I have a 2004 Toyota Camry with 88k. Is it bad for the car to start the engine too many times a day. I make many errands throughout the day, where I got turn off the car, go out, and turn it back on, doing this about 6 times a day. Is there a way to lock the car while keeping the engine on? I'm afraid I might be wearing the car too much.

also, is 88k miles too much for my car?

Thanks for the advice.

 

Ideally the engine would never be turned off except for maintenance and operated at say a steady 2500 RPM (fwy driving). In the real world this is not possible.

The effects of stating also depend on if the engine was warmed up already prior to the start, cold starts under under very cold conditions, etc.

If concerned might switch to a synthetic oil that flows better when cold and adheres to the metal surfaces longer after the engine is shut off.

To try to counter the effects of engine starts by keeping the engine running when doing errands might make sense if the air temps are extremely cold and the stop so long the oil may start to overly thicken up during this time.