minow

Good morning:

I'm not a car buff so I can use anyones advice. I own an 2009 Audi A4 prestige (Original owner) and do very little highway driving. My daily commute is 6 miles to work and 6 miles back all back roads. On weekends it's mainly in the garage and I use my CRV for weekend driving (mainly back roads to). I just hit 14,000 miles about 2 weeks ago. I would say the A4 goes on the highway about 2-3 times a year. Am I doing my engine more harm not taking it out more often on the highway. Would you guys reccomend I just drive it on the highway once a month or more often to stress the engine a little or is it really no big deal. Currently my A4 hasn't been on the highway for about 8 months. Sorry if this question sounds stupid, I tried googling it but really couldn't find a good answer.

Thanks for anyones input.

pnamueller

Short commutes like that are not good for any car, let alone your A4. The problem is the engine and oil do not get hot enough to burn off contaminants that accumulate in the oil on a regular basis. In the short term its not really a problem. In the long term it can be a big one because the oil can leave these contaminants in your engine and the oil will not be doing its job properly. Seeing as that you are the original owner of the car, and its already a few years old, and you have been using the same driving habits since new, you better change them if you hope to keep the car for the long term. Take the car out on the freeway at least once a week and get the oil nice and hot. It will be much more fun than your CR-V and your audi will be much happier.

dscline

I'm not so sure that the distance is an issue so much as the driving time. My commute is only about 7 miles, but it still takes me about 25 mins to get home, probably plenty of time for the oil to get up to normal operating temp.

snagitseven

These cars like to be driven. That means getting it up to speed occasionally to shake out the cobwebs. You answered you own question - "take it on the highway once a month to stress the engine. It keeps all the parts better lubed and flexed - lots of joints, boots, seals, belts, etc. Best to run the car as it was designed - varied in all conditions. knowledgeable Audi independents and dealer service guys will say the same thing.

minow

Thanks guys. Your advice makes sense. I'll start taking it out this weekend and put some highway miles on it more regularly.

Much appreciated.

vtheman

Couldn't have said it better.

av_audi

No doubt that beyond a certain number of minutes, number of miles driven does not matter. Not sure what the situation is with the OP. The worst contaminant is water that needs to be burned off with fully warmed oil. Getting up to speed is also important. Decent engine load and reasonably high revs also shake off carbon deposits and other stuff. It's called "Italian tuning"

To the OP, if your back roads are mostly without lights, stop signs, or traffic, then your drive is probably very easy on your engine. Occasional 10-12+ miles drives should be good enough. Consider also changing your oil a little more frequently is your short drive also takes just a short time. Does the A4 has an oil temp gauge (most cars don't)?

minow

I don't believe I have a temp gauge for the oil, it shows the oil level. My commute is stop and go with about 5-6 lights and a few stop signs plus a school zone. On average it takes about 10-15 minutes to get to work and going home with an average speed of ~40-50 mph (45 mph speed limit).

I'm going to take a long highway drive this weekend to shake any "cobwebs" out. If thats the downside of my short commute to take it on the highway for maintenance, thats a fun downside to fix. The upside is I laugh at the rush hour traffic report.