What are the benefits of driving on highways for a car?
2 Answers
Driving on highways benefits the vehicle by helping to remove carbon deposits. Frequent driving in urban areas with frequent traffic congestion can lead to carbon buildup in the car. However, when driving on highways, the engine operates at higher RPMs, allowing for more complete combustion of gasoline, which results in less carbon deposits. Here are some additional details: 1. The principle of carbon deposit formation: The pistons in the engine do not operate synchronously. When the vehicle is turned off, the intake valves of the engine's cylinders do not close simultaneously, and the gasoline injected during the current working cycle cannot be recovered in time. Some unburned fuel continues to evaporate and oxidize, forming softer black carbon deposits in the intake pipe, especially behind the throttle valve. 2. Benefits of highway driving: Frequent highway driving can utilize the engine's high-speed operation to flush the fuel system and carbon deposits. Long-term high-speed driving allows for more complete fuel combustion, reducing fuel consumption and minimizing carbon deposit formation. The engine can rotate more fully, and the engine oil can better perform its lubricating function.
After my last highway run, I noticed the car ran exceptionally smooth. The main reason is that prolonged stop-and-go city driving causes carbon buildup in the engine, and flooring it on the highway helps burn off those black deposits. When engine RPMs stay high, not only does combustion become more complete, but the lubrication system also becomes more active - it's like giving metal components a full-body massage. The transmission finally gets to use its highest gear on the highway, with gear oil flowing evenly, making gear shifts noticeably smoother. Plus, driving dozens of kilometers at constant speed allows tires to maintain even temperature, wearing the tread pattern uniformly unlike the uneven wear from constant city cornering. My old car even started dripping more water from the exhaust after highway driving, proving combustion efficiency really improved.
