# Cruze diesel engine cold



## cruze2.0 (Jan 8, 2015)

My parents just got a brand new diesel cruze with 600 miles on it right now. I took it the other day after the engine was idling for about 3 minutes in a temperature of -10 Celsius so the engine was still cold. I put it in manual mode and shifted at 4000rpm once(wanted to shift at 3500rpm but it just shifted at 4000 rpm). After that I realized the redline was only at 5000rpm. 4000rpm with a not fully warmed up gasoline engine is not that bad and that's what I'm used to do, but I started thinking that I should have shift before and now I'm really easy on it when it's not fully warmed up, but I just wanted to know if it was that bad or if I just have to not do that again. Real nice car btw.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Never rev a cold engine. As for how high you revved it, you'll be fine. Just don't make it a habit. 


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

It's a diesel. You really don't even need to go above 2500...especially when cold...


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Wow. Always best to let the Powertrain control module decide the shifts until everything is up to operating temperature.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I would love to see the difference in shifting in these diesels in the cold weather between aw-1 fluid and amsoil SS atf. 


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## cruze2.0 (Jan 8, 2015)

I'm defenitely not going to do that again. But can I stop worrying about it? Is it going to affect is lifetime or power.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Engine wear would definetly be elevated. 

The oil will need some time to start flowing at -10 c. 

I would personally never do it to my vehicle. But FWIW I am certain that my wife has done this, or worse, to mine.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

cruze2.0 said:


> I'm defenitely not going to do that again. But can I stop worrying about it? Is it going to affect is lifetime or power.


I wouldn't worry about it. Engines are made extremely tough. One little mistake normally doesn't destroy or damage an engine. 


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

It will be fine, had you revved it instantly after start up before the oil got flowing it could cause wear. I would not make a habit out of driving that way though. I have found when cold, the engine revs higher and takes much longer to shift than when warmed.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Yup, long delayed shifts. 


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## cruze2.0 (Jan 8, 2015)

The oil must have been flowing since the engine has been idling for 3 minutes before that.


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## VtTD (Nov 5, 2013)

cruze2.0 said:


> My parents just got a brand new diesel cruze with 600 miles on it right now. I took it the other day after the engine was idling for about 3 minutes in a temperature of -10 Celsius so the engine was still cold. I put it in manual mode and shifted at 4000rpm once(wanted to shift at 3500rpm but it just shifted at 4000 rpm). After that I realized the redline was only at 5000rpm. 4000rpm with a not fully warmed up gasoline engine is not that bad and that's what I'm used to do, but I started thinking that I should have shift before and now I'm really easy on it when it's not fully warmed up, but I just wanted to know if it was that bad or if I just have to not do that again. Real nice car btw.


If it were that easy to kill a car, rental car companies wouldn't exist. I wouldn't do it again, but I also wouldn't worry at all about it.


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## bigluke (Aug 18, 2013)

I drive it very smooth if the temps are -10C or lower, because even when you hit the optimum running temps as soon as you slow down in traffic or red light engine temps are dropping very quickly.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I am going to say something you will really like, OP. I have 94K miles on mine and I drive it like that every day. WOT and high RPMs when cold raises the engine temperature faster so I have heat. After 94K miles, my engine still runs like new and has near zero oil consumption. Oh, and I don't warm it up either. Welcome to the forum!


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

at -30c unplugged, i start the car and back out of the parking spot within 10 secs and hit the highway

everybody relax


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

Every single day I start my car, idle 30 seconds tops and proceed to drive up a steep hill that takes it over 3k before shifting because it holds gears alot longer cold as a warm up. Im not losing any sleep.

i have amsoil ss atf in mine. It doesn't make a big difference in shift quality because the transmission is designed to do the hard shifts on purpose and contrary to what people might think it equals less clutch wear that way and of course better economy. Some of the goofy shifting is just the programming.

cars don't have your grandpas oil in them anymore, the oil flows nearly immediately


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

I don't hold gears or shift manually almost ever. I let the computer decide what to do, isn't that the point of having an automatic (unfortunately.)

I start mine up in this negative weather and get going within seconds. Not one bit worried.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I can't stand hoping into a frozen car and freezing to death. So I always remote start mine at least once. 


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

These diesel engines don't warm up at all idling, I let it run for a minute or two on these sub -20C days just to make sure the oil is flowing and good to go. Then drive easy for the first few minutes. I always plug it in too.


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