# How often and how far do I need to drive an old car?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-and-how-far-do-i-need-to-drive-an-old-car/1023977>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 15, 2025, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-and-how-far-do-i-need-to-drive-an-old-car/1023977 "2025-10-15T00:10:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-and-how-far-do-i-need-to-drive-an-old-car/1023977/41 "2025-10-21T15:47:40Z")

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> [@Bullitt](#):
>
> > [@bordelond](#):
> >
> > Around here (SE Louisiana, no real winter from a northern perspective), a car battery can drain down in less than a week if the car is left sitting. Is that climate-related?
> 
> Not likely. I suspect you may have a slight trickle voltage drain. Recommend you go to a battery shop and they should be able to test your system for free to see if that is the case. Call ahead to check that they’ll do that for free.

No, I meant that around here when people go on a lengthy vacation and have people come over to feed pets, check on the house, etc. … it’s common to also leave that person your car keys so the pet-/house-sitter can start your car every other day or every third day to prevent battery drainage.

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