Is 11 miles in 30 minutes severe

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AnarchyX

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Okay so now I have my aunt's '04 Impala LS. It only has 62,000 miles after 12 years of driving just to get groceries and church, and a yearly drive of 700 round trip miles. Now I drive it 11 miles to and from work. It takes 30 minutes to drive 11 miles but would that be considered severe driving since it's mostly stop and go?

And if so would there be any difference between a 3k oci or 5k oci?
 
Stop-and-go as in bumper-to-bumper traffic or just some traffic lights and stop signs? If the latter, I would not call it severe service.
 
I wouldn't call either of those severe service.

An ambulance, now that is severe service. Hard throttle directly after starting, a LOT of weight, stop and go, lots of idling, probably a bunch of full throttle, never any long highway...
 
5k oci is fine for that engine.

3k would be too short... The difference between 3 and 5k oci is how much more often I'd would be having the oil changed
 
Doesn't your Impala have an OLM?

But the drive you describe doesn't sound too severe since the oil will likely get up to temp.
 
Oh okay. I always thought stop-and-go traffic was considered severe. At least that's what I remember what was implied by the Pennzoil commercials back in the day.
 
Originally Posted By: AnarchyX
Oh okay. I always thought stop-and-go traffic was considered severe. At least that's what I remember what was implied by the Pennzoil commercials back in the day.


I'd worry more about the transmission.
 
Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Originally Posted By: AnarchyX
Oh okay. I always thought stop-and-go traffic was considered severe. At least that's what I remember what was implied by the Pennzoil commercials back in the day.


I'd worry more about the transmission.


And the intake gaskets/cooling system.
 
Originally Posted By: Snoman002
I wouldn't call either of those severe service.

An ambulance, now that is severe service. Hard throttle directly after starting, a LOT of weight, stop and go, lots of idling, probably a bunch of full throttle, never any long highway...


+1 The whole "severe service" thing is way overblown...

30 minutes ought to get the oil to near full temperature, even if lightly loaded.
 
my commute is about 12 miles in 20 minutes, i've wondered if it is long enough in the winter to get the oil up to temp in my ciera.
 
11 miles in 30 minutes, some would consider that severe, I do. While the oil will get to operating temps, my concern would be fuel dilution, since you're probably doing a lot of stop and go, and idling. The only way to know for sure would be a UOA. If you opt out of that I would follow a SS schedule, and be safe rather than possibly sorry later on.
 
I used to do 10 miles in 4 minutes, a few years ago... that was "severe service" LOL.

That stopped when I won a street race against an unmarked police car though...
 
OK, I am now confused.

I was under the impression that BITOG members considered short trips severe and conditions where the engine is at operating temperature all day (like a taxi), not severe.

Which is it?
 
Originally Posted By: AnarchyX
Okay so now I have my aunt's '04 Impala LS. It only has 62,000 miles after 12 years of driving just to get groceries and church, and a yearly drive of 700 round trip miles. Now I drive it 11 miles to and from work. It takes 30 minutes to drive 11 miles but would that be considered severe driving since it's mostly stop and go?

And if so would there be any difference between a 3k oci or 5k oci?


11 miles each way or 11 miles combined? Sorry if I looked at that wrong but I see 11 miles to and from meaning combined(5.5miles each direction).

That seems borderline in my opinion. I think things would be warmed up by the time you shut it down.
 
Originally Posted By: stchman
OK, I am now confused.

I was under the impression that BITOG members considered short trips severe and conditions where the engine is at operating temperature all day (like a taxi), not severe.

Which is it?


high loads or low gears used are severe service (more revs per mile). Lots of cool running or abnormally hot running aswell
 
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