How often should I start my car?

[SnowDrifter]

I don't drive my car very often right now. It doesn't sit for long enough to justify prepping it for storage - plus that wouldn't be feasible for me. It sits outside right now and I'm away from my tools.

From a long term reliability standpoint, how often should I be starting my car? Right now, I start it up once a week and hold it at 1500-1600rpm for 30-40mins, cycle it through the gears, test parking brake operation, run the a/c and run the wipers with some washer fluid. I'm trying to avoid driving it right now as it's icy/snowy out and unless there's somewhere I need to be, I'd like to minimize contact with the salt/gravel on the road (and the idiot drivers).

Should I do it more often? Less often? I noticed when I procrastinated and waited 2 weeks it had the nasty "metal" sound for a moment. That dry start we all know and love.

My concerns here are: moisture and corrosion in things like cylinder linings, alternator brushes, rodents (I check for those when I go out as well), battery charge being that I don't have a power outlet accessible to me.

 

[edwardh1]

we had a Camry that sat several months, gas gage stopped working ---when we drove it again took about a week for the gage to recover

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: SnowDrifter
How often should I start my car?


Whenever you plan to drive your car. Otherwise it won't hurt a thing to let it sit. By just starting it just to start it, all you're doing is wasting your time and gas.

Originally Posted By: SnowDrifter
That dry start we all know and love.


You do realize that oil is designed to cling to surfaces, right? I've taken apart tractor engines that have been sitting for a few years without running, and they weren't "dry".

 

[demarpaint]

Once every two to three months would be fine, if you can't resist the urge. But you're possibly doing more harm than good. Some people, myself included have gone longer. Just add fuel stabilizer to the gas. I would also add your favorite UCL to the gas which would coat the cylinder walls with a little residual oil film.

IMO for periods where "it doesn't sit long enough to justify prepping it for storage" if you can't start it and drive it, you're better off not starting it.

 

[bradepb]

I work for a fleet and we often have vehicles sitting for months. The biggest problem is rusted rotors,calipers or anything that corrodes. Never a problem with internal parts. If you are going to start it you should drive it several miles to dry things out, get things hot.
My sons 2005 pontiac G6 sat for 3 years in his garage.Same gas and oil. We put in a new battery aired the tires, checked fluids and he has been driving it again now for 6 months no problems.

 

[CourierDriver]

all answers are correct at this time.....

 

[Hokiefyd]

I wouldn't start it AT ALL until it's time to drive it again. The Acura MDX in my signature was originally owned by my folks, and they would store it for seasons at a time when they were full-time RVing. They didn't use any special procedures, and usually just had to jump the battery when they first came back to it. That was 100k miles ago.

 

[Carbon]

Put a trickle charger on the battery. I like a Battery Tender charger made for motorcycles.

 

[FCD]

Once a week is unneccesary, once a month maybe, put the battery on a charger when you plan to start it and when you're done take the battery out.

 

[Alex_V]

More often than every 2-3 weeks is unnecessary, and that's mainly for the battery's benefit. If you can trickle charge the battery, once a month and drive it if at all possible - sitting there for a half an hour under no load isn't doing anywhere near as much good as taking it for a 10-15 mi. drive will. Even so, sealed assemblies like the engine and transmission can sit for months and the only threat is the gas going bad. If the engine needs the oil pumped up into it once a week to stay in one piece, there's something wrong with the oil or the engine, or both.

 

[Bamaro]

Only when you need to go somewhere.

 

[gfh77665]

For short term storage (6 mo. or less), I start my vehicles on the first of each month, so its easy to remember. This makes only six starts in a half year. This keeps battery charged, and the gas is still plenty fresh enough.

 

[RooflessVW]

Start it when you drive it. If it really sits that long, get a cheap Battery Tender and wire it up permanently.

Plug it in when you park it.

 

[2010Civic]

I store my car for the winter, normally about 5 months, and I don't start the car at all. I just top off the battery every few weeks with a tender.

 

[racer12306]

I'm in the don't start it unless you can drive it side.

My Neon was a backup only car for 8 years. In that time, I would not start it unless I could drive it for 10 miles or so.

Strongly suggest a battery tender. I had the Battery Tender Jr. and concealed it all under the hood because it sat outside. $20 investment will save your battery and will ensure that it will start when you want it to. I ran an extension cord to the car, fished it up the front side of the engine after it had cooled and then plugged in the tender and for a little extra safety had the connection plug on the opposite corner of the battery.

 

[tomcat27]

ditto. can you keep a battery tender on it? or disconnect the battery?

 

[WishIhadatruck]

When I store my vehicles I only do 3 things.

• Make sure it was parked hot with a descently long drive to get moisture out of the oil and exhaust.
  
• Use gas stabilizer if you don't plan burn thru the gas within 1-2 months of a fillup.
  
• Keep a trickle charger on the battery to keep it charged up. Or disconnect the ground and it should be fine for a few months that way also. Letting the battery get low is hard on it.

I even did back to back UOA's on a car I stored for one winter and found that with the same mileage for each OCI (about 5500 miles) where one UOA was over just a few months and no storage and the other was over a year with several months of storage, there was virtually no difference.

 

[BrocLuno]

Battery Tender (pulse charger) and leave it be. The Battery Tender comes with a little cable connector that can just hang out the front of the grill or something so when you are not using it, it'll be out of the way. Plug it in and forget about it. All the oily parts will have oil when you fire it next whenever

 

[eljefino]

If you're going to do all of this, at least drive it back and forth a couple feet to scrape off the brakes and keep flat spots off the tires.

Otherwise, don't.

In fact I'd get a garage with a little extra room and roll my classic car without starting it, if I were in that position.

 

[blupupher]

Originally Posted By: gfh77665
For short term storage (6 mo. or less), I start my vehicles on the first of each month, so its easy to remember. This makes only six starts in a half year. This keeps battery charged, and the gas is still plenty fresh enough.

That does not charge the battery. You need a long drive (hours) to really recharge a battery.

I am with the others that say do nothing. Only start it when you are planning on driving it. A battery tender will help if you have an outlet handy (or even one of those cheap solar chargers).