Ever since I got this new job 40 minutes away from the house, the car seems happier for some reason. More energetic and smoother running.
Why do cars like long commutes?
- Thread starter das_peikko
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Because the car gets fully warmed up, more straight easy constant-rpm driving, fewer turns to wear the tires and steering and suspension components,
Ofcourse it does, with 40 minutes of constant driving the engine gets fully warmed up, that means less carbon building up which causes rough running.
It's stretching its legs. Nice easy cruising with little braking, turning, slowing down/stopping & re-accelerating.
Try jogging 10 miles at your comfort speed without stopping.
Then try jogging that same 10 miles and stopping every 1000 ft and restarting to get back up to your comfort speed.
You'd be more exhausted by the time you finished those 10 miles, due to using more energy to reach the same destination.
Just as your heat rate, breathing & stride would settle in during a long distance run, so does the engine/drive train components.
Try jogging 10 miles at your comfort speed without stopping.
Then try jogging that same 10 miles and stopping every 1000 ft and restarting to get back up to your comfort speed.
You'd be more exhausted by the time you finished those 10 miles, due to using more energy to reach the same destination.
Just as your heat rate, breathing & stride would settle in during a long distance run, so does the engine/drive train components.
I know a guy who drives 70 miles one way to work and his tires last 80,000 miles at least and they are nice level roads and minimal corners. He doesn't even rotate them very often.
Taxi cabs covering 500,000 miles -and more- are mentioned during conversations like these.
Sometimes improved fuel mileage gets a mention.
I've heard stories about engine oil lasting longer and positively effecting OCI's too.
Where did I see all that again?
Sometimes improved fuel mileage gets a mention.
I've heard stories about engine oil lasting longer and positively effecting OCI's too.
Where did I see all that again?
I've heard the wear rates during steady state driving are approx 10 percent of the what's experienced during stop-n-go driving.
The bulk of people who complain about their vehicles not running right are the ones with the shortest commute.
Originally Posted by Tahoe4Life
The bulk of people who complain about their vehicles not running right are the ones with the shortest commute.
When I put LOTTA MILES on my vehicles, I had few(er) problems. When I only put on 5k-7k miles/yr, I was replacing stuff all the time.
The bulk of people who complain about their vehicles not running right are the ones with the shortest commute.
When I put LOTTA MILES on my vehicles, I had few(er) problems. When I only put on 5k-7k miles/yr, I was replacing stuff all the time.
Originally Posted by Char Baby
Originally Posted by Tahoe4Life
The bulk of people who complain about their vehicles not running right are the ones with the shortest commute.
When I put LOTTA MILES on my vehicles, I had few(er) problems. When I only put on 5k-7k miles/yr, I was replacing stuff all the time.
Do you think it's primarily a function of miles or run time, or both?
Originally Posted by Tahoe4Life
The bulk of people who complain about their vehicles not running right are the ones with the shortest commute.
When I put LOTTA MILES on my vehicles, I had few(er) problems. When I only put on 5k-7k miles/yr, I was replacing stuff all the time.
Do you think it's primarily a function of miles or run time, or both?
Originally Posted by das_peikko
Ever since I got this new job 40 minutes away from the house, the car seems happier for some reason. More energetic and smoother running.
I'm assuming you were short tripping before and were following severe service OCI's so now that you've started putting on more miles and again assuming they are highway miles do you feel you have graduated from severe service and can start following a normal service?
I ask because of your location and all the heat, in all the sites I've searched they say "driving in temperature greatly below or above average" is considered severe service, just curious.
Ever since I got this new job 40 minutes away from the house, the car seems happier for some reason. More energetic and smoother running.
I'm assuming you were short tripping before and were following severe service OCI's so now that you've started putting on more miles and again assuming they are highway miles do you feel you have graduated from severe service and can start following a normal service?
I ask because of your location and all the heat, in all the sites I've searched they say "driving in temperature greatly below or above average" is considered severe service, just curious.
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Originally Posted by Tahoe4Life
The bulk of people who complain about their vehicles not running right are the ones with the shortest commute.
Ain't that the truth...kind of what Honda is going through with the 1.5T motor and fuel dilution. The ones complaining live in cold climates and only drive for 10 minutes or so. The ones that drive longer than 30 minutes in those same conditions are not complaining at all, if they are, they are usually just jumping on the band wagon.
The bulk of people who complain about their vehicles not running right are the ones with the shortest commute.
