I was just wondering .... I have a 1.8T 05 GLI and drive about 30 miles to worl one way and it is mostly highway miles. Is highway driving easier on an engine and oil than city driving?
Highway driving easier on oil?
- Thread starter brianpavlovic
- Start date
- Status
Patman
Staff member
Highway driving where you're at the same steady speed for a while is definitely the best condition for an engine and for the oil. With the engine at a steady speed and under low load (on flat roads that is) and the oil up to full temperature, you have virtually no engine wear at all.
brian,
My 2000 VW 1.8T's most recent UOA showed wear levels WAAAYYY below universal averages. The oil was M1 0w40 & had 5100 all highway miles on it. Based on those results, I'd say that proves that highway miles are easy on the oil, at least in our beloved VW 1.8T.
FWIW, I'm currently running GC in the VW. I put the GC in sometime in March & currently have 6200 miles on the oil & M1-205 filter. I plan to change the oil & get a UOA at 8000 miles. The results should be interesting. I'm also going to experiment with the oversized M1-301 filter on my next oil change.
My 2000 VW 1.8T's most recent UOA showed wear levels WAAAYYY below universal averages. The oil was M1 0w40 & had 5100 all highway miles on it. Based on those results, I'd say that proves that highway miles are easy on the oil, at least in our beloved VW 1.8T.
FWIW, I'm currently running GC in the VW. I put the GC in sometime in March & currently have 6200 miles on the oil & M1-205 filter. I plan to change the oil & get a UOA at 8000 miles. The results should be interesting. I'm also going to experiment with the oversized M1-301 filter on my next oil change.
Highway miles also allow your oil to heat up adequately, allowing any moisture to evaporate. This prevents acid formation, which minimizes TBN depletion. If you look on at UOAs of cars with primarily highway miles, you'll notice that TBN holds up better.
Highway miles also allow the engine to run leaner, minimizing fuel dilution. And the warm engine will allow much of the fuel to evaporate and exit through the PCV valve.
Another benefit: Your exhaust system will last much longer. I have a '95 Corolla with 253,000 miles on it. The entire exhaust system is original.
Highway miles also allow the engine to run leaner, minimizing fuel dilution. And the warm engine will allow much of the fuel to evaporate and exit through the PCV valve.
Another benefit: Your exhaust system will last much longer. I have a '95 Corolla with 253,000 miles on it. The entire exhaust system is original.
Highway miles are very easy on your clutch and transmission.
Right - highway miles are easy on your engine and drivetrain, but I've had two cars with serious disk brake problems because of it! One VW diesel and one Mercedes diesel - both did about 2500 highway miles a month for several years, and both had the same problem. One was mine (the VW) and one was my wife's (guess which one!).
The brakes get cold and wet and stay that way, and after a year or two the rotors corrode badly and the calipers get seized up with salt and corrosion. Everything in your car works better when it's kept warm!
Cheers
JJ
The brakes get cold and wet and stay that way, and after a year or two the rotors corrode badly and the calipers get seized up with salt and corrosion. Everything in your car works better when it's kept warm!
Cheers
JJ
I've heard something about a system (BMW?) that periodically applies pressure to the brakes for a split second to heat them up. Something about helping to evaporate moisture if it rains and/or keeping the rotors warmer for better braking efficiency.
I have heard of that system also... my friend who just finished his ASE was telling me about it... he said it was MB also
Ditto to everything Patman said. I'll take a car with 200,000 highway miles vs one with 50,000 city miles.
Some of the new Audi's include that feature as well...I believe I read that in an article on the new Audi RS4.
Those cars apply the brakes slightly and periodically in the rain to keep the rotors dry.
If an emergency situation is detected via the stablility control system then the calipers also compress very slightly (at least on the M-B setup) to get the pads as close to the rotors as possible.
But I'm not aware of them actually doing this in normal, dry conditions, though I could be mistaken about this.
If an emergency situation is detected via the stablility control system then the calipers also compress very slightly (at least on the M-B setup) to get the pads as close to the rotors as possible.
But I'm not aware of them actually doing this in normal, dry conditions, though I could be mistaken about this.
I've been behind drivers that do that themselves every few seconds for miles on end..
It seems to me that maybe braking a little harder in the decel lane, perhaps doing all of the braking in the decel lane (people behind you will appreciate it), will heat the brakes up enough to reduce this problem.
As said before, the age of the car for starters, Second look at the brake and clutch pedals. If they are well worn, they are from lots of use and lots of city driving.
I have 18000 miles on my car, 90% highway, in 10 months. My sister has fewer miles in 2 yrs, but her brake pedal pad shows lots of wear, where mine looks new. She has also gone through a set of front pads, mine look almost new.
Highway miles are also run at cooler engine temperatures due to maximum airflow through the front grille. (the electric radiator fans never come on)
Highway isn't necessarily bad for brakes- I got 100,000+ miles out of the factory brakes on my 99 Ford Contour.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked