We knew idling was bad, but here is the science

You can't draw any conclusions from one test and with zero knowledge of your measurement system. It is like catching a fish in one lake, then catching a fish in a different lake, weighing them with a damaged fish scale you found in the dirt and declaring that "the fish in the first lake are 42% bigger!" (Yippee, please subscribe to my channel).

Typically you'd need a minimum of 6 tests of everything involved. If you find that the tests vary by more than 42% (which is easily possible when you are measuring tiny things) then you're just looking at measurement variability. I'd want to send six identical samples fir analysis to see how much uncertainty comes just from their analysis. I'd wonder if both samples (no idle vs long idle) were treated identically (not possible) since maybe the sample with less fuel just spent more time exposed to air so had more evaporation.

I didn't watch the video but my take is that there is literally zero confidence in the conclusion about a 42% difference.

 

I did an unscientific gas in oil test today with my POS snowblower. The fuel tank was full the last time I used it and when I went to start it up it was empty. It was all in the engine. I said F it I’m not changing the oil right now and just running it to clear the driveway. Unfortunately it ran fine and didn’t explode so I’m not getting a new snow blower. Also by my calculations the amount of fuel in the oil was approximately 10,000% more than it is supposed to be.

 

You change the oil on snowblowers? I had an 8 horse 2 stage snowblower from sears. Hand-me down from my dad. It never had the oil changed. It finally lost compression and died after 30 years of running like that.

The oil was probably kept liquid by the gasoline that leaked into it lol.

 

Only a couple times in around 15 years. I’m sure some people here change there’s every .7 hours of use and send the oil to the lab for analysis.

 

Not taking care of things bothers me, so I annually change oil in my backup Honda generator and used to change oil in my old Sears mower. Now I have electric mower and really appreciate not having to change oil.

I do it for the following reasons: a) I don't like unexpected failures, and while it is possible to run a snow blower for a decade without oil changes, you never know if the next snowstorm it is going to work; b) I like to minimize avoidable waste, obviously maintenance and cleaning makes things last longer.

If I really don't like something, I will sell it while it works well and get a replacement that I like. Working snowblower is at least $100, likely more, why throw that money away by trying to make it fail?

Anecdote: Around 2000s I had Honda Accord that I really didn't like that I bought new. I took good care of it and finally sold it at 6 years old, which is significantly less time than I typically own a vehicle. Last months I have seen it parked at the mall, still running. It was very distinct color and I remembered the VIN - so I am 100% certain. So while early oil change, rustproofing, etc. did not pay off for me, it did enable the car to stay on the road for 20+ years. This is one less car in the junk yard.

 

I think my lawnmower oil change interval is around once per decade.

 

That's what a thermostat is for. It isolates circulation of the coolant in the block from tne radiator.

 

Just another YouTube click video.

 

I've had 0 experience with Dave's and will never because I will never go to Utah.

But theres a bunch of shit I've seen online about them only being for Social Media. I don't really care either way but just saying.

 

Cars and Trucks used for fleet work often have idle time that approach 1/4 or even over 1/3 of its total engine hour in idle, some even have dedicated idle hour counter.

I recall one Ford I drove some years back had something like 6000 hours of idle on its 4.6 V8, with only about 100k miles on the odometer. Last I saw it was running fine without ever being opened. If 4Runners can't beat that I would be disappointed. If the local police or fire or parks department have older Ford trucks especially the 6.2L V8 used in f250 and f350, ask to see their idle meter, people would faint if they saw the stats.

 

Interesting. I actually do this. Its cold here, I start it 5-10 mins before I leave. My commute is 1.5mi to work. Guess I need to change the oil more often.

 

Our k9 fords never turn off lol. They idle all day

 

shit mine takes forever to get warm temp gauge and normal operating temperature and heat barely warm never actually hot