Very low use/low milage 2007 XC70, need upkeep pointers

Durenol · Post by **Durenol** » 30 Jan 2018, 04:43

Exact driving pattern varies slightly. We're using it as the primary errand-mobile as an excuse to keep it active, so it's driven down to one of a few different grocery stores once a week and the post office or town hall or some other place about once a month (1.5-5 miles each way, non-highway). Additionally, it's also used to drive to relatives' houses for holidays and such (10-30 miles each way, non-highway). Overall it gets something like 250-750 miles a year on it.

Post by **abscate** » 30 Jan 2018, 05:34

Ugh. I would go to non full synthetic for cost and change it every 6 months.

Those are horrible, never warmed up miles

It would be really good to get 60 mph for 10 minutes once a month to get all the water out of the engine.

Durenol · Post by **Durenol** » 30 Jan 2018, 08:51

The car actually warms up fairly fast, after around 2 miles of non-highway driving (assuming it's not 0F out). We try for longer drives at speed, but just getting to the highway is a bit of a hike and it's not always easy to budget a random 1 hour round trip.

Post by **Rattnalle** » 30 Jan 2018, 09:01

Durenol wrote: ↑30 Jan 2018, 08:51 The car actually warms up fairly fast, after around 2 miles of non-highway driving (assuming it's not 0F out). We try for longer drives at speed, but just getting to the highway is a bit of a hike and it's not always easy to budget a random 1 hour round trip.

The entire engine isn't warm through when the needle points straight up at first. To boil away condensation in the oil you need to drive for a while.

But if you do an oil change a year you really don't need to bother with it since you're getting the oil out anyway.

Durenol · Post by **Durenol** » 30 Jan 2018, 10:06

Oh, ok. I assumed that gauge was reasonably accurate.

Whenever I take it out I also try and give it an 'Italian tuneup' once every month or three by coming to a dead stop at the bottom of an onramp and then flooring it. For better or worse though I can't redline it because the car is already past the speed of traffic before I even merge on to the highway. I don't know how much this helps.

Post by **Rattnalle** » 30 Jan 2018, 10:14

It is for coolant temperature, although it is a computer controlled display that shows top dead center in a fairly broad range of something like 30C to avoid confusing drivers. In vida you can also read engine and transmission temperatures and they move slower and much slower respectively.

Post by **JRL** » 31 Jan 2018, 17:02

These engines are sludge engines, they NEED to be run fairly hard and for a while in the cold weather.
Your style of driving and the lack of highway driving is going to kill this wagon, period.

Post by **kranz** » 31 Jan 2018, 17:27

Water is a by-product of combustion. You are driving that car enough to load up the crank case with moisture, but not enough to cook it out. Moisture is very bad for metal parts and bearings. As JRL said, it will kill your car.

Post by **abscate** » 01 Feb 2018, 06:37

You need a good 20 minutes of running under load to reach full opaerating temperature.

There has to be a kid you can ask to drive it for 15 minutes out and back every other Week!

Post by **oragex** » 02 Feb 2018, 15:17

Rattnalle wrote: ↑30 Jan 2018, 10:14 It is for coolant temperature, although it is a computer controlled display that shows top dead center in a fairly broad range of something like 30C to avoid confusing drivers. In vida you can also read engine and transmission temperatures and they move slower and much slower respectively.

On torque app, the needle would reach 12h just shy before 80C (around 78C if I remember). It stays there past 93C (the most I got when revving the engine). I'm guessing it will still be at 12h at 95C or so.

Indeed, if it was set to show the smallest temperature variation, the needle would have kept shacking as the coolant is oscillating between 85C and 91C, it may get the driver asleep

As someone mentioned, nothing is better for an engine than a nice revving once in a while, a good strong acceleration (assuming the engine is fully warmed up). This will keep the piston ring grooves clean, the rings won't get stuck in deposits, and it will also actuate the VVT solenoid(s) which open only past 4000rpm or so, to pass oil through passages than otherwise don't see much action.

A fresh PCV will also keep the engine clean and prevent the piston rings from getting gunk and stuck

Very low use/low milage 2007 XC70, need upkeep pointers

Re: Very low use/low milage 2007 XC70, need upkeep pointers