Dan:
Well, you may be right when considering any modern vehicle with electronic
ignition. But...
IMO, you'd want the engine warm when working with older vehicles using ignition
points, and especially those that have 6 volt systems. Reason? In cold
weather, the battery's available power goes down. If the starter takes much of
the available current, the voltage to the coil can significantly drop to the
point where you don't get a hot enough spark to ignite a not very vaporized fuel
charge. Remember the days when starting a car in cold (teens and below) weather
and the charge indicator light would actually dim because the starter was taking
all the power? I can remember the light actually dimming off and on as each
piston came up to compression and the load on the starter increased and
decreased.
The first step taken by manufacturers to improve starting in cold weather was
the ballast resistor. What this did was provide a higher voltage to the coil
just when the starter was cranking the engine. The use of electronic ignition
has just about eliminated weak high tension voltage to the plugs. So high
starter current draw is not a problem.
When giving the suggestion that I wouldn't use the dipstick heater, I was
thinking more on the line of the TD, MGA, and MGBs with point ignition. With
later MGBs that have electronic ignition, the warm oil might be better for oil
flow to the bearings during starting. However with those older vehicles using
points, I'd want to decrease the cranking effort, thus decreasing the starter
current draw and giving the plugs more voltage to set off that wet fuel. Of
course, I talking about experieince with 1960's vehicles and fuel that wasn't
formulated for winter use. The added benefit is that heat starts coming out of
the car's heater and defroster faster.
As to that sludgy oil, I thought we changed oil every 50 miles. <VBG > I would
think that if the block were warm, that it would heat the oil some as it passed
through the oil passages in the block. But, I've heard of instances of oil pump
failure due to very thick oil. So...
Blake
P.S. -14F last night. The nations low for the 48 states, and I didn't try to
start any MG!
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Blake, I would have thought this is want you want - to heat the mass of sludgy
oil in the sump so it gets to the top of the engine more easily and quickly...?
>
> =====
> Dan DiBiase
> Dayton, NJ
> 76 MGB Tourer Driver - Brooklands Green
> 66 Pull-handle MGB Tourer Project - faded Tartan Red
> NAMGBR #5-2328
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