Peter R. wrote:

Why is it that here in the Northeast US seemingly no one preheats their
automobile engine before start-up in very cold temperatures? Is the long-term
damage the same for both autos and aircraft engines? If so, why do you
suppose auto owners don't typically do this? Is it because that most auto
owners do not keep their cars very long?


Well, I make no claim to KNOW the answer, but I do have a few opinions
about it.

1. Auto engines have tighter tolerances as they are water cooled and
operate over a narrower and better controlled temperature range. They
can thus run thinner oil which starts to circulate much more quickly
than the molasses specified for most aircraft engines.

2. The consequences of engine damage in a car are much lower so it just
isn't worth the hassle of using an engine heater unless it is required
for the car to start.

3. This is a perpetuation of a decades old myth.

I personally believe that the above are weighted roughly as follows:

1. 30%
2. 10%
3. 60%

It would fun to have real data, but that would be very expensive and
time consuming to obtain. I've run many car engines well above 100,000
miles (roughly time equivalent to 2,000 hours, but not total power
produced equivalent to an airplane engine) with cold starts at least 5
months of the year and never had any indication of unusual engine wear.
I've NEVER yet worn out an auto engine in 30+ years of auto ownership.


Matt