Sponsored

[Very] Cold Starts - Oil Consumption

UnhandledException

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2017
Threads
103
Messages
1,030
Reaction score
539
Location
States
Vehicle(s)
2017 GT350
After 64,000 miles, my GT350 started consuming a bit more oil. It has been fairly consistent up until this point requiring 1 qt every 1250 miles. It seems like now that has gone down to 750 miles. The only thing that changed is now the car is kept outside and cold starts when ambient is around 40F does take about 10 minutes for the car to reach to 150F coolant (so I have to idle it as I dont want to drive it right away due to very heavy oil). Is this normal? Is it simply the tolerances built around the pistons for track use do not play nice with very cold temps where the metal needs to expand a bit more to close that gap? Or is it the open loop in cold start that is dumping too much gas to get the catalysts up to temp which is eating away the oil as it leaks inside?
Sponsored

 

Sletcher

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2016
Threads
4
Messages
87
Reaction score
79
Location
Edmond, OK
First Name
Stu
Vehicle(s)
20 GT350, 19 Expedition, 17 VW Alltrack
This is my understanding as well. Warm the engine by driving, not letting sit and idle. Very low revs until warm.
 

Alain

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2018
Threads
18
Messages
755
Reaction score
330
Location
Northern NJ
First Name
Alain
Vehicle(s)
2016 Challenger Hellcat / 2019 350R #413
I also agree that the best way to get the engine and fluids up to temperature is to drive the car. Start it, let that fast idle come down to normal and take off.
 

Tank

9/11 - Never Forget
Joined
Feb 19, 2016
Threads
36
Messages
3,061
Reaction score
1,786
Location
Above the Notches
Vehicle(s)
G0853
+ 4 on the not letting idle and easy driving to get it up to whatever temp it’ll get to.

Sorry but I got nothing on the in increased oil consumption. Good luck!
 

Sponsored

matthewr87

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2013
Threads
67
Messages
997
Reaction score
1,325
Location
Maryland
Vehicle(s)
2018 GT350
I don't have any cold weather experience with the GT350. However my previous Mustangs regularly experienced cold start temps of -25C and below in the winter. I waited for the cold start revs to come down (sometimes 5 minutes or longer depending on the temperature) and then drove while keeping the revs down (but not too low, you don't want to lug a cold engine either).

In those conditions both oil and fuel consumption increased for me. But again, this was in a 2012 5.0.
 

CJJon

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Threads
34
Messages
3,535
Reaction score
3,809
Location
Port Orchard
Vehicle(s)
2020 Mustang GT/CS Convertible - Race Red
^^This

Wait until the revs come down and then drive. When its hot outside it takes seconds, when cold could be much longer.
 

stanglife

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2014
Threads
179
Messages
7,020
Reaction score
5,701
Location
FL
First Name
Jeff
Vehicle(s)
1993 Coyote Coupe
You're correct about the fact that these need to get some heat in them to grow the pistons, though. I always make sure I'm putting light-medium load (not no load) on it when I first start driving. Seems like getting some heat in the pistons reduces the sound quickly...even if the coolant hasn't warmed up completely.

That said, these are likely 4032 alloy which is said to reduce piston slap (which is more common with short pistons, like many performance pistons)...and @.003 piston to wall clearance is pretty typical for 4032..which IS tight. I wonder what Ford sets these up at? I've always suspected that they set them up purposely loose to help the engine live in extreme conditions (lots of heat and prolonged high RPM).
 

stanglife

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2014
Threads
179
Messages
7,020
Reaction score
5,701
Location
FL
First Name
Jeff
Vehicle(s)
1993 Coyote Coupe
I know this isn't technically a piston slap thread but..... My 16, you could hear it when cold and almost 100% went away when warmed up....but at the time, I didn't notice it until after my first oil change. Now that I have my 2nd R (2020) - it really doesn't do it at all even when cold - it's till on the factory oil. I am curious to see if I'm going to start hearing this after my first oil change, as some have indicated. Either way, it doesn't concern me much.
 
