Should you still plug in if you use synthetic oil?

[Hallowed_point]

I say yes especially in these frigid temps. I know that my 98 Camaro hated cold starts and would sputter and die unless I held the gas at 1500 rpm until it warmed up a bit
even running premium synthetic.

*I ran a diesel style oil pan heater and that worked perfectly.

[Maxx Mazda]

I always plug in my truck if it’s below about -20 (F150 Ecoboost)

I run synthetic, so does it absolutely need it? No. But it’s a hell of a lot easier on the engine so why wouldn’t I?

[Akagi Redsuns]

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He’s partially right though. Although a block heater doesn’t heat the oil directly and very little conduction heat will make it to the pan it absolutely will (indirectly) get the oil up to operating temperature more quickly.

Very true. My car's oil temp gauge starts reading temps above 30C and if I plug the car in, it will read 30C within a few a minutes of idling. If not plugged in, it takes the same few mins of idling, plus several minutes of driving before it registers 30C. I still plug it in despite my car running synthetic.

For fun will take a look at my OBDII temp readings but imagine the sensor location would greatly affect it.

[Seth1968]

Ok, thanks for the replies.

For a small engine such as less than 2 liters, I'm thinking about 2 to 3 hours plugged in should suffice. Correct?

[jutes]

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Ok, thanks for the replies.

For a small engine such as less than 2 liters, I'm thinking about 2 to 3 hours plugged in should suffice. Correct?

You are better off using a block heater, oil pan pad heater, battery blanket and battery tender. That should fire her right up.

[J-hop]

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You are better off using a block heater, oil pan pad heater, battery blanket and battery tender. That should fire her right up.

Where are you going to plug all that in haha

[Seth1968]

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You are better off using a block heater, oil pan pad heater, battery blanket and battery tender. That should fire her right up.

I've got a 2003 Civic and a 2016 econobox Accent. Neither have any issue starting right up, even in the weather we have now.

I'll call the dealerships and find out if the heater is for the coolant, or the oil, but it seems that stock block heaters are for the coolant.

[Hallowed_point]

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I've got a 2003 Civic and a 2016 econobox Accent. Neither have any issue starting right up, even in the weather we have now.

I'll call the dealerships and find out if the heater is for the coolant, or the oil, but it seems that stock block heaters are for the coolant.

A 4 cylinder car with a good battery should start fine. Bigger engine? Not so much

[Seth1968]

I didn't plug them in yesterday just to see how they started, and they both started without issue. The Accent sounded just fine, but the Civic moaned and groaned for a couple of minutes.

[NissanFanBoy]

Whatever I have works, plugged it in last night, this morning, no crazy sounds on start up.

[Darkane]

Plugging in is good.

Block heater will warm the coolant and the natural circulation will assist in warming the entire block, heads, Intake and oil.

It’s also preferable from an emissions point of view (if you care).

/Nerd:

Aluminum has a higher coefficient or expansion than cast iron /w aluminum alloy (typical piston material), therefore if left cold the aluminum would “shrink” around the cast causing less clearance and potentially more resistance. It’s probably negligible, i’m just spitballing. An all forged internal assembly tends to slap and make noises until it’s warmed up because of this too. More clearance cold.

[Hallowed_point]

^ Yup Gen 3 LS engines are a little slap happy when cold..nothing to fret about

[r3ccOs]

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Plugging in is good.

Block heater will warm the coolant and the natural circulation will assist in warming the entire block, heads, Intake and oil.

It’s also preferable from an emissions point of view (if you care).

/Nerd:

Aluminum has a higher coefficient or expansion than cast iron /w aluminum alloy (typical piston material), therefore if left cold the aluminum would “shrink” around the cast causing less clearance and potentially more resistance. It’s probably negligible, i’m just spitballing. An all forged internal assembly tends to slap and make noises until it’s warmed up because of this too. More clearance cold.

