Severe or Ideal?

[Built_Well]

If 60 to 70 percent of your driving is slow, stop-and-go city driving, would that be considered a severe driving condition? The drives always last between 35 and 45 minutes, but the RPMs almost always hover between 1,100 rpm and 1,900 rpm. They're rarely at 1,900 though--only when slowly accelerating from a stop. RPMs mostly hang between 1,100 and 1,400. Severe?

This is with an '06 Camry, but I was reading the manual from a 1987 Oldsmobile Delta 88 (with 95,000 miles), and its manual said that a severe driving condition includes "idling and/or low-speed operation in stop-and-go traffic."

Sounds kinda like most of my driving, but I wonder if the 35- to 45-minute-long trips counteract the severity.

I'll tell ya what: I'm partial towards Toyota engines, but that old Oldsmobile drives really fine.

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: Built_Well
If 60 to 70 percent of your driving is slow, stop-and-go city driving, would that be considered a severe driving condition?

Sounds kinda like most of my driving, but I wonder if the 35- to 45-minute-long trips counteract the severity.



Yes severe. No still severe.

 

[addyguy]

Good to know - I was wondering this too.

 

[Gary Allan]

The severe assignment is to account for true engine usage. Your fuel usage would show this better than mileage. You're not getting what you would for fuel economy with 35-40 minutes of 60 mph driving (one warm up event) ..so compare the two and you'll see how much equivalent mileage you're getting out of your oil with the 3k/3m (or whatever). This is just a "rough estimate".

It's "SEVERE" only in a bean counting conceptual view. Your (probably) getting great longevity out of your oil. You just can't see it with an odometer. It's just more "one size fits all" type guidelines. One service doesn't magically transition to the other with one tick of the clock or whatever.