Will my engine be damaged during my long drives?
Hi,

I drive a 2008 Civic EX with a 1.8 L 4 cylinder engine and a manual transmission. I regularly (about once per month) drive from Tucson to Los Angeles, a drive of about 500 miles.

I typically drive between 75 and 80 mph, or between 3250 and 3500 rpm.

I was wondering if such engine use for prolonged periods of time (it's a 7 to 7.5 hour drive) could have any effect on engine life, and, if so, what lower rpm would be acceptable.

Thank you for your help.

scm321, Tucson, Arizona
Visitor Comment

This is reasonable engine usage for most of today's automotive engines. Most automotive manufacturer's design parameters account for this sort of usage.

A caveat is that you should follow all maintenance recommendations as specified in your owner's manual.

Be sure to change the oil at recommended intervals and use the viscosity recommended for your sort of driving. Always be certain that your cooling system is properly filled with the recommended mixture and that it has been changed according to the frequency recommended in the manual.

Always check all fluid levels before leaving on one of these drives.

To be extra safe, follow the owner's manual recommendations using its more frequent intervals rather than waiting an extra amount of time.
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