SHORT TRIPS

[grbr95]

I want to know if frequent short trips in extemes of hot and cold is harder on the engine or harder on the oil? Or, do short trips only effect the oil life, and have no effect on the engine?

Right now it is 4 degrees out, and my truck will see short trips of 2-3 miles, be shut off, and restarted again several hours later for the 2-3 mile trip back home.

 

[Pablo]

It will be hard on the engine as well.

This is a good use for a beater car, not a prize posession.

At the very least you will eat tailpipes and exhaust systems for lunch. 3 miles - maybe that is just long enough to drive most of the moisture out....maybe not.

 

[KW]

My wife used to drive 3/4 mile to work, home for lunch, back to work, home again and maybe to a freinds house a block or two away. She did this five days a week for about four years. On Saturdays I would use the car to haul motorcycles 45 miles each way to a local dragstrip. I stayed on top of caring for the car and we still drive it to this day as our primary vehicle. Only now it drives 17 miles each way to work and home.

The short trips were hard on batteries and I changed the oil every six months.

 

[grbr95]

Wow KW!!!
I guess from what you said, those short trips did not effect the engine longevity then right?
It's just harder on all the other components: battery, exhaust, etc???

 

[Gary Allan]

those short trips did not effect the engine longevity then right?

You can't infer that from his use. The short trip use was of such short ( mileage-wise ) duration that it could have been 10-20 times the normal average wear rate and it wouldn't have added up to much in terms of years old versus a like vehicle that had done 10-12k a year.


Both vehicles could/would still be in relatively good condition ..only the mileage would be different. At that point ..they could both switch service duties and last the same amount of time from there on out.

 

[youngbuck]

Yea, I am kind of worried about short trips with my vehicle. It's my only vehicle, so it has to serve "beater duty" as well. I drive to work 7.5 miles, back home for lunch, back to work, and back home again.

 

[Pablo]

I would think 7.5 miles does not qualify as a short trip.

 

[youngbuck]

Really? Ok, that makes me feel better.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

youngbuck - that started to become the issue for me as well, short trip to work, home for lunch, then to work, then back home.

I started just taking my lunches at work at least 3 days a week to cut down on the wear/tear. My company moved and now I drive 26 miles round trip to/from work, and I still think that's short trip driving; but much better then the 2 miles to/from work previously.

 

[Amkeer]

Short trips didn't seem to effect the UOA on my 4-Runner. From March through June it was driven 1 mile in the morning and 1 mile in the afternoon to drop kids off and pick them up. It was frequently driven less than a half mile to grocery. It had also extended idle periods of 10 minutes or more.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=003028

 

[sprite1741]

I live 1.1 mile from work, come home for lunch and work night shift. Been doing it for years on this car, change oil every 6 mos. with dino. Engine has almost 200k miles on it, Dodge 2.2 turbo. Gets below zero here in winter alot, tonight as well. I try to drive it out of town at least once a week to burn off any moisture. Seems to work fine. Hasn't hurt this car at all as it's 20 year's old in 2006. Engine still has normal boost and vacuum, uses 1/2 qt of oil every 6 mos.(drips some from crank seal) in 4 to 5k miles. Only thing the short trips have hurt is fuel mileage.

 

[twigdog]

WOW sprit, poor turbo. Inspiring though, my wife drives three miles to work. Pulls out the drive, 55 to work and back.

 

[martyi]

Use LC20 and FP60 with your oil and gas to help better protect engine parts (which last I read is the function of oil). Have a periodic UOA conducted and be sure and follow your manual or OLM as to change intervals using the car's recommended oil type and weight (you may want to use the manual's "severe" service schedual). Every week or so take the vehicle on a little 40 or 50 mile trip.

These are about the only things you can do if you are mostly a short trip driver. But if you do these things just enjoy your car in whatever way you want to use it and rest easy.

 

[Maxima]

Short trip mean frenquest start and idle in cold engine. The engine is running tich and mroe HC and other unburn get into lube cause lube dillute. I am not too worry about because API oil suppose to surpress tis amount of HC but I will change oil more often. Start at extreme temperature is also hard for the engine and catyl converter. You might find an engine pre-heat help if you live in cold area.

 

[Curious Kid]

Good point Gary.

Thanks for sharing your case Sprite.

I have taken to packing my lunch for work (only 4 miles from home), and have walked down the road to the local food mart and coffee house from time to time. The use of the car just doesn't seem logical unless weather and hauling of more goods than I can manage by hand. I can also use the exercise - that goes for another member of my family that thinks I'm strange at time with all this walking.

I'm keeping an eye on the battery and listening to the starter for any signs that attention's needed. It's been atleast 5 yrs now and I'm pondering to change the Decka starter battery.

Starting and stopping...I can't imagine it does any good, but it may serve to get the job done. In the end, I guess that's the main purpose of owning a vehicle...well for most of use anyway.

Take care everyone, and Happy Holidays!

 

[youngbuck]

So I've read slightly differing opinions on what is considered a short trip. Lets say the temp is 20 degrees F. How far to make it not a short trip?

Also, I assume if it were stop and go it would be easier to get out of the "short trip" category, right? Because it's harder on the vehicle and thus will heat it up quicker, assuming there is not excessive idling?