Would a small series of short trips be bad for your car if the engine stays warm?
Would a small series of short trips be bad for your car if the engine stays warm?
As in, say I make a drive home from work, and the engine is at normal operating temperature by the time I'm home. If I then make a short drive somewhere (half-mile or less), run a 25-minute errand, then make the same drive back, all the while the engine never got the chance to cool down much, is still still bad for the car in any way?
I know it's probably not good for the battery, or possibly the starter (I guess?), but other than that, is there a problem? If so, what/why?
Thanks in advance. (I hope this is the right board to ask this...)
I know it's probably not good for the battery, or possibly the starter (I guess?), but other than that, is there a problem? If so, what/why?
Thanks in advance. (I hope this is the right board to ask this...)
Thats why you have a cooling system and a fan for a reason 
If the engine is running 'hot', the fan will kick in. If you have the correct weight oil, the oil will help lubricate the engine without burning up the oil. you also have an auxilary cooler that the transmission uses to cool the tranny fluid (though adding an external cooler helps even more). Cars are build to withstand some heat, otherwise the guys in Arizona, New mexico, etc wouldn't be able to use their cars.
If the engine is running 'hot', the fan will kick in. If you have the correct weight oil, the oil will help lubricate the engine without burning up the oil. you also have an auxilary cooler that the transmission uses to cool the tranny fluid (though adding an external cooler helps even more). Cars are build to withstand some heat, otherwise the guys in Arizona, New mexico, etc wouldn't be able to use their cars.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,575
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Correct. Cooling systems today are FAR better than the ones I grew up with in the late 60's...especially the lousy water pumps on Buicks and some other GM cars.
Short trips won't do much harm if the car is not allowed to cool down all the way. in between. What you DON'T want to do is let the engine cool down, say, overnight, and THEN drive it just a half-mile or so.....that's a good recipe for getting the oil contaminated. If you do that kind of driving frequently, or have to by necessity, than change your oil and filter more often than average.
Short trips won't do much harm if the car is not allowed to cool down all the way. in between. What you DON'T want to do is let the engine cool down, say, overnight, and THEN drive it just a half-mile or so.....that's a good recipe for getting the oil contaminated. If you do that kind of driving frequently, or have to by necessity, than change your oil and filter more often than average.
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SupraCoup3
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Apr 26, 2002 10:55 PM
