Just as subject says, should I start it once in a while and if so how often should I start it.

 

this is how i look at it...

letting the car sit basically drains the oil off of all the moving parts. when you start it, there are several seconds that are unoiled while the oil pump is getting oil to all the parts. and even after that untill the oil is warm and flowing well, there is added wear on the parts.

having said that...do you think it is better to do that once a week, or only once in the spring?

if everything is in working order you should have no problems letting it sit all winter, and starting it once in the sping.

 

You should start your car at the very least once a week just to keep the bearings lubricated. The longer the engine sets with no circulating oil, the less protection you give the bearings,valves, springs.....all metal to metal moving parts.

 

I'd start it every other week. at least once a month and let it run for a good half hour or so. If the roads are dry,clean and salt free, take it for a lil ride !

 

"the less protection you give the bearings,valves, springs.....all metal to metal moving parts."

good in theory....BUT...

all the oil drains off the engine and out of the bearings very soon after shutting the car off. particularly while it's warm and more viscous.

so basically if 99.5% of the oil drains off the engine in the first 24 hours, what difference does it make whether you wait 1 week to recirculate oil or 3 months?

either way that start up is going to cause added wear, while the oil is still recirculating the engine is basically running dry.

so is it better to do that once a week, or to only do it once in the spring?

 

I start mine once a week let it run for awhile.

 

I would start it once a week and let it run for 30mins or so. At least keep the battery charged.

 

mines been sitting all winter so far.....and i prolly wont start it untill spring.

 

You'll probably have to jump it too

 

I wouldn't start it at all, until your ready to drive it in the spring. It might be a good idea to change your oil right before you crank it up though. Maybe that way oil could drip down all over everything from the top, and then you could start the car up shortly there after. No wear and tear. Just my .02.

 

personally i like the start it once method! thats how i did it last year, granted i had to let the battery charge for about 20 mins, cuz it wouldnt even jump. but once it started she was a fine

I havent started mine at all this winter... probly cuz its all torn apart haha but even if it wasnt i doubt it would be started... i dont see the need to do so

 

brn_em_up13's sig: 1995 Trans Am, red, 6spd, t-tops.

Naaa, he'll just have to give her a little push out the door like I did my poor little '86 honda civic hatchback ("the mouse," gas milage car) after I let it sit all winter since I had a 4x4 truck.

Sorry I don't have any better input into this, but my grocery getter didn't complain too much when I started it for the first time after a winter of sitting. It had over 100K and came from Chicago.

 

Lawrenceville! Finally, somebody w/in a short driving distance of me!

My dilema is that my engine is ~just~ rebuilt. I drove it one night (120 miles) before the snow fell. I'm still well within the break in period, so how do you think I should approach cold starts? I'd love to be out driving it, but the roads don't entice me with the condition they're in.

This is the first winter in 5 that it's been sitting (finally got a winter beater) so it's not like it hasn't seen its share of salt and slush.

Fred

 

this is what I was planning to do, let the car sit until spring and then start it I would change the oil first though. My dad says that I should start it once in a while to keep everything lubricated. The only reason I would start it everyweek or so is to keep valve seals lubricated because I think that they are already worn out, because when I start it I see blue smoke come out. Also I have taken the battery into house and I charge it once in a while, so I still don't know what to do, one person belives its better to start it once in spring while others belive start it once a week.

 

Just wait until the spring to start it, unless you can find a nice dry day during the winter where you can take the car out for a nice long spin in order to get everything fully heated up.

Even when your engine has not been started in months, there will still be a very thin layer of oil on the parts, they'll never be 100% bone dry.