Wife changed jobs - 2 mile commute. OCI?

[rvt]

Originally Posted By: Greg L
My wife now drives round trip for two miles in her commute. Average speed 30 mph.

On a 1996 GMC with 215k miles and 5.7 350 engine. New water pump and radiator.

My question: do I change from the usual Smittys 5w30 HM and occasional Pennz HM?

Or switch back to Mobil that I first used a few years ago?


I should also mention that she generally warms up the truck only for 10 seconds in the morning...although I tell her to warm it up at least 30-60 seconds.

Also, she does not speed to work.


GL


I'd change it twice a year and what happens...happens. Heck it's only racking up 4 miles per day, it could last a long time. And for that trip it doesn't have to be in optimum condition. If it does wear out, there are used SBC engines which could buy her years more service at that rate. No need to bother with annoying warm up procedures.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I just re read your original post. I'd stay with the HM oils you've been using but stick with a 3/3 oci.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Merk, in your climate and that of the OP, you need to worry about warming up as much as I need to put on a space suit to shield me from the winter elements between the house and the garage.


You are correct sir. Right now my Buick's oil is being kept warm by a 110F(43.333C) garage.

 

[Garak]

We've been hitting the low to mid 30 C range lately, so I haven't had to warm up my car, either.

 

[xfactor9]

Originally Posted By: supton

I swear, our Camry can have heat coming out of the vents just leaving the driveway. Fast warmup vehicle. OP's truck, I doubt it. In that case I would think a Saturday drive of 20 or so miles to get it warmed up and charged up is good. Maybe make the weekly shopping trip or something. Not sure that the old school 350 cares.


Heat coming out of the vents doesn't mean anything in terms of oil temps. In one of my cars (which has an oil temp gauge), heat comes out of the vent after 3 minutes but it takes 10-12 minutes before the oil is warmed up

 

[ammolab]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: thunderfog
No.

Terrible waste of fuel. Use that money for cleaning the engine if you feel the need or shortening the OCI, and save a little bit of the environment in the meantime. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be able to eat off your internal engine parts.


The most economically feasible way to keep an engine clean is to get it up to operating temperature on every trip and to change the oil regularly. Very little fuel is used during idle under a no load condition.


Yes and very little heat goes into the oil during idle under a no load condition. You are just dumping more combustion stuff into cool oil. Warm water on the gauge comes from the head and does not heat the oil.

 

[camrydriver111]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
How you gonna warm up your engine driving it for only 1 mile ?

Merk, in your climate and that of the OP, you need to worry about warming up as much as I need to put on a space suit to shield me from the winter elements between the house and the garage.

I agree.

OP, just drive and don't worry about it.

You're not going to have problems in a warm climate.

Originally Posted By: thunderfog
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Tell your wife she's gonna have to start warming the car up for 10 minutes or she's gonna get a sludged engine. Tell her to monitor the water temp gauge and make sure the water temp is at least 180F before going to work.


No.

Terrible waste of fuel. Use that money for cleaning the engine if you feel the need or shortening the OCI, and save a little bit of the environment in the meantime. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be able to eat off your internal engine parts.

 

[raytseng]

this "warm up the engine" for 10minutes before the 2mile drive makes no sense.
If you want to follow the logic being presented, a better idea is then to to immediately complete the 2mile drive, but if the destination is arrived before the car has warmed up, then one should rev the car at 3k rpm for a good 5minutes sitting in the car to be sure to burn off the moisture before shutting down, similar to a turbo timer and simulating and extra 5minutes of commute.

Why haven't car manufacturers already installed this technology! thanks obama!

/sarcasm

 

[tmorris1]

Don't worry about it and change the oil at a reasonable interval. I had the same 2 mile commute for 17 years and my engines are all still running just fine with over 200,000 miles. Just take them for longer drive once in a while and you are fine.

 

[2civics]

My wife has an 8 mile trip, 16 miles round trip, to work. We use Mobil 1 EP in her car. She does get longer trips in to burn off excess moisture every other week. What would the OCI recommendation be? Is this the wrong oil completely? We live in Indiana where we got some regular -20 and lower temps this past winter.

 

[Kuato]

Wow, all over the place.

Originally Posted By: Greg L
My wife now drives round trip for two miles in her commute. Average speed 30 mph.

