Oil & Fuel Do short hops cause oil contamination?

[Sassvoor]

I have just joined TBN after getting a Kawasaki 4010 with fuel injected engine. We use the unit on the farm for various chores and the in between distances are short hops(building to building). We were shutting the unit down between hops to save on fuel and wear and tear. The dealer came down to fix a problem we were having and said it was not a good idea to turn the unit off as it would cause fuel to contaminate the oil. Can someone who has experience in this area explain this to me. I do not wish to damage the unit but why waste fuel?

 

[deerseeker001]

Welcome from Wisconsin

 

[JimRB]

Engines condensate a good bit when cold. If you follow vehicles that recently started you will see water coming out of the exhaust. Not all the condensation makes it out the exhaust. Some goes in to the crankcase. If the engine gets good and warm, that crankcase condensation gets heated off. Good and warm is not water temp but engine block and oil temp.

 

[coldfingers]

I would think as long as you do warm it up good say once a day before you put it away you should be okay.

 

[3930dave]

I've heard that some small FI engines tend to run rich. Seems it's done on street bikes now to heat up the cat(s). You may or may not have a catalytic on yours.

I'd be tempted to get an oil analysis done, to check the Fuel in Oil level. I'm not an ATV guy, but I read enough engine stuff to say that this seems to be a common issue, but model dependent.

Bob Is the Oil Guy would be a place to check too.

Rgds, D.

 

[Sassvoor]

Thank you all. I believe I understand this better now. I think the best approach will be to change the oil using the extreme conditions guide rather than the suggested annual choice.
I am enjoying all of the posts. My next addition will be a new tractor since we have out grown our JD and Craftsman lawn tractors now that we have some more acreage.

 

[CobyRupert]

Also, doesn't fuel also get past the rings into the oil? That on bigger motors isn't this the point of the EGR valve to recirc the fuel when it evaporates ( when engine is warm) .

 

[john_bud]

Thank you all. I believe I understand this better now. I think the best approach will be to change the oil using the extreme conditions guide rather than the suggested annual choice.
I am enjoying all of the posts. My next addition will be a new tractor since we have out grown our JD and Craftsman lawn tractors now that we have some more acreage.

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.

 

[buickanddeere]

How many thousands of $ a year are you planning on saving?
You will reduce wear more by using a block heater.

 

[buickanddeere]

Also, doesn't fuel also get past the rings into the oil? That on bigger motors isn't this the point of the EGR valve to recirc the fuel when it evaporates ( when engine is warm) .

What??? Where did you get that idea???

 

[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!!