Station run... mechanical impact?
Discussion
I now have a job that involves commuting from our local station. In winter months I will not be cycling to the station so will drive. I'm not concerned about theft or damage in the station car park as a few people have told me that it's fine for that, but am more concerned about the mechanical impact of the journey - it is one mile so the car will only be started, driven there, stopped, and same home later thus never getting warm.
I have no issue doing more frequent oil changes & might get the stuff to do them at home, maybe every 5k or so, but am also considering a small cheap car like a £1k golf to do the run in.
I have to re-emphasize that I'm not concerned about damage or anything, the car park is full of expensive cars. Mine is a 997 C4S BTW.
Thoughts please?
I have no issue doing more frequent oil changes & might get the stuff to do them at home, maybe every 5k or so, but am also considering a small cheap car like a £1k golf to do the run in.
I have to re-emphasize that I'm not concerned about damage or anything, the car park is full of expensive cars. Mine is a 997 C4S BTW.
Thoughts please?
LaurasOtherHalf said:
There's a school of thought that dictates if you were driving further getting the car fully up to temperature you'd still be doing the cold running part of the journey so what difference would it make 
That makes sense to me but aren't there build-ups of things or deposits of stuff in the engine and exhaust that get burned off etc when the car reaches temp or would a good blast at the weekends (when up to temp of course) be sufficient to clear these unknown things out? Or doesn't the car burn rich to start with from cold which is somehow bad for something jakesmith said:
How bad for the mechanical parts of the car is this type of driving? It is our only car & lives on the driveway BTW
None really..... As mentioned above, it's the moisture in the oil that would be of concern. Plus, nothing is ever getting up to operating temperature which isn't ideal but wouldn't cause any massive issues itself I wouldn't have thought. As modern fuels have detergents etc, I wouldn't be too concerned with gunk and carbon build up in the cylinders - but a good Italian tune up would cure that. Also, your cats will not have time to warm up properly and your fuel consumption will be epic for just a mile of driving..... Personally I wouldn't put any nice car through that treatment, our family had a car do short runs for years and the moisture in he oil burned of on a long journey and ruined the engine.
Your journey is ideal for a hybrid that has an electric only mode - much as I hate to say it.
jakesmith said:
How bad for the mechanical parts of the car is this type of driving? It is our only car & lives on the driveway BTW
None really..... As mentioned above, it's the moisture in the oil that would be of concern. Plus, nothing is ever getting up to operating temperature which isn't ideal but wouldn't cause any massive issues itself I wouldn't have thought. As modern fuels have detergents etc, I wouldn't be too concerned with gunk and carbon build up in the cylinders - but a good Italian tune up would cure that. Also, your cats will not have time to warm up properly and your fuel consumption will be epic for just a mile of driving..... Personally I wouldn't put any nice car through that treatment, our family had a car do short runs for years and the moisture in he oil burned of on a long journey and ruined the engine.
Your journey is ideal for a hybrid that has an electric only mode - much as I hate to say it.
Lox said:
Walk? One mile is 15 mins, give or take, assuming no mobility issues. Not being flippant - it's what I've been doing for years.
This, it's a no brainer. Maybe the OP was being facetious because I can't believe anyone would seriously suggest using a half decent car in this way, especially such a fragile one.As for the theory that the cold running is being done anyway, well, the mind boggles. If the car is fully warmed each time it is run, the cold wear will be negligible. If it never gets warm, or is only warmed up every 6 or 7th run, the rate of wear will be significantly worse than it need be.
I interesting point from toohuge. Doesn't see why this use should make things worse even though he ruined an engine this way!
REALIST123 said:
As for the theory that the cold running is being done anyway, well, the mind boggles. If the car is fully warmed each time it is run, the cold wear will be negligible. If it never gets warm, or is only warmed up every 6 or 7th run, the rate of wear will be significantly worse than it need be.
How's that then?I love threads on this subject for the sheer f
kwittery that's posted 
OP, speak to your mechanic, accidental damage from car park dinks and chance of theft/vandalism excluded, I'd imagine they will suggest running an oil better suited to your use and more frequent changes. Apart from that, you'll be fine plus it gives you a nice excuse to take it for a run of a weekend
You're lucky enough to own a fantastic sports car, use it as much as you can I say
kwittery that's posted OP, speak to your mechanic, accidental damage from car park dinks and chance of theft/vandalism excluded, I'd imagine they will suggest running an oil better suited to your use and more frequent changes. Apart from that, you'll be fine plus it gives you a nice excuse to take it for a run of a weekend
You're lucky enough to own a fantastic sports car, use it as much as you can I say
I cant bear the nonsense any more
What is the point of leaving a prestige car in a public car park every day having not even run it long enough to defrost the windscreen.
It definitely wont improve the condition of the engine/paint/upholstery. It is likely to accumulate plenty of winter road salt which will do wonders for everything underneath
No matter what, it will get door dings and parking scrapes although it may escape the local key wielding morons who think porsche owners are all wkers.
Buy a £400 stter and use the porsche when you want to go driving.
On the other hand - its your car - do exactly what you want to do!
What is the point of leaving a prestige car in a public car park every day having not even run it long enough to defrost the windscreen.
It definitely wont improve the condition of the engine/paint/upholstery. It is likely to accumulate plenty of winter road salt which will do wonders for everything underneath
No matter what, it will get door dings and parking scrapes although it may escape the local key wielding morons who think porsche owners are all w
kers.Buy a £400 s
tter and use the porsche when you want to go driving.On the other hand - its your car - do exactly what you want to do!
REALIST123 said:
This, it's a no brainer. Maybe the OP was being facetious because I can't believe anyone would seriously suggest using a half decent car in this way, especially such a fragile one.
As for the theory that the cold running is being done anyway, well, the mind boggles. If the car is fully warmed each time it is run, the cold wear will be negligible. If it never gets warm, or is only warmed up every 6 or 7th run, the rate of wear will be significantly worse than it need be.
I interesting point from toohuge. Doesn't see why this use should make things worse even though he ruined an engine this way!
You might want to rethink this. Unless you know of a way that a car can get warm without being cold first. As for the theory that the cold running is being done anyway, well, the mind boggles. If the car is fully warmed each time it is run, the cold wear will be negligible. If it never gets warm, or is only warmed up every 6 or 7th run, the rate of wear will be significantly worse than it need be.
I interesting point from toohuge. Doesn't see why this use should make things worse even though he ruined an engine this way!
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