Frequent short-distance drives = bad for the car???
01-25-2007, 12:05 PM
#21
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Nissan knew that Z's were going to be daily driven as well as tracked, so I'm pretty sure they would test the engine extensively under every condition. I wouldn't worry about it, just drive it and enjoy.
01-25-2007, 12:08 PM
#22
Don't bother following the owners manual. Don't bother checking your oil or your tire pressure. Use the oil pressure gauge to judge oil changes. Don't bother following the scheduled maintenance, don't bother using the correct oil, and for that matter don't even bother servicing the car.
Just drive the car... because that's what the mechanically challenged people do.
Just drive the car... because that's what the mechanically challenged people do.
01-25-2007, 12:53 PM
#23
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Originally Posted by roast
Don't bother following the owners manual. Don't bother checking your oil or your tire pressure. Use the oil pressure gauge to judge oil changes. Don't bother following the scheduled maintenance, don't bother using the correct oil, and for that matter don't even bother servicing the car.
Just drive the car... because that's what the mechanically challenged people do.
Just drive the car... because that's what the mechanically challenged people do.
thats hillariouslol, that is awesome!! what kind of performance gains will expect to see on the dyno from this kind of driving? (insert sarcasim here)
It is a car drive it where you need to go!
01-25-2007, 02:20 PM
#24
Originally Posted by DROPPEDIT2WCE
thats hillariouslol, that is awesome!! what kind of performance gains will expect to see on the dyno from this kind of driving? (insert sarcasim here)
It is a car drive it where you need to go!
If one does all these things correctly you can expect the most out of your daily driven car. I'd say 50 horsepower easy.
Yep... just get in and GO!!!
01-25-2007, 02:22 PM
#25
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Originally Posted by zand02max
Short drives are typically bad for any car. Nothing to worry about in your case though. Quit worrying about the small stuff, enjoy life, rent a stripper, ect 
01-26-2007, 02:22 AM
#26
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thanks to those with constructive comments.
to the others w/ useless comments, i'm not crying about the issue. it's certainly in the back of my head, but i'm simply just wondering to what extend does it harm the car. i enjoy the Z a lot so it gives me more reason to make sure i'm treating it the way i should be. now what's wrong with that?
to the others w/ useless comments, i'm not crying about the issue. it's certainly in the back of my head, but i'm simply just wondering to what extend does it harm the car. i enjoy the Z a lot so it gives me more reason to make sure i'm treating it the way i should be. now what's wrong with that?
01-26-2007, 05:50 PM
#28
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Originally Posted by DROPPEDIT2WCE
My trip to work is 8 miles up I-95, then 8 miles back... if the battery dies I'll replace it. If the car breaks I'll fix it. DONT CRY ABOUT THE WHAT IF"S!!!!!!!!! get the car, drive it how you want to, and enjoy it to the fullest that you possibly can. 
01-26-2007, 06:59 PM
#29
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Have you ever heard the term, "freeway miles"? It is a selling tactic to describe some used cars with high mileage, where most of the mileage was accumulated at a high constant speed (freeways). A car with 100,000 "freeway miles" is preferable to a car with 100,000 miles in stop-and-go commuter traffic or city driving. Stop-and-go, or city driving, means more action on every aspect of your car, as others have indicated in this thread. More action = more wear and tear. Pot holes and driveways disrupt your suspension and weaken the chassis rigidity, obviously more wear on the whole brake system, more action on your whole steering mechanism, everything already said about starting and stopping your engine repeatedly and between short distances, and so forth. Compare this with mileage spent at a high speed for a long distance, on a smooth freeway, with little action on brakes and steering and you can start to see why "freeway miles" really are preferable to a city car.
Engines like to go fast and run long, it's healthy for them.
Engines like to go fast and run long, it's healthy for them.
08-07-2012, 06:41 AM
#31
Grab a newspaper, start up your car, let it idle for a good 3-4 minutes until it reaches operating temp, drive to work. Yes, it probably does cause more wear and tear but its car. Meant to get you to point a and b. Whats the point of getting a Z if your not going to drive it? Follow the "extreme conditions" maintenance schedule and you will be fine. These things are built to last. My last Z had 160k miles with no problems, just routine maintenance.
08-07-2012, 07:47 AM
#32
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A car is a machine; things will always break and things can always be fixed.
If you are that worried about prolonging the life of your car, park it and never start it. That way nothing can go wrong. Life is too short to worry about the little things like a car.
08-07-2012, 09:56 AM
#34
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The short answer, yes, it's bad for the car. On a per mile basis you are wearing it out faster than if you took longer trips. But having said that, you aren't going to explode anything, you are just going to get less miles out of it before you have to replace things like brakes, clutch, exhaust system, etc.
08-08-2012, 07:32 AM
#38
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08-08-2012, 01:52 PM
#39
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According to your post, you drive an average 5 times pers day with an average distance of 5 miles over 7 trips for an approximate total of 35 miles per day. If you compare this style of commute to an individual who is driving the same distance per day, but doing it in two trips (say, 17.5 miles to and from work) then yes, you will wear your car out faster.
There are a variety of things to consider. For example, in the comparison above, you will have more wear and tear on your starter, your battery, your parking brake, and your seats (getting in and out) simply because you are using them over twice as much as the commuter who only makes two trips. From an engine standpoint, one of the harshest things it endures is the initial startup, as it takes the a few seconds after startup for the oil to circulate through the engine properly.
That all being said, your Z is a well built car with a wonderful engine, and as long as you give it regular maintenance and a little respect, it will last you as long as you want it to, regardless of your daily commute.
There are a variety of things to consider. For example, in the comparison above, you will have more wear and tear on your starter, your battery, your parking brake, and your seats (getting in and out) simply because you are using them over twice as much as the commuter who only makes two trips. From an engine standpoint, one of the harshest things it endures is the initial startup, as it takes the a few seconds after startup for the oil to circulate through the engine properly.
That all being said, your Z is a well built car with a wonderful engine, and as long as you give it regular maintenance and a little respect, it will last you as long as you want it to, regardless of your daily commute.
08-08-2012, 02:01 PM
#40
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this last night.
Just because it's a Z doesn't mean that it's a special car that will break due to short trips. If you had a similar year Maxima, would you worry about that? As most everyone in this thread has said, just drive it and love every mile.
Just because it's a Z doesn't mean that it's a special car that will break due to short trips. If you had a similar year Maxima, would you worry about that? As most everyone in this thread has said, just drive it and love every mile.