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Old 06-07-2011, 08:03 AM   #87
nti_hazard88
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Member#: 212379
Join Date: May 2009
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Lansing, MI
Vehicle:
2011 WRX Limited 4dr
Spark Silver Metallic

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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmk0210 View Post
The owners manual just kinda leaves it hanging without any specific distance.

From what I understand, the reason for the short distance driving requiring shorter oil change intervals is because the oil never gets hot enough to boil off water and/or fuel contamination. So I'd imagine the oil needs to get to operating temp and stay there for a certain amount of time for that to happen.

I'm just wondering because I have an 18mi commute to work, almost all open highway and negligible traffic. Lucky me for the nice commute, but I wonder if this is bad for the car.

Yeah, I treat it the same way. I wouldn't think 18 miles is short, merely to the fact that more than likely, your engine (according to the stupid little temp needle in the dash) is probably up to sitting at its usual spot by then.

Realistically, anything over 5 miles will do that, which, (feel free to correct me, anyone), leads me to assume that the oil is 'at optimum temperature'.

If you don't get what I mean, next time, take a long drive, see where the temp needle sits, and that's where you want the needle to reach to be considered "not short". How scientific is this method? Not really, but I'm just expressing what I think should define "short trip" - a trip where the temperature doesn't get as high as it does on a "long trip" (racing/other extreme conditions aside).
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