On a 1996 GMC with 215k miles and 5.7 350 engine. New water pump and radiator.

My question: do I change from the usual Smittys 5w30 HM and occasional Pennz HM?

Or switch back to Mobil that I first used a few years ago?

...


I don't see any reason to switch from your usual oil, the only concern is that the OCI may have to be adjusted. Probably good for 5000 or one year whichever comes first, and a UOA will tell you if that's true or not. You didn't mention what her previous drive to work was, or the OCI you were using so it's hard to compare.



But I have to agree with other posters: 2 miles? CA? If no kids to run around, bicycle.

Last I checked you could ride a bike through Starbucks (agree with Surfstar, put the money away for yourself rather than in the corporate coffers)

 

[ryanschillinger]

Originally Posted By: Greg L
"Trade it in for a Leaf, Volt, Prius, Insight..."

Been there, done that. We had a 2003 and 2005 Honda Hybrid....both had nothing but mechanical problems & only got 39-42 around town. Traded it in for the 2008 Compass which gets 32 mpg. No issues so far. Done with hybrids.



Honda Civic hybrids are the only hybrids with known problems. Their batteries fail often and cause them to run only on the smaller gas engine. That causes very slow acceleration and poor mpg. Even Hondas insight is pretty much trouble free. I don't know about the original, talking about the newer one.

 

[ron17571]

There sure are a lot of strange opinions here.So here is mine. Don't sweat it. I drive about the same,except in the winter when its below zero,I use a cover on my grill and warm up the van for a few minutes. Get a bike?Bikes suck.Maybe worse than motorcycles that can at least do the speed limit. The scooter idea was better,I bet you can find one with a cup holder.
Oil? Don't even think about it.Insanely long oil changes are the norm here.Some even advise using the cheapest [censored] you can.personally that oil at the dollar store makes me feel sick just looking at the bottle. From what i read,Your doing fine.

 

[Greg L]

Maybe I should have prefaced this topic as "Starbucks or Engine Oil: How to Decide".....

As for her previous commute, it varied from Tuesday thru Saturdays; at a minimum of 15 miles stop & go round trip with the occasional extra 10 miles for customer service stops.


GL

 

[Merkava_4]

Wifey would do fine with a plug-in Fiat 500e.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
How you gonna warm up your engine driving it for only 1 mile ?

Merk, in your climate and that of the OP, you need to worry about warming up as much as I need to put on a space suit to shield me from the winter elements between the house and the garage.

I agree.

OP, just drive and don't worry about it.

You're not going to have problems in a warm climate.

Originally Posted By: thunderfog
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Tell your wife she's gonna have to start warming the car up for 10 minutes or she's gonna get a sludged engine. Tell her to monitor the water temp gauge and make sure the water temp is at least 180F before going to work.


No.

Terrible waste of fuel. Use that money for cleaning the engine if you feel the need or shortening the OCI, and save a little bit of the environment in the meantime. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be able to eat off your internal engine parts.

I'm not setting my [censored] in a cold car any longer than it takes to start it... In cold weather mine always get a 5-10 minute warm up...

 

[jmb3675]

Imagine how many oil changes and gallons of you could buy for the truck for the cost of a scooter, hybrid or plug in electric car.
At 2 miles per day. 5 days per week, 5 miles per gallon = 2 gallons per week. If gas is $3 per gallon that is $6 per week for gas or $312 per year and only 520 miles. Change the oil once per year for about $30 and you are at $342 per year for fuel and oil changes. Even if you play it safe and change the oil twice in that year, or every 260 miles, and you are at $372 per year. Get crazy, change it 3 times per year, or every 175 miles, and it will cost $402 per year.
If a Prius is $22k after accounting for the fuel and oil change savings over the truck ($334 less per year), and you divide that by $402, that's 54 years of gas and oil for the truck. I really don't think buying a new vehicle is a cost effective idea.

I would use a quality conventional and change it once a year or every 6 months if moisture is a problem. Take it for for a longer drive if you are going somewhere. I just took my Jeep to the dentist so it could make a 26 mile round trip. I agree a special trip just to warm it up is a waste.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
I'm not setting my [censored] in a cold car any longer than it takes to start it... In cold weather mine always get a 5-10 minute warm up...

But neither you or I are in California, unlike Merk or the OP.