Engine Start Wear

[Triton_330]

Originally Posted By: Jefftran
(college struggles are real)

Yeah no kidding, I'm also in college.

FWIW I'll give my two cents about the startups even though you've gotten plenty of responses: seeing how many new cars have auto shut off at a stop, I don't think you'd have much wear as long as the oil is warm. Just make sure you don't wear out the starter... I have to ask, why couldn't you sometimes leave it running? If your worried about someone stealing it, if you have spare keys, couldn't you lock it while it's running and just open it with the spare?

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I'd never take on a job that involves wearing out my own car. Unless they provide a company vehicle,pass on that job and look elsewhere.


I'd have to agree. Even at $.xx per mile, its still not worth it IMO. College is tough and you have to do what you have to do. Definitely explore other options.


I disagree. Money is money, whether or not he's putting mileage on his own car for it. Do you not drive to work everyday? If you don't I digress. But we have cars to drive them, and if the job requires it the job requires it. I wouldn't complain as long as the cashflow is positive enough to outweigh what is spent in gas, and gives him a source of good income.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: Triton_330
Originally Posted By: Jefftran
(college struggles are real)

Yeah no kidding, I'm also in college.

FWIW I'll give my two cents about the startups even though you've gotten plenty of responses: seeing how many new cars have auto shut off at a stop, I don't think you'd have much wear as long as the oil is warm. Just make sure you don't wear out the starter... I have to ask, why couldn't you sometimes leave it running? If your worried about someone stealing it, if you have spare keys, couldn't you lock it while it's running and just open it with the spare?

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I'd never take on a job that involves wearing out my own car. Unless they provide a company vehicle,pass on that job and look elsewhere.


I'd have to agree. Even at $.xx per mile, its still not worth it IMO. College is tough and you have to do what you have to do. Definitely explore other options.


I disagree. Money is money, whether or not he's putting mileage on his own car for it. Do you not drive to work everyday? If you don't I digress. But we have cars to drive them, and if the job requires it the job requires it. I wouldn't complain as long as the cashflow is positive enough to outweigh what is spent in gas, and gives him a source of good income.


I also said money is money and you have to do what you have to do. If that was my only option for a job while in college, I'd sure take it. When I drive to work, I drive there and my Jeep sits until I get out. There's a huge difference between that and using it for delivery.

I've been asked by my boss to run a few things to other stores/ pick things up with my Jeep and even at 50 cents a mile, I didn't like it. I did it because I want them to be able to count on me. As I said, you have to do what you have to do.

 

[Bamaro]

As others have pointed out, its cold/dry starts that count towards wear and even if you restart an engine after it was running a minute, wear isn't much of a problem since the oil is already sufficiently coating the internals.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Triton_330
Originally Posted By: Jefftran
(college struggles are real)

Yeah no kidding, I'm also in college.

FWIW I'll give my two cents about the startups even though you've gotten plenty of responses: seeing how many new cars have auto shut off at a stop, I don't think you'd have much wear as long as the oil is warm. Just make sure you don't wear out the starter... I have to ask, why couldn't you sometimes leave it running? If your worried about someone stealing it, if you have spare keys, couldn't you lock it while it's running and just open it with the spare?

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I'd never take on a job that involves wearing out my own car. Unless they provide a company vehicle,pass on that job and look elsewhere.


I'd have to agree. Even at $.xx per mile, its still not worth it IMO. College is tough and you have to do what you have to do. Definitely explore other options.


I disagree. Money is money, whether or not he's putting mileage on his own car for it. Do you not drive to work everyday? If you don't I digress. But we have cars to drive them, and if the job requires it the job requires it. I wouldn't complain as long as the cashflow is positive enough to outweigh what is spent in gas, and gives him a source of good income.


BUT,is that (more than likely minimum wage) job going to pay you enough to constitute wearing out a $20-$40,000+ machine? I think not. They`d have to be paying you triple digits to make it worth your while. Any reputable company will provide their drivers with vehicles. Driving *to* work and driving *for* work aren`t even in the same universe. If your car breaks down,will your supervisor drive you down to the nearest dealership and buy you a new car? NOPE

 

[Triton_330]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm

BUT,is that (more than likely minimum wage) job going to pay you enough to constitute wearing out a $20-$40,000+ machine? I think not. They`d have to be paying you triple digits to make it worth your while. Any reputable company will provide their drivers with vehicles. Driving *to* work and driving *for* work aren`t even in the same universe. If your car breaks down,will your supervisor drive you down to the nearest dealership and buy you a new car? NOPE


Ehh, I still stand by what I said. My dad drives 45 miles to work and 45 back, making a 90 mile round trip, every week day to go to work. So, that is 450 miles per week. Do you think a college delivery job would actually rack up 450 miles a week? Maybe, but I doubt it.

