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I drive my truck and also my bikes to work and back which is only 6 miles one way...about 4 miles of this is freeway driving but it can be stop and go sometimes.
What are the negative effects of these short trips daily? Does it just mean that more frequent oil changes are required or is there a more detrimental long term effect on the engine? If so, is it much worse or just reduces longevity by a small bit?
My mom had a truck she used about the same amount. The exhaust kept rusting out because she was not running it long enough to burn off the moisture. At least that's what the last exhaust shop she took it to told her.
Short trips mean all the fluids (chiefly motor oil) don't reach operating temperature, exacerbating their breakdown. You can also get fuel dilution. Additionally, highway driving makes the engine nice and hot, allowing less carbon deposition.
My advice is to take short tripping vehicles for a nice long highway drive on the weekend. Varying the RPMs and such can lessen the aforementioned issues.
Do you notice that the exhaust of a cold engine is visible white? It is not oil smoke, it is water vapor. The exhaust changes to invisible after it is warmed up.
Modern engines warm up very quickly (my V6 Honda reaches normal temp gauge reading in about 4 minutes (2 miles)). But I don't think everything else (such as the catalyst and exhaust) for a good bit longer.
I drive my truck and also my bikes to work and back which is only 6 miles one way...about 4 miles of this is freeway driving but it can be stop and go sometimes.
What are the negative effects of these short trips daily? Does it just mean that more frequent oil changes are required or is there a more detrimental long term effect on the engine? If so, is it much worse or just reduces longevity by a small bit?
When you burn a hydrocarbon such as gasoline, your main combustion products are CO2 and H2O - that last one, water is in your exhaust gas and also in blow-by gases that go into the crankcase and contaminate the lube oil. If you drive the car far enough, the oil will get hot enough (it does not necessarily have to exceed 100C because of the vacuum the PVC keeps on the crankcase) to boil off most of the water. If you don't go far enough, it won't. As also mentioned the exhaust system will stay wet internally and rust out.
Changing oil more frequently is a start. Use the "severe service" OCI in your manual.
What you really need to do is to "take the long way home" at least a few days per week. Assuming that's practical. Try to make at least one continuous trip of say 10-15 miles. Ideally you would cruise at reasonably high speed for 15 miles daily just before putting the car away for the night.
Different engines respond to short trips differently. Usually the problem manifests as sludge formation.
What about short trips with only brief stops? I am a dog walker and make many short trips per day of 4-8 miles, but I only stop for 20-30 minutes at a time then I'm back on the road. Would this be less damaging since the engine doesn't have time to completely cool off?
Yes; but it has more to do with lubrication and new oil protect in that regard much better has do engines now using lighter oils. Even the fuel additives keep engines much cleaner now days.
My aging parents from the late 80s to 2004 when mom passed, drove their cars only on short trips like that, had no problems.
My mother in law's mom got a 2006 Corolla brand new. MIL took it over in 2010 as grandma was too old to drive. Car had 4K then, now has 30K miles and no issues at 9 years old.
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