Commuting gets expensive - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skippy · #1 04-07-2009, 01:42 PM

I got a phone call this morning about a job. After speaking with the HR person for a few minutes, I realized she was calling from Reno and she became aware that I'm in Carson City. Then she told me the actual job was in Sparks and that it might be a little far. I'd given that some thought before and decided it all depends on what the job pays. This one didn't pay so well, so I passed.

That got me wondering what the exact costs would be to commute different distances, so I put together a spreadsheet. I only put in the costs of fuel and oil changes and was pretty surprised at how expensive a little commute can be. I assumed 25 mpg, @2.239 for diesel, and a $49 synthetic oil change every 4000 miles. Even a 30 mile drive to work could end up costing me about $2/hr out of my nominal pay

So, who here has a long commute and how do you deal with the cost?

aklim · #2 04-07-2009, 02:00 PM

Drive about 80 miles a day. EACH WAY. The way we did that is to have both our work places in that area and get a diesel car. Hopefully we move there before the diesel breaks down completely since our next car will be gas.

cmbdiesel · #3 04-07-2009, 02:03 PM

Do you take the sleds in the winter?

aklim · #4 04-07-2009, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmbdiesel

Do you take the sleds in the winter?

Actually, they are ATVs. And yes, one winter we took them to the grocery store because we didn't want to clean the driveway that day.

TheDon · #5 04-07-2009, 02:30 PM

synthetic changes ever 4k... dear god man. Get an oil analysis and get some more use out of that oil.Even modern dino oils can go a little more than 3k. I do 1.5k a month

Rafi · #6 04-07-2009, 02:36 PM

IRS accepted per mile cost is now 55 cents.

PaulC · #7 04-07-2009, 02:37 PM

Your analysis is incomplete. Tire wear, increased depreciation, etc. Will your insurance costs rise as a function of your longer commute? Use the IRS 2009 allowance for mileage as your basis for your expense calculation.

TMAllison · #8 04-07-2009, 02:38 PM

My commute is 110 miles per day.

When hired, I negociated a gas card and agreement that they pay all fuel costs. Did that 25 years ago. I let work buy tires and brakes every once in a while too.

Skippy · #9 04-07-2009, 02:49 PM

I know I didn't cover everything in my spreadsheet, since it was a quickie right after I woke up. I figure tire replacement isn't going to change, since I drive so little now that tires go from age long before I wear them out. My insurance company doesn't ask me how much I drive anymore. They used to, but then they stopped. I'm not sure why.

I haven't had any of my cars long enough to know how many miles I get out of a set of brakes, but I don't think a commute up to Reno would accelerate brake wear by much, since most braking happens at the start and end of a commute. The brakes don't get touched during the highway miles in between.

I thought about depreciation, but it's tough to figure considering my cars are pretty close to worthless already. The 300D MIGHT be worth two grand and it goes down from there.

Don, I might do an oil analysis next time I'm due for a change. I was under the impression that you still needed relatively frequent oil changes even with synthetic on the 61x engines due to massively sooting up the oil.

TMAllison · #10 04-07-2009, 03:03 PM

I have a feeling a good syn oil would go 6-8k in your 617.

My 606.962 usually goes the FSS max of 16K and M1 T & TD 5W/40 still has +50% of it additive pak left. Insolubles are less than .5%. Yours will test out higher on both at less mileage due to its engine design.

Skippy · #11 04-07-2009, 03:08 PM

6-8k? I think I will be doing an oil analysis if I end up getting a long commute. Now that I think about it, I set 4000 miles as my oil change interval because it takes me about a year to drive one of the cars that far and I think a year is long enough.

iwrock · #12 04-07-2009, 03:14 PM

I was getting low teens city driving my wagon when cylinder 6 was bad.

TheDon · #13 04-07-2009, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skippy

6-8k? I think I will be doing an oil analysis if I end up getting a long commute. Now that I think about it, I set 4000 miles as my oil change interval because it takes me about a year to drive one of the cars that far and I think a year is long enough.

that explains it lol...