I have 2 cars, in case one fails I have the other. I mostly drive the primary car, but how often should I drive the back up car to ensure the fluids are moving around, the battery recharges, the tires don’t get rotten, etc.
Is once a week enough?
Once a month is enough.
whenever you do it, be sure you run it long enough to cook the condensation out of the engine and fully recharge the battery from both sitting and the start(s) you just did.
30 minutes is plenty. 5 isn’t.
Its a good idea; modern cars all draw juice from the battery to some degree when turned off.
I will say that if you are going to store your “Summer car”, you should pour some stabil into your gas tank and take the time to pop the hood and pull off your battery cables.
No battery will last all winter connected to your car’s electrical system without being run/charged by the alternator.
Next spring, after reconnecting, you might still need a battery-charger assisted start up, but your battery wont have its life expectancy reduced.
We have a truck that is used occasionally, rather than regularly. We’ve never gone more than a month without driving it, generally every 2-3 weeks, for 15 miles minimum. It’s worked for the last 3 years or so.
In fact, 5 is a bad idea.
If you are taking it out once a month for the specific purpose of charging the battery, circulating the fluids, etc., take it out on a road where you can get it up to at least 45, and drive it for 30 minutes, and yes, once a month is enough.
If the idea is to use it as the car you drive to work, and just do your regular driving in, then once a week, but try to get it up to 45, and drive it at that speed for at least 10 minutes. Make sure the engine gets up to temperature. If it doesn’t after 10 minutes, you need to get the radiator thermostat replaced-- something important to have working in the winter, something that isn’t very expensive, and something that is easy to overlook in a car you don’t drive often.
If you end up just driving it once a month, before you do, check the fluid levels and the pressure on all the tires before you drive it. Also, gas spoils. Burn off the tank at least every six months.
Oh, yeah. Feel the sides of the battery when you do a check. If they are bulging out at all, time for a new battery. And if you are going to go a month at a time, disconnecting the battery isn’t a bad idea.
I think using it one weekday a week for normal stuff would do it. You know, drive it to and from work, pick up something from a store on the way home, etc.
What’s magical about “at least 45mph”? Why that speed specifically?
Also be sure to keep your tires properly inflated or they will be permanently deformed.
I’m not sure about 45 mph specifically, but if you have a diesel-engined car with a diesel particulate filter (DPF), you need to take the car to speed for a decent amount of time to ensure the DPF remains clear.
I use a Battery Tender trickle charger to keep the battery topped off and in good shape - much better than disconnecting or monthly runs to try and recharge it. Modern car electronics may not like to be disconnected and too many deep discharge cycles decrease battery life.
Do that and a monthly run up to operating temp and a short drive is probably all you would need. Tires do age so pay attention to that. Old stiff tires can be a serious safety risk - especially at freeway speeds.
You want to cycle through all the gears in the transmission.
So you’re saying that none of the cars in “Walking Dead” should start anymore?
Cars are modern pieces of engineering with significant margins of error. While statistically some cars will fail over time, many will still function at a basic level. If the engine oil and transmission fluid haven’t leaked out or been significantly contaminated with dust or rust, and the battery still has a residual charge, the car should start. It may run very poorly, however, and is liable to seize quickly, especially if driven too aggressively (as one might do trying to escape the undead).
I don’t have a backup car anymore, but when I did, here were my rules…they have each been covered, but just to reiterate:
- Hook it up to a Battery Tender whenever it’s sitting for more than a day or so (they are $35 and WELL worth it). You never have to worry about the battery that way.
- Don’t start it up unless it’s going to get fully warmed up. That is, a drive around the block doesn’t do any good. If you start it, drive it for awhile and let it get completely up to operating temperature.