Anyone have a gague that measures how many hours the engine has been on. I sure it would not be that hard to get one, like the type used on boats or aircraft. Seems like it would just be a timer that ticks away when the power is on.

Back to my orginal idea. Instead of arguing over the 3000 mile dabate on when to change your oil, with people driving lots on the highway or sitting idle in traffic, a hours gague might be the answer.

Such a gague would measure how many hours the engine was on, faster at highway speeds, less wear on the engine, less time. Sitting in traffic? Engine is running but no miles.

To figure out how many hours you can go, you would probaly need an engine oil analysis.

Any comments?

 

Great idea! We own 2 boats and the oil changes and engine maint. is all based upon hours of operation. I think you'd get a more accurate idea of how much "time" is on your oil, rather then miles.

You can idle in traffic around town for ever and put no miles on your car but beat the oil up.

You can probably get the timer at JC Whitney. If not there, any Marina will have hour timers. They just get hooked up to any power source that gets hot when the key is on.

 

actually, this sounnds like one really good idea. i might check this out, not just for the oil change interval, but also just to have a good idea of how much abuse i put on my car...

 

http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jht...D=4557&BQ=jcw2

found one!

$23 at JC wittney

 

cool idea. i know that w/ the new m3, the computer measures the number of miles, but...the faster you go, the higher the mileage it counts. don't know the exact numbers but something like if u go above 85, it would count 1.25 miles for every mile u go...

 

Okay, now that you got a time machine, how often DO you change the oil? If you follow a 3,000 mile schedule presently, that's the equivalent of 85 hours city driving time, average speed of 35 mph; or 50 hours highway driving time, average speed of 60 mph. Most traditional oil service schedules recommend longer oil changes at highway driving than at city driving. An hourmeter would reverse that and have you changing oils more frequently with "normal use"... ie: highway driving. See my point?

I have a 95 Ford Club Wagon that actually recommends an oil change interval based on engine hours in the owners manual. Ford does this because some vans are used in delivery service, utility work, and the like, where the vans may experience extensive stationary idling. In these cases the engine can accummulate more hours of use than indicated by the odometer. Ford recommends oil changes in these circumstances at 200 hours.

Seems to me that the money you'd spend on an hourmeter would be better spent a good quality oil or filter, unless your car is subjected to a lot of idling time.