Originally Posted by
TransitBiker
I may live car free, but i know cars more than most people short of those who work on them for a living. Same with rail, bus, aircraft, and marine stuff too, but i'm not a conductor, pilot, bus driver, or sailor.
Starting the car every few days is recommended by everyone i've ever talked to that works on them, so talk to them about that, not me.
- Andy
When it comes right down to it, internal combustion engines are "happiest" when run continuously and never turned off.
The vast majority of wear comes when starting a cold engine. But, especially in cold weather, it takes a while for the engine to reach the optimal temperature and boil off the water vapor and fuel dilution, so all of these well-intentioned running cycles can do more harm than good. That's why it's best to limit them, and make them count when you do them (highway runs are best.)