fuel as well, that's why it warms up faster.
Anybody knows?
02-03-2017, 11:51 PM
#6
Azine Jabroni
Found something a bit better:
" When your engine is cold, the gasoline is less likely to evaporate and create the correct ratio of air and vaporized fuel for combustion. Engines with electronic fuel injection have sensors that compensate for the cold by pumping more gasoline into the mixture. The engine continues to run rich in this way until it heats up to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a problem because you're actually putting extra fuel into the combustion chamber to make it burn and some of it can get onto the cylinder walls."
Stephen Ciatti, a mechanical engineer who specializes in combustion engines at the Argonne National Laboratory, told Business Insider. "Gasoline is an outstanding solvent and it can actually wash oil off the walls if you run it in those cold idle conditions for an extended period of time."The life of components like piston rings and cylinder liners can be significantly reduced by gasoline washing away the lubricating oil, not to mention the extra fuel that is used while the engine runs rich. Driving your car is the fastest way to warm the engine up to 40 degrees so it switches back to a normal fuel to air ratio.
What I don't get is the engineer's explanation tends to actually favor idling and remote starting, because if cold temperatures require a richer fuel to air ratio, and the extra fuel dissolves the oil, how is pressing the gas pedal going to help this situation? I recall on a really cold day, I let it warm up for 20 seconds and drove off taking it easy, came to an intersection to take a left. As there was a small window of opportunity to make that left, I hit the gas a bit harder to make it through, and literally seconds after I could notice a smell of gasoline inside the car. Once you're in traffic many things can happen and in that particular situation I don't feel that the car was ready to be in traffic at all. Sure the car warms up faster, but you're throwing in more fuel as well, that's why it warms up faster.
Anybody knows?
" When your engine is cold, the gasoline is less likely to evaporate and create the correct ratio of air and vaporized fuel for combustion. Engines with electronic fuel injection have sensors that compensate for the cold by pumping more gasoline into the mixture. The engine continues to run rich in this way until it heats up to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a problem because you're actually putting extra fuel into the combustion chamber to make it burn and some of it can get onto the cylinder walls."
Stephen Ciatti, a mechanical engineer who specializes in combustion engines at the Argonne National Laboratory, told Business Insider. "Gasoline is an outstanding solvent and it can actually wash oil off the walls if you run it in those cold idle conditions for an extended period of time."The life of components like piston rings and cylinder liners can be significantly reduced by gasoline washing away the lubricating oil, not to mention the extra fuel that is used while the engine runs rich. Driving your car is the fastest way to warm the engine up to 40 degrees so it switches back to a normal fuel to air ratio.
What I don't get is the engineer's explanation tends to actually favor idling and remote starting, because if cold temperatures require a richer fuel to air ratio, and the extra fuel dissolves the oil, how is pressing the gas pedal going to help this situation? I recall on a really cold day, I let it warm up for 20 seconds and drove off taking it easy, came to an intersection to take a left. As there was a small window of opportunity to make that left, I hit the gas a bit harder to make it through, and literally seconds after I could notice a smell of gasoline inside the car. Once you're in traffic many things can happen and in that particular situation I don't feel that the car was ready to be in traffic at all. Sure the car warms up faster, but you're throwing in more fuel as well, that's why it warms up faster.
Anybody knows?
Source: What little I remember from my Chemical Engineering degree.
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Ksa (02-06-2017)
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02-04-2017, 09:59 AM
#8
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I also have a chem eng degree hah! The world is small. Thank you for your reply. Exactly, but to trigger that increase in reaction rate you have to press the gas pedal at first to send in more fuel so that more kj of heat are generated. Wouldn't that flood the pistons? If the problem is indeed the extra gasoline disolving the piston oil, wether you send in lots of solvent for a short period of time or little of it for a bit longer, i have trouble seeing which is worse
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Ksa (02-06-2017)
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02-04-2017, 10:57 PM
#11
I got a brand new TLX 2016 last year: I'm currently putting up with the worst of Canadian winter which is the end of January, and we have very cold temperatures, sometimes under -20C. My car is left outdoors, and climbing into it in the morning feels like holding your ball-sack on a pack of ice and having Parkinson disease at the same time, to the point where I'm having second thoughts about entering traffic. If I drive off with it cold, the whole thing feels like a piece of slime or a jello, it cant accelerate properly, can't turn properly and all its mechanical functions are reduced in some way.
If you have not guessed it by the title of the topic, I found the remote starter function extremely beneficial to me. I start the car from my apartment while pulling my Jeans and getting ready to leave, and, 7 minutes later, I get in the car and it's all warm and cozy. I can immediately drive off in sports mode and the thing is just amazing, the engine is warm enough to get past that jello effect and I can just drive the thing beautifully. My question is very simple:
Can I damage the engine if I use the Remote Starter function daily to warm up the engine, or is it better to drive off with it cold and accelerate under 2k through that jello effect until the engine is warm? What's best for my car?
If you have not guessed it by the title of the topic, I found the remote starter function extremely beneficial to me. I start the car from my apartment while pulling my Jeans and getting ready to leave, and, 7 minutes later, I get in the car and it's all warm and cozy. I can immediately drive off in sports mode and the thing is just amazing, the engine is warm enough to get past that jello effect and I can just drive the thing beautifully. My question is very simple:
Can I damage the engine if I use the Remote Starter function daily to warm up the engine, or is it better to drive off with it cold and accelerate under 2k through that jello effect until the engine is warm? What's best for my car?
I have a 6 year old Ford Escape with factory remote start being used at least twice a day for the past 6 years with 85k+ miles and had no issues so far. Also this has the old tech where the car shuts down once the door is opened. So ignition after every remote start.
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Ksa (02-06-2017)
02-05-2017, 11:57 AM
#13
-20C isn't a temperature, it's a lab experiment ... 
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Ksa (02-06-2017)
02-06-2017, 10:27 AM
#14
There are four lights!
Engine technicalities aside, the only time I warm up my car is for safety reasons. I'm not driving if I can't see out of windows crusted with ice and frost. Otherwise, I normally just start and then drive.
02-06-2017, 01:57 PM
#15
Azine Jabroni
I was in Chicago in December for a wedding and I honestly started driving with a frozen windshield. Terrifying. I went like 20 feet.
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Ksa (02-06-2017)