Ain't that the truth...kind of what Honda is going through with the 1.5T motor and fuel dilution. The ones complaining live in cold climates and only drive for 10 minutes or so. The ones that drive longer than 30 minutes in those same conditions are not complaining at all, if they are, they are usually just jumping on the band wagon.
Originally Posted by expat
It takes about 20 minutes at highway speed for an engine to become heat saturated (optimal operating temp).
This is when all parts of the engine reach there designed tolerances.
Your coolant temp gauge does not tell the whole story.
That, and wheel bearing grease comes up to temp, etc. etc.
I know of a little Kubota diesel 3-cyl (D905) happily putting away at 1800 RPM's generating power at a very, very remote USDOD signals outpost (unmanned)
I think it's got well over 50,000+ hours on it now. Oil gets changed once a year - - it runs 24/7/365 (8,736 hour in a year!) on whatever 15W-40 oil is bought under contract.
It takes about 20 minutes at highway speed for an engine to become heat saturated (optimal operating temp).
This is when all parts of the engine reach there designed tolerances.
Your coolant temp gauge does not tell the whole story.
That, and wheel bearing grease comes up to temp, etc. etc.
I know of a little Kubota diesel 3-cyl (D905) happily putting away at 1800 RPM's generating power at a very, very remote USDOD signals outpost (unmanned)
I think it's got well over 50,000+ hours on it now. Oil gets changed once a year - - it runs 24/7/365 (8,736 hour in a year!) on whatever 15W-40 oil is bought under contract.
Cars like long commutes? They like long vacation trips even better.
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Originally Posted by CR94
Cars like long commutes? They like long vacation trips even better.
...while passing through some mountains.
Cars like long commutes? They like long vacation trips even better.
...while passing through some mountains.
I had to drive 85 miles one way (170 miles round trip) 4 days a week, for 3 months and hated it.
Any engine fully warmed up will run much better and have less problems.
Any engine fully warmed up will run much better and have less problems.
I do 80 miles a day, five days a week...mostly highway.
The thing with highway commutes from what I've experienced is this...
It gets up to operating temperature and it stays there. There's nice air flow across the radiator and you're at a nice steady speed. You're not using your brakes and the suspension isn't being stressed much from the braking or cornering. It's easy. It's straight ahead driving. You're not accelerating hard from dead stops. And you're at a pretty constant engine RPM, usually lower, with the very gradual/occasional uptick in RPM's.
The downside is paint. The stuff that gets thrown onto your grill, windshield and hood, isn't ideal. Paint chips, lots of them. Cracked or pitted windshields? I don't think I can make it through one year without something hapleneing...a crack, a rock hits it, sand splatters all over it. Constant, but worse in the winter. [censored] I ven had a turkey hit it. A TURKEY! Another thing...engine RPM...lower constant RPM, might lead to a little more oil consumption from what I've read. Not sure.
Overall I'll take highway commutinover anything else.
The thing with highway commutes from what I've experienced is this...
It gets up to operating temperature and it stays there. There's nice air flow across the radiator and you're at a nice steady speed. You're not using your brakes and the suspension isn't being stressed much from the braking or cornering. It's easy. It's straight ahead driving. You're not accelerating hard from dead stops. And you're at a pretty constant engine RPM, usually lower, with the very gradual/occasional uptick in RPM's.
The downside is paint. The stuff that gets thrown onto your grill, windshield and hood, isn't ideal. Paint chips, lots of them. Cracked or pitted windshields? I don't think I can make it through one year without something hapleneing...a crack, a rock hits it, sand splatters all over it. Constant, but worse in the winter. [censored] I ven had a turkey hit it. A TURKEY! Another thing...engine RPM...lower constant RPM, might lead to a little more oil consumption from what I've read. Not sure.
Overall I'll take highway commutinover anything else.
Originally Posted by pandus13
Originally Posted by CR94
Cars like long commutes? They like long vacation trips even better.
...while passing through some mountains.
and being nicely cleaned and waxed too. Clean cars just run better.
Just like people, cars need to keep moving. If you don't move your circulation get slow and clogged. Then bad stuff happens.
Originally Posted by CR94
Cars like long commutes? They like long vacation trips even better.
...while passing through some mountains.
and being nicely cleaned and waxed too. Clean cars just run better.
Just like people, cars need to keep moving. If you don't move your circulation get slow and clogged. Then bad stuff happens.
Working 12 hr. shifts, I commuted 45 min -1 hour one way for over 30 years, but I am now 10 min or less from work!
To heck with the cars... The human body is getting more rest now!
To heck with the cars... The human body is getting more rest now!
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