Originally Posted by Frost (Post 3023232)

Idling means no load. No load means, engine doesn't churn out much horsepower which means not as much heat generated.

With the extreme temps we are getting, that could very well mean no load situations might not replenish the heat that's being dissipated to atmosphere which could mean temp could actually never hit optimum in an idle situation.

Originally Posted by Tcoat (Post 3023337)

The coldest I ever experienced was doing a two week leave coverage for a guy at the Canadian base in Alert. Went down to -55 (-70 with windchill) a couple of days. At that point vehicles just barely operate. I don't know how some of them stayed there for months at a time.

Originally Posted by Sideways (Post 3023213)

With the weather that we have been getting up here recently, I won't be surprised if the oil temps doesn't keep climbing to optimum temps during idling.

I have noticed that once I start the car in the morning these days, no matter how long I wait, the oil temp won't get the perfect temp until I start driving it. Same goes for the coolant temps.

Originally Posted by Jordanwolf (Post 3023372)

Holy wtf. So far that was my coldest and I hope to never have to experience anymore upwards(edit: I should probably say downwards) of it. I'd rather not have to wear a full ski outfit just to go to the corner store and not die from temps.

Originally Posted by Frost (Post 3023379)

This guy explains it quite well:

Should You Warm Up Your Car Before Driving? - YouTube

Originally Posted by TorontoNat (Post 3023207)

In extra, extra cold weather, SHould your engine oil start to cool down while still on and hot at idle?

Scenario: I drive to work in the morning... Engine gets to about 80% OP-TEMP, I park, have a smoke and leave the car on cuz... it's cold af. Should my Oil temp stay, keep climbing to perfect operating temp or start to dip slowly which is what mine does.

Hope my thermostat is not broken but that's the first thing that comes to mind unless it's normal in extra cold weather.

Thanks,

Originally Posted by Tokay444 (Post 3023373)

Never wait.
Start car and drive. Use a lower gear than you would for a given speed at operating temp, but be gentle. I tend to stay below 4,000 rpm.
Idling is the most wear and tear an engine sees after cold start, so idling cold is a huge no no. Then engine needs to rev to make pressure.

Originally Posted by wparsons (Post 3023401)

Unless you have an aftermarket oil cooler, there's no thermostat affecting your OIL temps. The thermostat is in the coolant system, and you'd more likely see the effects of a bad thermostat stuck open while driving at highway speeds where there's a lot of airflow through the rad.

Originally Posted by Tokay444 (Post 3023661)

A coolant thermostat stuck open will most definitely affect oil temp, at idle.