Questioni have a 1995 mitsubishi Deamante LS v6 DOHC it has 189,000 miles on it i dont need help to fix it i just moved here to Utah a cold state and the temps can reach 4F to 98F i need to know how long must i let the car heat up for driveing i only use this car for store shoping so its under a 10 mile drive so how long wood be best to let it heat up and what kind of oil wood you think i need i have MOBIL 7500 5W-30 in it right now with Z-MAX can you help me on my car so i dont kill it this winter THANKS for your time.
AnswerRichard,
If it gets really cold (like in the teens), I would recommend letting it sit for about 5 minutes if you house it in a garage. If you park the car outside, let it idle for about 10 minutes. That should be plenty of time.
I've driven in cold states all my life, and the 5W-30 weight oil is the best you can get. It'll protect your engine well, even if temps fall below 100 F! The Mobil oil you're using is good quality. The best quality would be a full synthetic oil. But with an engine that is nearing 200,000 miles, that could be risky, since synthetic oil tends to find its way past seals and piston rings. That can result in leaks or burning oil. So, you can try a full synthetic, but just keep an eye out for leaks.
Also, even more important that brand of oil you use is the type of oil filter. You can put the best oil on the market in your engine, but if you have a generic oil filter, that premium oil will not last long. If you can afford it, I would recommend a high-end oil filter with sythetic filter fibers. Mobil 1, K&N, and AMSOIL make these filters. Though you'll probably only find Mobil 1 and K&N filters available at your local auto parts stores.
With this is mind, your engine should last a long time. Now, if you're in an area where they use salt to help melt the ice and snow, you'll also have to worry about extremely fast rusting. Be sure to get your car washed regularly (every 1-2 weeks) if they salt the roads in your area.
Good luck!
