Cars that aren't started frequently

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I feel horrible about it, but I have one vehicle that only gets driven one to two times a year. 350 miles at a time. It is an '08 with less than 3k miles on it. I keep the battery on a tender.
 
Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
I feel horrible about it, but I have one vehicle that only gets driven one to two times a year. 350 miles at a time. It is an '08 with less than 3k miles on it. I keep the battery on a tender.


If you were in Oz you'd feel REALLY terrible about it...probably $1,400 in rego, road taxes and insurance spread over 6-700 miles would be harsh on the budget.
 
Last week, I started and drove our Solstice for the first time in about two years. Everything was A-OK as I expected.

I wouldn't worry about it.

Car's can't tell time.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I'd overinflate your tires to help with flat spotting, though you already know if the set you have has any slow leaks.


Modern tires do not flat spot at all. So why do this?

Also note that many like to hang the suspension while on a stand, that is also a no no...
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Modern tires do not flat spot at all.


Yes they do. Both of ours that are stored do it after sitting a couple weeks. Both have modern, major brand tires.

It's temporary flat spotting, and the tires round back out once warmed up.

It's more prevalent with stiffer, higher performance tires.
 
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Modern tires do not flat spot at all.


Yes they do. Both of ours that are stored do it after sitting a couple weeks. Both have modern, major brand tires.

It's temporary flat spotting, and the tires round back out once warmed up.

It's more prevalent with stiffer, higher performance tires.


temporary is not flat spotting.

The term comes from the old daze when bias belted tires would PERMANENTLY flatten if they were not driven once in a while.

My car has sat for 3 months while I was out of the country playing. Upon my return it did indeed "clomp" its way down the road for a mile or two, but everything quickly returned to normal...
 
Just like they say: MOST cases it is temporary.

That's not a problem.

My car has very high performance tires with 35 aspect ratio sidewalls and a nice heavy car on them. It has sat for up to 3 months, nothing permanently harmed, just a clomp for a mile or so...
 
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Flat spotting is enough of a problem that there's a 2014 TSB on it. And flat spotting can become permanent after longer term storage, ruining even modern tires:

Flat Spotting can occur after the vehicle has been parked (not moved) for a few days, or longer. In most cases it is temporary. In extreme cases it can be permanent.

Tire pressure is often inflated to max sidewall pressure at the vehicle assembly plant to prevent “flat spots” on tires during new vehicle shipping and vehicle storage. Inflating tires to max sidewall tire pressure helps to preserve the integrity of the tire and reduces potential technical issues. During pre-delivery verify and/or adjust tire to max sidewall pressure. In addition, leave the tire at the maximum sidewall pressure during storage. Move the vehicle periodically to avoid “flat-spotting” the tires.


eljefino's advice to add air is spot on.
 
Well if you need to worry about it, worry on.

We have many vehicles here that sit. Some for long periods. Cars, trucks, track rats, toys too.

NONE have flat spotting that lasts longer than a mile or so.

Even your vaunted TSB said so: "In most cases it is temporary".

I guess we're just lucky?
 
I will add here , The TBird here sets about as much as Steve's does , I have know flat spot problems at all .
 
I'm pretty much with Steve...

I "watch" neighbors' cars over the Florida summer months...and take them out for a 20 min. drive every 5 weeks or so

1. to get engine to operating temp
2. to get the brakes and rotors clean (from the "rust" they get from sitting around for more than a day
smile.gif
),
3. to get the tires hot enough to "round out" from their temporary flat spot, AND
4. to get THE A/C SYSTEM LUBRICATED

and then park them with tires at a different rotational spot...I also give them a spray of wax to keep them shining.
 
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Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Well if you need to worry about it, worry on. . . .


I don't worry about it at all.

Your claim that "modern tires do not flat spot at all" to diminish someone's quite correct advice was just wrong.

Then you created artificial distinctions instead of just conceding the error.
 
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Well if you need to worry about it, worry on. . . .


I don't worry about it at all.

Your claim that "modern tires do not flat spot at all" to diminish someone's quite correct advice was just wrong.

Then you created artificial distinctions instead of just conceding the error.


You are splitting hairs. I can point to about 36 right now that don't. They encompass everything from trailer tires to E rated HD tires. They only flat spot TEMPORARILY, if at all.

Others here don't seem to experience this plague either. A TSB that says maybe it might happen is hardly an industry altering document.

I am not disparaging anyone's advice, my sincere apologies to Eljefino if he feels somehow "diminished". Please substitute the word "most" for all if it worries you so much.

Next time I know you're paying so much attention to extremely trivial distinctions I'll be more careful, ok?
 
As concessions go, that one was about as begrudging as any.

Talk about splitting hairs and trivial distinctions:

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
temporary is not flat spotting.


Belittling a contrary TSB as "your vaunted TSB" isn't exactly graceful, either. I didn't write it, Chrysler did.

Whatever. We're all human. We all make mistakes. Admitting them though is what separates . . .

What ever happened to "I stand corrected"?

Time to move on.
 
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