As we all know, it's not good to park a car for a long time without driving, and it's not good to use it for short distances every day. So what's wrong with that? What parts of the car will be affected? Today, let's talk about this issue. After all, there are many car owners who use cars for short distances every day, and once they know the actual situation, they don't need to worry so much about using the car.

        The two biggest impacts are the rapid increase in battery life and engine carbon deposition, while the other impacts are relatively small. Let's explain each one individually. It is easy to understand the impact on battery life because every time the driving distance is short, the battery will always be in a state of insufficient charging. When the vehicle is parked or ignited, it is using electricity, and the battery's power is consumed. For short distance driving, the vehicle speed is generally not too fast, the engine speed is not high, and the charging speed is not fast, so the battery power will decrease. However, long-term undercharging of lead-acid batteries can lead to sulfurization of the electrode plates, causing irreversible damage. Once damaged, they can no longer be fully charged, resulting in less and less battery life. How much shorter can it be? Assuming a normal battery can last for five years, a short distance battery can also last for almost three years.

        
      The second impact is carbon deposition. The engine is a thermal engine that has been set at the beginning of its design. A water temperature of around 90 degrees is the optimal working temperature, and the clearance between various components reaches the optimal state. At this time, the work efficiency is the highest. Due to the short driving distance, most of the time the vehicle is in a cold state, which means incomplete combustion. Incomplete combustion will generate a large amount of carbon deposition. In addition, it is also related to low-speed driving. If carbon deposits are generated, it is not important to discharge them. However, due to low-speed driving, the intake and exhaust airflow is not large, and the carbon deposits cannot be discharged, so they remain in the cylinder. How fast does carbon deposition occur? Assuming that a normal vehicle needs to wash its throttle valve after 20000 to 30000 kilometers, and a vehicle traveling a short distance of over 10000 kilometers needs to wash its throttle valve.

        
  The third is the impact on fuel consumption, as some gasoline is wasted due to incomplete combustion for a long time. If you want to drive the same distance and do the same work, you will need to consume more gasoline, resulting in higher fuel consumption. It is also related to low-speed driving, where the vehicle cannot reach the highest gear, and the engine does a lot of useless work. In addition, the vehicle stops and starts, which also has a significant impact on fuel consumption.

        
The final impact is that compared to a normally used car, your car's condition will be worse at the same mileage. Cars with the same age and fewer kilometers may not necessarily be in good condition. A car experiences the most wear and tear during cold start and cold driving, with a total of 10000 kilometers of short distance driving. In fact, at least 5000 kilometers are in a cold driving state, with relatively more wear and tear. Under the same mileage, there will definitely be more cold starts. We have found that cars that frequently run on highways are still in very good condition after driving 100000 kilometers, while those that don't drive very much, although the mileage is not large, will start to malfunction many times over time.
        
        Overall, using cars for short distances every day has an impact on vehicles, but the impact is not very significant and can be easily eliminated. Therefore, there is no need to worry too much, let alone deliberately detour for an additional distance. The battery is broken and needs to be replaced. If there is carbon buildup, it needs to be cleaned. The fuel consumption is high, but it will only cost a little more. Besides, there was no significant impact and no significant damage to the car. When it comes to wear and tear, no matter how much or how little the car is driven, it will be like an old car after more than a decade, and there is no need to worry about that little wear and tear. Moreover, current cars can still be driven for more than ten years no matter how they are used.

From: WONDEE Autoparts 2023-9-6