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Is it bad to drive a car for only a short amount of time?

I have had my car for about 5 months now and I use it to get to and from work, I use it about 4-5 days a week as most things I need are within walking distance, if I do ever have to use my car outside of getting to and from work, I never need to go far, it's about a 15 minute drive, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer to get to my work.

I have heard that driving a car for short distances in the long run is bad, is this true? I guess it wouldn't hurt to go on a long drive every now and again, but as I said, everything I need to get to really isn't far and I live in North London, so whenever I go into London, I get the tube.
If it's a petrol car, it's not an issue. But if it's diesel, it can become a problem. The diesel particulate filter (DPF) needs to be "cleaned" by driving at high speeds (50mph+) for at least half an hour. This burns off the soot that accumulates.
Reply 2
Avatar for cbaforcba
cbaforcba
OP
14
Original post by julietlima3
If it's a petrol car, it's not an issue. But if it's diesel, it can become a problem. The diesel particulate filter (DPF) needs to be "cleaned" by driving at high speeds (50mph+) for at least half an hour. This burns off the soot that accumulates.

Thanks man, I have a petrol so I guess its all good!
Reply 3
Avatar for IWMTom
IWMTom
20
Original post by cbaforcba
I have had my car for about 5 months now and I use it to get to and from work, I use it about 4-5 days a week as most things I need are within walking distance, if I do ever have to use my car outside of getting to and from work, I never need to go far, it's about a 15 minute drive, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer to get to my work.

I have heard that driving a car for short distances in the long run is bad, is this true? I guess it wouldn't hurt to go on a long drive every now and again, but as I said, everything I need to get to really isn't far and I live in North London, so whenever I go into London, I get the tube.


If it's not getting up to operating temperature, then yes, it's bad.

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