New job – much shorter journeys

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I currently drive just under 80 miles a day to get to and from work. I will shortly start a new job, which is only about 3 miles away.

Given that the engine will have little chance of reaching any reasonable temperatures, what can I do to help keep the engine from suffering too much?

Steven
 
Let the motor idle a little bit before you leave to help it get up to operating temps.

And on your days off be sure and take a little road trip.
 
Why spend that time idling though? Better to spend that same amount of time in motion on the streets. Idling is one of the worst possible things you can do to an engine you care about.

If it were me, I'd take a roundabout way to work. When I make my trip to Walmart on the weekends, instead of just going the 3 miles there, I take a longer route which ends up being 30 or 40 miles in total. I love driving though.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Decca:
what can I do to help keep the engine from suffering too much?

Steven


Ride your bike and save the car for the weekend. Did you know that they figured out how much energy a bicycle uses compared to a car and it works out to 1500 miles per gallon.
lol.gif
 
There is not much you can do but drive further. Plan other places you need to go around your ride home so that you get that oil good and hot once a day.

Keep in mind that you are severe service so 3000 miles is already an extended oil change interval.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Patman:
Why spend that time idling though? Better to spend that same amount of time in motion on the streets. Idling is one of the worst possible things you can do to an engine you care about.

Tell that to truckers that let their motors idle 8 hours per day, 7 days per week, 52 weeks a year, and still go 500k miles before the first overhaul. And that's using DINO oil.

Idling isn't that bad on a motor. Not near as bad as short trips that don't allow the oil to reach operating temp before shutting down. Allowing moisture to build up, and acid to form, eating away at the motor from the inside.
 
]Granted you are correct about the semi-drivers. BUT can we really compare engines that almost never cool down, are built "vastly" different. Run different oils (with much greater attention paid to them overall I bet) ???

I mean sure its an internal combustion engine... but alot of similarties stop there....

[ July 04, 2003, 02:23 AM: Message edited by: joe4324 ]
 
quote:

Originally posted by joe4324:
Granted you are correct about the semi-drivers. BUT can we really compare engines that almost never cool down, are built "vastly" different.



They're built just like any other diesel motor. Nothing special.

quote:

Run different oils (with much greater attention paid to them overall I bet) ???



Most still run 15w-40 dino oil. Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo, or Mobil Delvac 1300.

quote:


I mean sure its an internal combustion engine... but alot of similarties stop there....


It's an inline 6-cyl diesel motor. Built just like any other diesel motor on the road today. Nothing special about them.

I've always idled my gassers in the past, and now my diesels, in the winter to warm them up. To clear the windshield and get the heater working. And I've yet to have an engine failure.

I know what some people will say - "diesels won't warm up idling in the winter". To prove them wrong I started my VW TDI on a 20F morning and let her idle, with the heater turned OFF. 27 minutes later my water temp gauge was at 190F. Full operating temp.

[ July 04, 2003, 10:49 AM: Message edited by: TexasTDI ]
 
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