Also, I've worked a minimum wage job for 4 summers. I know that it may not seem like much per hour, but even with the ~77% (which is what I calculated that I was actually getting after taxes), weekly paychecks brought in around 265 bucks. Now, that is still a small amount, but it was money in my pocket nonetheless. And, even IF you think, in the OP's case, that he would actually rack up the same amount of miles per week as my dad does driving to and from work, look at the math (using the Acura's 19 mpg CITY rating): (450/19)x(3.45) [US avg fuel price as of now] = ~82.71 and then 265 - 82.71 = 182.29
For a college student, that's still a big help. I mean, I understand that the wear on his vehicle might be a "minus" here, but I don't see it as being utterly detrimental. You ask if the job's pay constitutes the wearing out of his car, but I just don't think that it would really be as bad as you're making it out to be. I guess it depends on the area he's driving, and how often he starts and stops (off and on of the engine), but if he's in need of the money, in my eyes, yes, it is worth it.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Triton_330
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm

BUT,is that (more than likely minimum wage) job going to pay you enough to constitute wearing out a $20-$40,000+ machine? I think not. They`d have to be paying you triple digits to make it worth your while. Any reputable company will provide their drivers with vehicles. Driving *to* work and driving *for* work aren`t even in the same universe. If your car breaks down,will your supervisor drive you down to the nearest dealership and buy you a new car? NOPE


Ehh, I still stand by what I said. My dad drives 45 miles to work and 45 back, making a 90 mile round trip, every week day to go to work. So, that is 450 miles per week. Do you think a college delivery job would actually rack up 450 miles a week? Maybe, but I doubt it.

Also, I've worked a minimum wage job for 4 summers. I know that it may not seem like much per hour, but even with the ~77% (which is what I calculated that I was actually getting after taxes), weekly paychecks brought in around 265 bucks. Now, that is still a small amount, but it was money in my pocket nonetheless. And, even IF you think, in the OP's case, that he would actually rack up the same amount of miles per week as my dad does driving to and from work, look at the math (using the Acura's 19 mpg CITY rating): (450/19)x(3.45) [US avg fuel price as of now] = ~82.71 and then 265 - 82.71 = 182.29
For a college student, that's still a big help. I mean, I understand that the wear on his vehicle might be a "minus" here, but I don't see it as being utterly detrimental. You ask if the job's pay constitutes the wearing out of his car, but I just don't think that it would really be as bad as you're making it out to be. I guess it depends on the area he's driving, and how often he starts and stops (off and on of the engine), but if he's in need of the money, in my eyes, yes, it is worth it.


I know someone who is a medical courier. She gets paid VERY well. BUT,between all the maintanence on her van (Honda Odyssey),gasoline,repairs,etc,she`s still in the hole. Transmission just went out so she`s having to fork over $2000+ to get it fixed. I`m guessing if she asked her supervisor to pay for her new transmission,he`d laugh in her face and show her the door. She`s nearing the 300,000 mile mark. I was able to build a substantial savings working retail years ago making no where near what she makes. If she had a company vehicle,she too would have a substantial savings,but all her profit goes towards maintaining her van and buying gasoline. BUT,she doesn`t see it that way. She sees the cash handed over to her for each run,BUT doesn`t see the big picture (how much of that cash is filling up the gas tank,how much of it went towards new brake pads and rotors,how much went towards that set of new tires,etc).

If these delivery jobs were so significant,wouldn`t Papa John`s and Domino`s have applicants beating down their doors?

College students needing extra money will fare MUCH better working at the mall over driving their cars (unless their parents are paying for the gas,repairs,maintanence,etc).

 

[Amirkhat]

Have you thought about getting the spare key and letting the engine run, it would just be for a moment while you make the delivery. It would also keep the coolant circulating which would avoid peaks in the engine temperatures as well.

 

[qwerty1234]

Just buy yourself a Club anti-theft device and lock the steering wheel while you deliver the food. Or better yet, install a alcohol breathalyzer machine and take the mouthpiece with you. If a thief jumps in the car he won't be able to blow into the device & the car will shut off close by.