Have you ever noticed that why two cars of the same model and year can have different values? We often see car ads in which they highlight “low mileage” as a selling point. It’s natural to assume that the more miles a vehicle has it means the more wear and tear it has endured. But there is another factor that’s just as important as miles when it comes to calculating a vehicle’s price, which is engine hours.
Let’s talk about how engine hours can affect the resale value of a vehicle and how you can use an engine hours to miles calculator to get a better understanding of a vehicle’s true usage. Let’s get started!
What Are Engine Hours?
Before we go any further, let’s first discuss what engine hours actually are. Engine hours are exactly what they sound like, the total number of hours the engine has been running. It’s not like the mileage which only increases when the vehicle starts to move, whereas engine hours count whenever the engine on whether the vehicle is moving or stationary. This could include the time when you turn on the air conditioner of the car while the car is parked with the engine on.
For Example,
If you leave your truck running while you make a quick stop at the store, those minutes are also added to the total engine hours even though your mileage hasn’t changed. This makes engine hours an important metric to understand the real wear and tear of an engine.
Why Mileage Alone Isn’t Enough?
When it comes to evaluating a vehicle’s condition, many buyers and sellers rely solely on mileage. As we discussed above two vehicles with the same mileage can be in different conditions. These conditions can also depend on their engine hours. For example, a truck with 100,00 miles and 5,000 engine hours may be in better shape than the one with 100,00 miles and 10,000 engine hours.
This happens because more engine hours usually means you idle the vehicle which obviously can cause to increase the engine wear. Vehicles that spend a lot of time in idle condition may have the same mileage as those driven mainly on highways, but their engines might be more worn out. That’s why it becomes very important to consider both mileage and engine hours when you assess a vehicle’s value.
How to Convert Engine Hours to Miles?
When you buy or sell a vehicle and want to assess its condition accurately. For this purpose, you can use the engine hours to miles calculator. This is an online tool that requires a few inputs to perform calculations and shows you the exact mileage your vehicle has sustained. Calculatored.com also offers this tool and you can check it out there too. This way, you can easily get a better idea of an engine’s wear and tear as compared to its physical value.
A general rule of thumb is that one engine hour is roughly equal to 20 to 30 miles driven. So according to this if a vehicle has 1,000 engine hours, it means we can compare it with having 20,000 to 30,000 miles on the odometer. But this is a rough estimate and also can vary depending on how the vehicle was used.
How Engine Hours Affect Resale Value?
Generally, the more engine hours a vehicle has, the lower its resale value will be even if the mileage is low. This is because high engine hours indicate that the engine has been used heavily which could mean more wear and tear.
Buyers nowadays are becoming more aware of engine hours, especially for those vehicles that are often used for work like trucks or commercial vehicles. If a buyer sees that a vehicle has high engine hours they might be more concerned about the remaining lifespan of the engine, even if the vehicle looks good from the outside.
Similarly, a vehicle that has low engine hours indicates a higher resale value. Because it shows you that the engine hasn’t been overworked. This can be a strong selling point. if you are trying to get the best possible price for your vehicle.
What to Consider When Buying or Selling?
- When you are going to buy and sell a vehicle, don’t only focus on the mileage. Also, ask about the engine hours.
- Engine hours can help you avoid vehicles that might have engine issues in the future.
- If sellers know the number of engine hours it can help them ask a comparative price from potential buyers.
- Anyone can use the engine hours to miles calculator to know the exact mileage which creates transparency in the deal.
- This transparency can build trust with buyers and make them more comfortable with the purchase.
