well its been sitting for a few months, i'd like to change the oil before i go and start it up, but the manual says i should have the car heated up to operating temperature...so should i be changing the oil after i start it and get it warmed up (its been a while since i've changed oil on my own (3 yrs)?

also, i still have the problem that my car idles at 3000RPMs and then begins rising seemingly without stopping.....i've bought new throttle body and UIM gaskets, hoping that this will fix it because i've checked all other hoses many times and they seem to be fine...

any chance this could be the LIM gasket thats giving me trouble with my idle? i havent ever removed the LIM

sorry for the length
mike

 

You can change the oil when the car is cold, it just won't drain as well.

As far as the gaskets, get the oil changed and start it up. If you still have the problem, post back and people will help. No sense in starting a troubleshooting discussion when you don't know if you might have already fixed the problem or not.

 

I recommend changing the oil when the car is cold. That way, the filter will be empty, and you will have less mess.

Some people think that the oil will not drain properly when cold. Thats ridiculous. The oil that you fill it up with is cold. It drains from the container just fine.

 

cold oil = thick like a mother

sure you can do it, have fun waiting there for a thousand years

i would just start the car and have it reach normal operating temp just once, then shut it off, let it cool a bit and then do the oil change

 

Brilliant. Start the car. Wait 10 minutes for it to warm up. Then wait another 30 minutes for it to cool off. Thats 40 minutes, and wasted gas.

You could have changed your cool oil twice in that time. Plus you get to deal with the mess it will make when you remove the filter that is now filled with oil. As I already stated, cold oil flows just fine from the container you use to fill the car, and it flows just fine from the car. Even though it is a little slower, it is not significant.

 

How many times does a car reach normal op. temp when it hits normal op. temp anyway?

I just drained mine 2 week ago after sitting for about 4 months. Drained fine. If it's cold (like 30 out side) it will be thick, but otherwise, you don't need to warm it up.