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      01-06-2016, 07:34 PM   #1
atruelunatic
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7 minute commute: damages?

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Pretty much a first world problem of sorts... how much damage am I doing to my engine? Temperature in the morning is about 40F.

I'm thinking of getting a bike or beater car. Think this is being paranoid? By the time I get to work (or home after work), the temp needle is only halfway between full cold and the optimal temp.
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      01-06-2016, 07:57 PM   #2
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Personally i wont want to do such short distance driving especially when its really cold outside. You using spec'ed oil weight (10w60)? Might help bit more if you switch to 0w40 like most people on the forum, but then that's personal preference.

I will suggest getting a beater if money is not a problem. Cheers.
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      01-06-2016, 08:12 PM   #3
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Drive longer and let the car get to operating temp.
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      01-06-2016, 08:50 PM   #4
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CEL ( drained battery ) will pop up once in a while.
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      01-06-2016, 08:59 PM   #5
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Might be an issue with the battery but other than that you should be ok. The best way to warm up a car is light driving. The car may never get fully warmed but as long as you drive moderately nothing should get damaged.
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      01-06-2016, 11:17 PM   #6
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It'd be best if you could, at least once a week, get everything warmed up so you get any moisture buildup out of the crankcase. This moisture will manifest itself as a white, mayonnaise looking substance that plates out on the oil fill cap of most cars (so you can monitor the condition).
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      01-07-2016, 11:58 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by admranger View Post
It'd be best if you could, at least once a week, get everything warmed up so you get any moisture buildup out of the crankcase. This moisture will manifest itself as a white, mayonnaise looking substance that plates out on the oil fill cap of most cars (so you can monitor the condition).

That sounds like the most reasonable advice to me. A shorter commute might be harder on an engine per mile since the first few miles when the engine is cold will be the hardest on an engine, but just driving it longer doesn't eliminate those first few miles. A longer commute just adds more miles on top of the same initial cold miles, but I think getting the engine up to normal temperature occasionally to burn off moisture and fuel that gets combined with the oil is a good idea.
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      01-08-2016, 01:25 AM   #8
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Short cycles like that can.cause fuel in the oil as well.
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      01-08-2016, 10:02 AM   #9
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Interestingly I had this concern myself the other day. I work from home and my gym, which is the only place I usually commute to after work, is only 2.5 miles away. I would walk/run/bike but in south FL you never know if it'll be sunny or pouring rain and that would suck getting caught in the rain on either trip. Recently I've just been trying to take a slightly longer route when I drive.
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      01-08-2016, 02:36 PM   #10
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Your short term effects will be the battery/charging system
The long term effects will be on the engine/fluids/fuel

Its not good for any type of car to sit and not be driven.
If you are putting less then 10k miles a year then you need to flush your fluids sooner then others. Your engine oil needs to be flushed each year if you fall under that mileage. And if it sits I would use a fuel stabilizer so the fuel does not go bad
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      01-08-2016, 03:34 PM   #11
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As long as you aren't really going for it while it's cold and you periodically take it for a longer drive to burn things off in the oil you should be ok.
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