Sometimes I need to take short trips

Maybe around 5 minutes.

How harmful is this to the engine. ??

I assume you have to change the oil more often if this is true

 

why not just walk?

 

harmful? nope.

im pretty sure toyota engineers designed the car for short trips and long ones too :p

engines last 300k+ now, ur 5 min trips wont do anything bad.

 

Because 2 miles there and 2 miles back is a long walk. Especially in bad weather

 

My previous american car died with about 100k

I hope my new toyota does better

 

if your previous american car was built in the 90's then i agree it died at 100k, those engines were designed for 150k

toyota honda and scion are top 3 in durability in that order for new cars in 06 and possibly many other years.

ford mustang is least relaible car in america 86% of mustangs had to have warranty work within 3 years

1-3% of scions had warranty work in 3 years ;)

(see consumer reports and internet news for proof of my accusations)

 

Remember the xa and xb were originally from japan and designed for city driving. Ur car was made for stuff like that so u really shouldn't have any problems down the road.

 

It really depends. If you are making a lot of short trips where the oil in the engine never has time to fully warm up then you really should change oil more often. When your engine starts up cold water forms in the crank case area and mixes with the oil in small quantities, after your engine oil is fully warmed up the water is evaporated out of the oil and everything is good, if you never drive it far enough to get the oil fully up to temp then you won't get rid of the water that is in the oil and it will keep building up. It can turn the oil acidic and pit the internal metal parts it comes in contact with.

I also make short trips here and there where my oil doesn't have a chance to fully warm up, But usually within a day I'm driving it far enough to fully warm up the oil and all is good. My wife works about 2 miles from the house, her car has a lot of short trips without warming up so I change her oil more often to get rid of the contaminates in the oil.


Remember you want your engine oil fully up to temp, not just your coolant. It will take quite a bit more time to get your oil fully up to temp after your coolant temp has topped out. I do quite a bit of freeway driving every day so It's not really a problem for me.

Do a search on google for water in oil or ect and you will find lots of reading on the subject.

Hodakguy

 

Hodakaguy has it right- short trips exclusively never let the engine warmup fully, letting water, a combustion byproduct, condense in the crankcase... So you want to change the oil on the basis of time, rather than mileage, and also make a point of taking the box rather than another vehicle on longer jaunts...

 

While I beilve these cars will last 200+,000 miles I wouldnt pull american cars so far down...just look at used american cars from the 80s and 90s with over 200,000 miles...I see them all the time

Oh and I have a 97 V6 mustang that has about 175,000 miles...never had any trouble all 10 yrs my father owned it...not one problem.

edited for the curious

 

so you had a mustang since you were nine? cool

 

nah use your head it was in my family..my fathers....

This scion is my 4th car....

1st was a 92 Cadillac Deville (bought with 50k owned until 67k)

2nd was a 90' Trans Am with a 94' LT1 from a Z28 (still own)

3rd was a 88' Jeep Cherokee 4x4 (bought with 190,000, striped body repainted as project drove a few thousand miles and sold)