Well that advice is certainly one approach!

The article seems to base its conclusion primarily on the concept of cylinder wash-down (excessive fuel in the combustion chamber during rich condition). Which is definitely an issue in colder climates (especially short trip driving with starting and stopping the engine).  With cold start fuel injection strategies being designed very precisely, unless there was a malfunction, I am not sure I would worry all that much.

I am not sure that I would make the same recommendation the article makes simply because whether (or weather LoL) you let the engine run for 30 seconds or 5 minutes, the primary wear & tear ( at cranking and start-up ) would have already occurred. But even then, with modern day engine oils and modern day cylinder wall technology, I am not even sure that is occurring all that much either.

One item in the article that I would say is reasonable advice to your average consumer:

"Just make sure you don’t accelerate too fast or rev your engine too much in the first few moments you start driving in the cold."

I think to the average non-technical customer that advice probably wouldn't be out of the question (especially since it was -20 F in Chicago this weekend where I am!)

TrevorSchlientz wrote on Dec 28^th, 2022 at 8:25am:


+1 for sure those are great points.

I'll add to it: What percentage of consumers sit down and read their owners manuals?  As we all know, some manuals will actually provide maintenance schedules based on harder running conditions.

I will, and other shops in my area, will recommend reduced oil change intervals based on run time. Especially on common rail diesel vehicles because of diesel fuel quality issues that occur in my neck-of-woods.  That is a great point on hours-to-miles, I have not considered that previously (but will now). 

Primarily for me, it is a conversation covering what the owner's manual's maintenance schedule specifies, driving style & locations, and making recommendations from there. But doing some research on hours to miles will need to be done for sure.