Can we use clear flood mode to reduce engine wear?

[Jesse]

@EricTheCarGuy

Hello, I’ve been using the clear flood mode on our 2013 dart for about 3-4 seconds. So I can prime the oiling system so that I can reduce metal on metal wear as much as possible. I know it sounds a little weird because it would only be a VERY short time without oil/ or oil pressure in there. But with the weather being cold I know the oil is a little thicker and I have been believing that what I am doing is a good thing.

I personally believe most “normal” engine wear comes from start up, especially a cold start up. In both senses of the term. One from being cold and the oil becoming harder to suck up. “like sucking up a milkshake though a straw compared to a soda” And the other way were there is no to damn near no oil to protect metal from scraping like the cylinder walls. And banging around like the top of the bearings in the connecting rods. Upon first starting the engine before the oil can absorb the blow like a pillow because of the constant pressure from the pump.

And I believe the rest of normal wear come from either the the engine not coming up the rpm range gradually like down shifting does and also oil not having enough viscosity from old overly used oil. Or it be from cylinder pressure being to high for the oil pressure at that point in time like an engine with a turbo pushing a considerable amount of boost at a low rpm.

quick story on the engine type in it
Its a 2.0L DOHC VVT that only takes 0W20 Oil.
The 2.0L was getting way to many complaints about being to underpowered for the weight of the car. And from the 2014 model year on is only in the base model. Its not even Used in any other cars. There was also a few options that they removed after the 13’s we have but I only wish we had one of the 2 colors that didn’t sell that good and where replaced after the 14’s.

How has our car been treated?
I have babied this thing since we got it at 8 miles on the odometer before I even knew that the engine would get to be rare, The proof is when I can tell you that on average I get 31 city and 45 highway out of a car the epa estimated at 24 city 34 highway. But I have already seen and I kid you not…. over 53 mpg highway on a 3 1/2 hour trip to the beach and also on the way back from there. With 3 adults and a trunk full of luggage.

It receives an oil change every 3,000 or 3 months what ever comes first. As I will be doing another one in a few hours. because its 3 months was up 2 days ago. And I will also replace the plugs even though it only has 13,989miles on it for other reasons I can get into later.

The entire car Has never had a problem except a crack windshield from a known faulty batch of them. Chrysler replaced that. Oh yeah and it had 1 recall because they wanted to make sure the bolt though the engine mount was tight enough, And it was.

What am I doing here?
What I will is if its been hours since it last ran I will floor it before ever inserting the key and let it crank 3-4 seconds, Then I will turn it off and then take my foot off the throttle petal, After that I Turn it back to run for 2-3 second and let the pump prime and then finally start it up.
I just wish right now i could use some sort of electric oil pump and pressure gauge. I might be able to Get the fitment and seal right. But with this vvt trying to find out what press at what rpm under load with out a dyno, And how to program a pump to raise press with rpm……That’s a little more difficult that i can find out on my own right now.

But why would I do this?
I don’t plan on ever getting rid this car and I believe it would be easier to replace a starter every once in a wile than to do any sort of internal maintenance in this thing down the road. Don’t get me wrong I will do timing chains, seals, gaskets, the internal VVT cam seals, head gasket and such but. How ever since this engine is not as common as the other two are what would part cost and availability be. Probably A nightmare, that’s what. I plan on running this thing for A good number of years before touching any of the rings or bearings.

Closing out
like I said up there I don’t plan on ever getting rid this car as it is our first and probably only new car. especially if its got a rare engine, rare bits and pieces and if you throw being a one owner in the mix I just think it would be pretty cool in 30+ years. And by that time all the memories in the darn thing. But like I said I just wish we had a rare color too.

To tell you the truth if she hadn’t gone behind my back and bought it to surprise me we would be in some good old reliable P.O.S. lol. Oh well there will be always be a P.O.S. In our future for me. I miss my old 1999 Plymouth breeze. But I still got the engine block/head and 03 srt4 turbo….hmmm.

So Eric and others what are your views on this whole starting procedure im doing trying to minimized wear? I dont think that any damage could take place from the pins in the vvt locking and unlocking in place from the oil pressure rising and falling. What do All you people think?

And I hope this wasn’t to jumpy from thought to thought or too drawn out and long.

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