What constitutes a "good" drive

wolfmankurd

Track Warrior
Points
92
Location
London
Car
Renault Clio 1.2
There's a bunch of reasons city driving tends to be bad for cars and motorway miles seem to be milder, even helpful.

But what counts as a good drive, protect the DPF, dry the oil and get the engine up to a good working temperature?

Is it enough for your oil temp to reach about 50% of the scale?

Or is a good drive for you just right music and right weather?
 
A good drive for me is when it's cool and quiet. I had to do some overtime at our DR site last weekend. This meant a 15 mile run down the Fosse way at 2am. Fosse way is a lovely, clear, fairly straight road with a few curves and when there's no traffic it's a sweet, smooth run.
 
Lots of sweeping bends, tight corners with decent apex and empty roads.

A car works best around 2500-4000 rpm (mine at least) and there is where I try to keep it when I'm enjoying a good spirited drive. 15-20 minutes of this in every couple of hours driving should keep engines clear and happy.

Oil temp should sit stable, if it keeps creeping up you should look at cooling options or you'll have a problem.
 
A smooth road, long straights and curves that put your coil overs to the test, so this rules out Central London then :(
 
The A5 across Snowdonia is one of my favourites. Haven't driven that road since July 2014 when I carted my mate from Seattle from London to Holyhead ferry terminal. She'd kind of under estimated the size of Great Britain. No, not as big as North America but Holyhead ain't accessible via the Metropolitan Line either.
 
^^ Oh bless her :) It is also surprising just how many Americans believe England is still covered in fog like the majority of the Sherlock Holmes movies :rolleyes:
 
Lots of sweeping bends, tight corners with decent apex and empty roads.

A car works best around 2500-4000 rpm (mine at least) and there is where I try to keep it when I'm enjoying a good spirited drive. 15-20 minutes of this in every couple of hours driving should keep engines clear and happy.

Oil temp should sit stable, if it keeps creeping up you should look at cooling options or you'll have a problem.

Should be good to keep the DPF happy and healthy too.
 
^^ Oh bless her :) It is also surprising just how many Americans believe England is still covered in fog like the majority of the Sherlock Holmes movies :rolleyes:

And that Kangaroos hop down the main streets over here :eek:
BUT on occasion Roos and wallabies (not the rugby type)can sometimes be seen on or near the roads in rural suburbs and towns and some are residents on the odd golf course or two.
 
^^ Oh bless her :) It is also surprising just how many Americans believe England is still covered in fog like the majority of the Sherlock Holmes movies :rolleyes:

It was extremely hot that day. Managed to get a few photo stops in as well.

Funnily enough I had carted her from Stansted Airport to Marble Arch a week or so earlier and she was gobsmacked by the scale and bustle of London!! Some Americans think it's like Dickensian London as depicted in Oliver! the musical.
 
Many of my mates complain about their ECU telling them to get a good drive in to sort out their DPF AFAIC petrol engines need a work out once in a while too to keep them happy.

We just don't get a heads up from our ECU/
 
Engines are designed to be operated at their full power and load potential. Once even running temperatures are reached then drive as you like.
Yes, using full power and full rev range all day every day will cost you... at the fuel pumps. You won't damage the engine.
 

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