Great group IV or V LNG based pure synthetic lubricants at the right viscosity rating should be good for almost even the most frigid Calgary weather... BUT knowing many of the late 2k vehicles all have phaser based variable valve timing that uses oil pressure... Why "not" plug it in, especially on vehicles with known sensitivities in those valve train (1st gen ecoboost engines, VQs, 5.4 triton even with the updated VCT, VANOS failures)

My T5 volvo for instance has no valve train issue, but its known problems with its PCV (a strange and complex version of one) which benefits at operating all the time at normal operating temp, otherwise it gets clogged and results in problems (also seals)
So whenever I can, I plug it in or keep it in the garage.

[ShermanEF9]

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Plugging in is good.

Block heater will warm the coolant and the natural circulation will assist in warming the entire block, heads, Intake and oil.

It’s also preferable from an emissions point of view (if you care).

/Nerd:

Aluminum has a higher coefficient or expansion than cast iron /w aluminum alloy (typical piston material), therefore if left cold the aluminum would “shrink” around the cast causing less clearance and potentially more resistance. It’s probably negligible, i’m just spitballing. An all forged internal assembly tends to slap and make noises until it’s warmed up because of this too. More clearance cold.

I was also going to mention this. Warm coolant = Warm block = expanded clearances = easier starting.

[killramos]

You guys are all wrong you should clearly be storing your vehicles in a climate controlled container with positive pressure preventing any external air from getting in and keep both your oil and coolant heated at all times at exactly peak operating temperature, also who doesn’t have separate heaters for their fuel tank and windshield washer fluid reservoir as well.

Even then you probably shouldn’t even take your vehicles outside, if you do you are just a bad vehicle owner.

This is why hipsters ride bikes and take the bus.

This thread

Mountains and molehills people.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

There are so many benefits to plugging in. Reduced wear on engine, better fuel economy, reduced warm up time and window defrost, oil temps likely to get higher on your drive and that helps burning off condensation and other contaminants in the oil, less emissions.

[Seth1968]

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There are so many benefits to plugging in. Reduced wear on engine, better fuel economy, reduced warm up time and window defrost, oil temps likely to get higher on your drive and that helps burning off condensation and other contaminants in the oil, less emissions.

Even though I've always plugged in my vehicles, I began to wonder if it was necessary to do so since the viscosity of the synthetic oil remains unchanged. This of course was under the mistaken belief that the heater heated the oil. Now that I've found out that the stock heater heats the coolant and not the oil, I'll keep plugging in for the exact reasons you and others have posted

[J-hop]

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Even though I've always plugged in my vehicles, I began to wonder if it was necessary to do so since the viscosity of the synthetic oil remains unchanged. This of course was under the mistaken belief that the heater heated the oil. Now that I've found out that the stock heater heats the coolant and not the oil, I'll keep plugging in for the exact reasons you and others have posted

I’m seeing a ton of misinformation about synthetic oil in this thread. Not sure if this is what you’re getting at but To be clear new synthetic and conventional oil will have roughly the same viscosity curves.

5w-xx full synthetic is like molasses at -30.

[Seth1968]

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I’m seeing a ton of misinformation about synthetic oil in this thread. Not sure if this is what you’re getting at but To be clear new synthetic and conventional oil will have roughly the same viscosity curves.

5w-xx full synthetic is like molasses at -30.

Well, I'm clear on the block heater answer, but now confused as to the oil's viscosity at very cold temperatures.

What about this chart that Mitsu posted?

http://highperformancejunkies.com/5w30-oil-comparison/

[HiTempguy1]

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Where are you going to plug all that in haha

Thats the joke

Also, to be clear, if it is -30*c or lower (before windchill) 5w30 oil will be like molasses if it is conventional oil. That is bad. Plug your damn car in.

Many of the groupiv and v synthetic oils pour nicely even at that temperature. There is certainly a reason to run synthetics in our weather.

End of the day, as mentioned due to the way the metal of the engine expands and contracts, it just makes sense to plug a vehicle in. Less wear, quicker heat, and 5*c oil temp difference makes a huge change in viscosity at those temps (a block heater left on overnight brings coolant temp from ambient of -30*c to over 0*c, you can bet your ass some of that heat gets to the oil).