Why are short distances not good for a car?

The main problem of short distances is that the engine has no chance of reaching its operating temperature during this time.

The best operating temperature (usually 90°, is shown on the display in the dashboard), however, is crucial for the engine and the surrounding system to function properly.

• For example, condensed water is emerging from the engine and on the exhaust pipe. If the operating temperature is reached, this is not a problem at all, the condensate just evaporates at those temperatures. However, if you are driving only a few kilometers, the condensation is there, but it does not evaporate and your exhaust starts to rust.
• Incidentally, the same applies to the fuel: fuel that has entered the sump usually evaporates at the right temperature. If the car never has the opportunity to reach this temperature, the fuel collects in the oil pan and ruins the lubricity of the oil, and the oil even begins to smell of gasoline. For this reason, an oil change must often be carried out for a short-distance vehicle so that the engine does not suffer additionally.
• The fuel consumption is also higher when the engine is cold. The efficiency of the fuel and the combustion is best at operating temperature. In the end, even the spark plugs can become sooty and the car will start up worse at some point when only driving short trips.
• By the way, short-haul trips are particularly bad for diesel vehicles with soot particle filters. The soot particle filter depends on high exhaust gas temperatures, otherwise the filter can clog, so that it can happen that you can no longer drive the vehicle at some point if it is damaged that way.

So give your car a bit longer trips. Your car will thank you.
2018-04-28 at 23:38