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Frequent Short Trips

Started by PiscataquisCadillac, May 31, 2018, 09:56:13 AM

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PiscataquisCadillac

Well, summer is the reason and the season to take my '71 Eldorado convertible out.  I typically make daily short trips in the car to get coffee, drive my daughter to school, or run errands in town.  These trips rarely go above 25-30 mph and are, at most, 2-3 miles round trip.  I try to leave the car running for the whole trip (including in parking lots when it is a quick trip inside) to try to ensure that the engine heats up to operating temperature. 

Is leaving "cold idle" the best sign that the car has reached operating temperature or is there another indicator that I should be mindful of?

Any advice on how to ensure these trips have minimal impact on the car would be greatly appreciated.  I know that frequent short trips are not ideal for cars and I wish to keep this car in the best mechanical condition as practically possible.

ElZilchoTX

i'd say a temperature gauge is the best way to tell a vehicle has reached operating temperature. *shrug*
Ryan Albert Donovan - CLC # 31361
62' Cadillac Sedan DeVille

Dave Shepherd

Best thing you can do is get it out on the hway, cruise  around at 60 or so for at least a 1/2 hour. Once a month minimum.

"Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364

"Warm up" is subjective.  The engine needs to have been run long enough for the oil to reach operating temperature and stay there for long enough to boil off any moisture that has accumulated, and the operating parts such as rings, bearings lifters and valves have been made to do some actual work. 
I don't know how many miles your eldo has on it now or how it was driven and maintained before, but if treated correctly (from new) these motors are just about indestructible. Cadillac Engineering had developed data from actual testing and they determined :"Cylinder wear should be .001 per 100,000 miles for 300,000 miles and should stop thereafter. With just a timing chain replacement and one valve job (broken valve spring) I got just over 500,000 on my '72.
Bottom line is change oil every 1000 miles for a short haul program like yours and every time you start the motor make the car "work" 10 miles on the freeway, before you shut it off.
Greg Surfas
Cadillac Kid-Greg Surfas
Director Modified Chapter CLC
CLC #15364
66 Coupe deVille (now gone to the UK)
72 Eldo Cpe  (now cruising the sands in Quatar)
73 Coupe deVille
75 Coupe deElegance
76 Coupe deVille
79 Coupe de ville with "Paris" (pick up) option and 472 motor
514 inch motor now in '73-