Quality Tune Up Car Care CenterSevere Driving Conditions
What are considered severe driving conditions?
If you’re like most people the phrase severe driving might make you think of dusty road races across hot desert sand or climbing steep mountain passes in the dead of winter. Your car manufacturer has a different definition. Here are a few common indicators:
- If you drive in stop and go traffic every day.
- Driving in temperatures over 90 degrees or under 40 degrees.
- Taking mostly short trips lasting less than 10 minutes.
- Towing a boat or trailer.
- Starting your car several times a day after the engine has cooled.
In our area this type of driving happens every day: Short trips to the market, temperatures over 90 degrees, driving in stop and go traffic. Most drivers in our area are driving in severe driving conditions!
Why does it matter how I drive?
Recommended service intervals vary tremendously depending on how you drive. Just two examples:
- 2003 Honda Accord 2.4L
Normal: 12 months or 12,000 miles
Severe: 6 months or every 5,000 miles - 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4.2L
Normal: 12 months or 12,000 miles
Severe: 3 months or 3,000 miles
Check your owner’s manual or ask your Quality Tune Up Car Care Center service advisor about the manufacturer’s recommended service intervals for your car.
Severe driving is not all that severe. For drivers in our area, it’s just everyday driving.