Here's Why You Should Avoid Short Drives

Regardless of where you stay, there's probably a mall, a bunch of supermarkets, a mosque, and so much more, all within a 10 minute drive. Living in such close proximity to such places can definitely feel convenient. Sometimes, you just want to go on a quick drive and get all your work done in no time.

However, it turns out that your frequent short drives can have an adverse effect on your car. We're here to tell you all about it, and even have some nifty mitigative measures up our sleeves. Sit back, get comfortable, and enjoy, as your resident auto service experts are here to serve it up.

Are short drives bad for your engine?

Engine oil, especially as it ages, is a thick and slow-moving sludge of fluid. As your engine warms up upon usage, the oil heats up and gets a lot denser, allowing it to move freely and lubricate the engine.

However, the engine has to adequately heat up for this to take place. It can only do so after a certain period of usage. Quick, short drives tend to result in the motor not reaching the optimal operating temperature. The lack of heat can result in less-than-ideal viscosity levels of your engine oil, rendering it incapable of lubricating the engine properly.

Moreover, your motor oil can only get rid of its contaminants with optimal heat. When your engine fails to arrive at an adequate temperature, these contaminants remain in the oil, posing additional risk to your engine.

The best way to combat such risks would be to avoid too many quick and short drives. You're also advised to get a car oil change regularly. If you're unsure about when to change your oil, consult your car manufacturer's maintenance schedule, or simply ask one of our auto service experts.

Getting an oil change has never been easier. You can either have your car picked up, taken to the garage for an oil change, and delivered back to you, or you could get it all done at your doorstep with our mobile oil change.

Are short drives bad for your car's battery?

An action as simple as starting your car requires a lot of effort from your battery. It's still not as demanding as getting your engine going. It's a meticulous and complicated process that starts from your alternator recharging your battery, all the way till the next time you start the car.

As such, taking frequent short trips results in your battery not getting enough time on the road to recharge entirely for your next trip. Imagine just how problematic this could be if you happened to be far away from home. What makes it even worse is that it significantly shortens the life of your battery.

Similar to how your engine needs several minutes to warm up to an adequate temperature, your battery has to be running long enough to get recharged completely. As a result, you ensure that your battery doesn't get rapidly depleted, leading to premature wear and tear.

In short, quick and short trips can be a guaranteed way of shortening the lifespan of your battery. Whether your battery is old or not, you're advised to watch out for signs of having a weak battery. These signs include your engine being slow to crank, your headlights being dimmer than usual, or the obvious, seeing the battery warning light on your dashboard.

Stay on the side of caution and get your battery inspected by your resident auto service experts at Service My Car. If there's anything faulty, you can also get a car battery replacement from us.

Still making too many short trips? Here's how to take better care of your car

As we stated earlier, living close to your most used amenities most certainly has its perks. However, all those short drives affect your engine a lot more than you can realise.

No matter what type of damage you suspect you might have, whether it's to your engine or your battery, we can fix it all. Whether it's regular servicing, or an extensive engine repair, or a battery replacement, Service My Car has got you covered.

Making a service booking or requesting a repair quote has never been easier. All you need to do is visit our website or download the Service Myt Car app now.

Mitigate the short trips by getting your car fixed at Service My Car today.