I've seen ads posted about cars, "mostly highway miles". How is this better on the engine than say traffic. I could see how it's better than drag racing going from stop to WOT, but I don't see how it's better than normal traffic.

 

When you're in a steady cruise on the highway, you dont have the brakes and the engine working agianst each other every block (ie take off from a stop light and then use the brakes to stop). This saves wear on both sides (brakes and drivetrain). There are some parts of the car for which its no better and probably worse. Wheel bearings for example. I'm sure you'd get longer wheel bearing life from driving 0-25-0 repeatedly then driving 85 constantly.

 

Stop and go traffic is harder on your engine,transmission,brakes ect ect..When your going down the highway your only lightly using your brakes (unless your in L.A),and your engine stays at a pretty steady rpm range.Most cars built since the early 80's have od trannies so at highway speeds chances are your engine is turning less rpm's than it would be if you were pulling away from lights and getting up to speed.

 

Plus, too, you can verify this further by noticing the gas mileage- the engine isn't working as hard, so your gas mileage goes up.

 

Highway miles are a lot easier on the brakes and also the suspension. Think about it, everytime you brake hard the front dips, and everytime you accelerate the back dips. Steady driving will be much easier on the suspension (also probably steering parts as part of the front end.)

 

Yeah, I knew about the brakes and all, I was just wondering about the engine. You guys have helped a lot, thanks.

 

The engine comes to equilibrium and stays there for a long time, rather than cycling around through all sorts of temperature extremes; and it gets fully warmed up and stays that way, so whatever condensation there might be in the oil gets evaporated, which might not happen if the car's usual operation was a mile or 2 at a time and then shut off.

 

Look at it this way, equipment that is driveable but can't be driven on the highway very much--like a tractor for instance--has an hour meter. Why, because the amount of hours that engine has run is more important the distanced traveled. Idling around town the engine is running(and wearing to some extent), but the odometer is barely moving--or not at all when you are stopped with the engine running. How the vehicle was treated means more than mileage anyway.