So my new job is 0.9 miles from my house, yes its really that close, I clocked it when I went there for my interview. My question is, I already know short trips are not good for your car. There is another route I could take that is about 4 miles one way, would it be worth going out of the way to drive the 4 miles or just go the short way of 0.9 miles? Im thinking once I finish off my ultra I might start using 0w20 only because of the VERY short trips. No I am not going to walk, my uniform is black and its sunny and 90 degrees here in FL. And no Im not going to buy a scooter or bike of some sort, dont have the money for a scooter, and dont want to bike because ill be sweating bullets by the time i get to work. Just wanting to know if driving the 4 miles route would be any better for the car vs the 0.9 mile route.
New job...very short trips.
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My mother commutes 5 blocks because she has to carry a ton of stuff. She does it multiple times a day. We found long ago that using a good syn, we could go the non-severe interval (backed up by UOA) and not worry about it. So long as a decent trip is taken once in a while >30 miles, optimally >50, I wouldnt worry one bit, especially in hot climate.
UOA is your determinant, not speculation.
UOA is your determinant, not speculation.
Use the car for a longer trip once a week, like on the grocery-buying circuit.
It's just a car, don't worry about it. All of your concerns are so trivial in nature. Change the oil per the Maint Minder and continue with life. When it breaks, then buy another one....if you're doing well in life, this should not be a problem.
Instead, focus on the more important things in life. Wish someone told me that before I joined this site 8 years ago...
Instead, focus on the more important things in life. Wish someone told me that before I joined this site 8 years ago...
Originally Posted By: The Critic
It's just a car, don't worry about it. All of your concerns are so trivial in nature. Change the oil per the Maint Minder and continue with life. When it breaks, then buy another one....if you're doing well in life, this should not be a problem.
Instead, focus on the more important things in life. Wish someone told me that before I joined this site 8 years ago...
Great post, good advice.
It's just a car, don't worry about it. All of your concerns are so trivial in nature. Change the oil per the Maint Minder and continue with life. When it breaks, then buy another one....if you're doing well in life, this should not be a problem.
Instead, focus on the more important things in life. Wish someone told me that before I joined this site 8 years ago...
Great post, good advice.
I don't see how two short trips a day are going to kill your car's engine. If this is your typical trip, get dyno oil and change it every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. A bulk 5W30 from Car-X, Firestone, etc, should do the job. If you want to be proactive, then get a 0W20 or 5W20 and don't floor the throttle until the engine is fully warm. Drive the normal route. Take the car for a longer ride every one two weeks.
I would have gotten a chain store bicycle (Walmart, Sears, etc) and biked at least on days when its not raining. Actually, this is pretty much how I have been using my first car for 5-6 years. It was getting mostly bulk 10W30 instead of either 5W20 or 5W30 as was recommended. I lived about 1.5 miles from school/work and biked because besides the short distance, finding parking and paying for it was so not worth it. Midway from school, there was also a grocery store. I had one bicycle bag and this is how I got 80% of my groceries as well. The car was strictly for weekend fun. My car still saw many short trips. Your odo may clock like 3,000 miles a year, but the wear and tear on the car (either from short trips or aging) will be like 10,000 miles a year. There is no way around that, the oil won't change this fact.
I would have gotten a chain store bicycle (Walmart, Sears, etc) and biked at least on days when its not raining. Actually, this is pretty much how I have been using my first car for 5-6 years. It was getting mostly bulk 10W30 instead of either 5W20 or 5W30 as was recommended. I lived about 1.5 miles from school/work and biked because besides the short distance, finding parking and paying for it was so not worth it. Midway from school, there was also a grocery store. I had one bicycle bag and this is how I got 80% of my groceries as well. The car was strictly for weekend fun. My car still saw many short trips. Your odo may clock like 3,000 miles a year, but the wear and tear on the car (either from short trips or aging) will be like 10,000 miles a year. There is no way around that, the oil won't change this fact.
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If I do not leave the office, I drive 750 yards to the office, 4 times a day (there, back for lunch, there, back for beer o clock). Rains a lot where I am, and I often need the car on short notice to go out. I change at 5000 miles. no problems yet.
