Oil & Fuel Do short hops cause oil contamination?

[DarkBlack]

That's part of the solution. It is really a big deal to just fire up, run for 2 minutes then shut off any engine. When cold, the rings are NOT sealing worth a spit. So loads of fuel, partially burnt exhaust and tons of water are getting past the rings and into the oil. It does not take much to turn a lubricating fluid into a grinding slurry. Worse case in cold areas (like WI or NY) enough water builds up in the oil to reduce or stop the flow of oil into the pump (by it freezing).

Best thing is to gather up enough chores to run the equipment for an hour AFTER it is fully warmed to operating temps. If you don't have enough chores, take a joy ride.

Running an engine an hour more after it's warmed up seems a little extreme to me. Of all my engines ( many ) 99% of the time they run less than 1 hour total time, nevermind an hour after it's already warmed up.
I would have to guess a 1 hour plus warmup regiment would decrease the overall life not help it, plus waste a lot of fuel and $.

 

[kevin37b]

This borders on pallets in fields or why does my post count not change . Lots of scientific input here . Rings do not seal when cold , gas leaks by the rings , more condensation when it is cold . Amazing .

 

[3930dave]

This borders on pallets in fields or why does my post count not change . Lots of scientific input here . Rings do not seal when cold , gas leaks by the rings , more condensation when it is cold . Amazing .

Clue #1: dealer mechanic makes a comment that is probably worth paying attention to.

General Science data source: check BITOG for UOA on similar or same Kaw engines - look for patterns. The best BITOG posters often will make relevant comments on how vehicle is used - watch for similar use patterns.

Direct Science feedback: unless a machine is only worth $200, paying for your own Used Oil Analysis is money well spent - it will tell you what is going on with dilution.

FI is only as good as the engineer scribing its control code - sometimes the factory goofs (don't get me wrong, I like Kaw, and ride a 2 wheeled one myself) and even non-road vehicles need to be re-flashed. Other times, there may be non-obvious factors behind running high fuel enrichment when cold (ex. catalytic performance - no idea if the OP has one on his though).

Agreed Kevin - The Net is no different than real life in any era - lots of "stories" out there, that need to be separated from the real engineering. Most Lube oils are designed to only deal with a small amount of fuel contamination - If I was hearing "stories" about high fuel loading in a new vehicle I had, I'd chase down the best data sources I could, AND spend the few dollars needed to get my own UOA done.

If the first UOA came back clean, as long as my useage pattern didn't worsen, I wouldn't worry further.

OP's approach of going to the Severe Service sched is what I'd do, w/o my own UOA data.

:2cents: Rgds, D.

 

[kneedeep]

I have a 3010 mule and it won't hardly run unless it is warmed up good. Says that in Owner Manual- warm with choke out and allow to cool before shutting off.

Also, eliminate lots of fuel/carb issues by running non ethanol fuel with a fuel stabilizer.

My gets a workout pretty regular!!