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Dear Car Talk: I have always heard that a car engine suffers the most wear and tear during startup. We just got a Honda CR-V Hybrid, and the gas engine starts and stops many times during every trip. Is this going to lead to excessive wear on the engine? — Randy
Yes. I’d stay home from now on, Randy.
No. “Startup,” in this case of that old pearl of wisdom, referred to cold starts, when the engine hadn’t been run in many hours — or overnight.
In the old days, engines did suffer a lot of wear and tear during cold starts. Oil wasn’t nearly as good as it is now. Most of it would drip down into the oil pan when the car was shut off, and because it was so viscous (20W40, 20W50 back then), it would take the oil pump several seconds to pump the oil up to where it was most needed — to the crank shaft bearings and cylinder walls.
And during those crucial few seconds, the engine would be screaming — running at 2,500 or 3,000 rpm, because that’s how you kept a cold engine from stalling in the good old days. So that was doubly bad for the engine — poor lubrication and high speed.
Now, things are completely different. Oils are infinitely better. They coat better, and, crucially, they stick better. A thin film of oil stays on key parts now, often until the next cold start. Today’s oils are also less viscous (0W-20), so it’s easier for the oil pump to quickly circulate them. Synthetic oils, which many manufacturers now require, are even better.
Plus, modern engines start up at 1,100 or 1,200 rpm and only stay in that “warm up” mode for only 20 or 30 seconds (as opposed to 3-5 minutes in the old days). Stalling is no longer an issue with modern fuel injection and computer controls.
Cold starts are way less harmful now than they were 40 years ago. And besides, all those starts your Honda hybrid makes, except for the very first one, are warm starts. Those cause virtually no damage whatsoever. And as you know from your 37 mpg, those stops and starts help save fuel and reduce pollution, too.
So, it’s time to update your maxims, Randy. And by the way, with inflation, a stitch in time now saves 27.
Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th St., 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.