OP
OP

UnhandledException

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2017
Threads
103
Messages
1,030
Reaction score
539
Location
States
Vehicle(s)
2017 GT350
My car has had the piston slap and the typewriter tick since day 1/mile 2.

Also, I may have exaggerated a bit when I said I wait 10 minutes but in reality I only wait until the revs drop (i.e. the catalyst warm up cycle ends) and then I drive off. But in this car with very cold temps, that does take several minutes. It could be because my cats are now too old and maybe they are soaking with oil/gasoline now and take time to warm up or just how this car is inherently. My GT3RS and the ZR1 both have their warm up cycle literally take 15 seconds and no more. GT350 is at least 2-3 minutes and perhaps more.
 

Sponsored

JR369

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Threads
11
Messages
1,281
Reaction score
1,227
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
2022 GT500 Iconic
My car has had the piston slap and the typewriter tick since day 1/mile 2.

Also, I may have exaggerated a bit when I said I wait 10 minutes but in reality I only wait until the revs drop (i.e. the catalyst warm up cycle ends) and then I drive off. But in this car with very cold temps, that does take several minutes. It could be because my cats are now too old and maybe they are soaking with oil/gasoline now and take time to warm up or just how this car is inherently. My GT3RS and the ZR1 both have their warm up cycle literally take 15 seconds and no more. GT350 is at least 2-3 minutes and perhaps more.
My neighbors 19 Bullitt has the tick. My R never had it. MC 5-50 all it's life. No noticeable oil usage. Our C7 taps a little on cold start up for no more than 2 minutes. No oil usage.
 

cmxPPL219

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Threads
2
Messages
575
Reaction score
560
Location
Toronto, Canada
First Name
Eric
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT PP2
After 64,000 miles, my GT350 started consuming a bit more oil. It has been fairly consistent up until this point requiring 1 qt every 1250 miles. It seems like now that has gone down to 750 miles. The only thing that changed is now the car is kept outside and cold starts when ambient is around 40F does take about 10 minutes for the car to reach to 150F coolant (so I have to idle it as I dont want to drive it right away due to very heavy oil). Is this normal? Is it simply the tolerances built around the pistons for track use do not play nice with very cold temps where the metal needs to expand a bit more to close that gap? Or is it the open loop in cold start that is dumping too much gas to get the catalysts up to temp which is eating away the oil as it leaks inside?
Jeff knows what he's talking about re: forged pistons and the expansion that takes place as heat builds up.

A cold engine start in warm ambient temps, vs a cold engine start in cold ambient temps can make a difference with respect to oil consumption, where you will have a little more consumption in the cold temps, if you just let it idle "to warm up," because through every full combustion event in every cylinder that takes place, where the engine isn't up to temp yet, that is all oil that will be blowing by the rings and being consumed, as the forged pistons are never able to fully expand, due to no load from just sitting there idling.

Excessive idling is just not good for any engine.

As others have said, do not let it sit and idle. Start it up, give it about a minute, then start to drive slowly and gradually increase your load, watching pressure and temps the whole time. The key is to be gradual when driving away from the cold start, go easy on throttle, let the block and pistons gradually come to operating temp.
 

EFI

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Threads
62
Messages
4,792
Reaction score
4,050
Location
Masshole central
Vehicle(s)
5.Br0
It has been fairly consistent up until this point requiring 1 qt every 1250 miles. It seems like now that has gone down to 750 miles. The only thing that changed is now the car is kept outside and cold starts when ambient is around 40F does take about 10 minutes for the car to reach to 150F coolant (so I have to idle it as I dont want to drive it right away due to very heavy oil). Is this normal?
It's normal by what you're doing, which you can easily change by not doing what you're doing

As other said, it's not the best practice to let your car idle to warm up and you're causing more of this issue on your own.
 

key01

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Threads
9
Messages
1,409
Reaction score
1,353
Location
Chicagoland
Vehicle(s)
2017 GT350 now gone to a great home.
I must add that I'm loving the fact that you drive this thing. 64,000 miles- simply awesome!
Sponsored

 
 




Top