Edit - I do some trips that are 20 miles + at least once a week. I think the most problematic thing should really be the battery never getting charged, but so far no problems
Edit - I do some trips that are 20 miles + at least once a week. I think the most problematic thing should really be the battery never getting charged, but so far no problems
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Options if u are in good health, roller blades, skateboard,bicycle,electric bike, 9 tenths of a mile, roughly 4500 feet..........................maybe walk once or twice a week just for fun,imho. PS, there are no known records that you will blow your engine up driving it .9 of a mile and back daily. Good luck with that long drive, many folks would really like to be that close to work.
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cheapest dino you can find in the weight recommended for your vehicle and change every 3~5k miles or six months, whichever comes first. Things you will have to watch out for are condensation in oil and fuel dilution during cold starts. Here, keeping "fresh" oil in the sump will be more beneficial than keeping "better" oil in the sump.
Heh heh, When I was first married, I was going to school and Marina was working at Woolworths. She got the 600$ '66 bug, and I drove my 25$ brush painted blue '58 bug 4 miles to a parking lot up by the highway and hitch hiked to Boston. Oil was the last thing I worried about. Those were the days!
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Originally Posted By: The Critic
It's just a car, don't worry about it. All of your concerns are so trivial in nature. Change the oil per the Maint Minder and continue with life. When it breaks, then buy another one....if you're doing well in life, this should not be a problem.
Instead, focus on the more important things in life. Wish someone told me that before I joined this site 8 years ago...
Haha this is great and what I been trying to tell for awhile now .
It's just a car, don't worry about it. All of your concerns are so trivial in nature. Change the oil per the Maint Minder and continue with life. When it breaks, then buy another one....if you're doing well in life, this should not be a problem.
Instead, focus on the more important things in life. Wish someone told me that before I joined this site 8 years ago...
Haha this is great and what I been trying to tell for awhile now .
Originally Posted By: Cold_Canuk
Originally Posted By: The Critic
It's just a car, don't worry about it. All of your concerns are so trivial in nature. Change the oil per the Maint Minder and continue with life. When it breaks, then buy another one....if you're doing well in life, this should not be a problem.
Instead, focus on the more important things in life. Wish someone told me that before I joined this site 8 years ago...
Great post, good advice.
+2
Originally Posted By: The Critic
It's just a car, don't worry about it. All of your concerns are so trivial in nature. Change the oil per the Maint Minder and continue with life. When it breaks, then buy another one....if you're doing well in life, this should not be a problem.
Instead, focus on the more important things in life. Wish someone told me that before I joined this site 8 years ago...
Great post, good advice.
+2
Originally Posted By: gregk24
So my new job is 0.9 miles from my house, yes its really that close, I clocked it when I went there for my interview. My question is, I already know short trips are not good for your car. There is another route I could take that is about 4 miles one way, would it be worth going out of the way to drive the 4 miles or just go the short way of 0.9 miles? Im thinking once I finish off my ultra I might start using 0w20 only because of the VERY short trips. No I am not going to walk, my uniform is black and its sunny and 90 degrees here in FL. And no Im not going to buy a scooter or bike of some sort, dont have the money for a scooter, and dont want to bike because ill be sweating bullets by the time i get to work. Just wanting to know if driving the 4 miles route would be any better for the car vs the 0.9 mile route.
It's called walking or get a bike. Save the wear and tear. Ill bet in .9 miles the car doesn't even cool off.
So my new job is 0.9 miles from my house, yes its really that close, I clocked it when I went there for my interview. My question is, I already know short trips are not good for your car. There is another route I could take that is about 4 miles one way, would it be worth going out of the way to drive the 4 miles or just go the short way of 0.9 miles? Im thinking once I finish off my ultra I might start using 0w20 only because of the VERY short trips. No I am not going to walk, my uniform is black and its sunny and 90 degrees here in FL. And no Im not going to buy a scooter or bike of some sort, dont have the money for a scooter, and dont want to bike because ill be sweating bullets by the time i get to work. Just wanting to know if driving the 4 miles route would be any better for the car vs the 0.9 mile route.
It's called walking or get a bike. Save the wear and tear. Ill bet in .9 miles the car doesn't even cool off.
Originally Posted By: ARB1977
It's called walking or get a bike. Save the wear and tear.
Yep.
Walk nice and slow or bike it and change before you arrive at your desk.
If you gotta drive it, just drive and follow the maintenance minder. A car is there to serve you, not the other way around.
It's called walking or get a bike. Save the wear and tear.
Yep.
Walk nice and slow or bike it and change before you arrive at your desk.
If you gotta drive it, just drive and follow the maintenance minder. A car is there to serve you, not the other way around.
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