If I take my car for a highway drive 30-40 minutes once a week is that sufficient during the winter to keep the battery okay? Car sits outside, battery is a year old
How often to drive a car that sits in the winter?
- Thread starter Corollaman
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Yeah. But a battery tender is cheaper than all that gas.
My F150 gets a 15 minute drive to the dump once a week and it's battery is doing great. I leave it running when I dump my stuff. I put a 6-amp charger on it out of concern for sulfation but the voltage went up to 15.7 after ~10 minutes so I shut 'er down.
My F150 gets a 15 minute drive to the dump once a week and it's battery is doing great. I leave it running when I dump my stuff. I put a 6-amp charger on it out of concern for sulfation but the voltage went up to 15.7 after ~10 minutes so I shut 'er down.
That is sufficient, but for the drive, I run an errand instead of just going for a cruise. My battery is a about 4 years old, and the temps range from about -5 F in winter to 90 F in the summer. I've been doing this for a few years. Never had a dead battery.
I think short drives or short idles are worse for the car in the winter. Long drives are ok. That being said, I just put my vehicle in storage mode (disconnect battery, stabilize the fuel, max out the tire pressure, cover the exhaust, full detail) and let it sit for the entire winter.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
Trans Am gets started when I remember to in the winter.
Truck gets driven on average every other week once a week.
Truck gets driven on average every other week once a week.
My dad's Ford Ranger is an occasionally used vehicle and it sits most of the time outside including in the winter, for long periods of time. Just keep an automatic battery charger on it and take it for an occasional drive every couple of months to keep things from seizing up.
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Originally Posted by Corollaman
If I take my car for a highway drive 30-40 minutes once a week is that sufficient during the winter to keep the battery okay? Car sits outside, battery is a year old
What model and year and is the car? I think I would use a battery tender on it and no drive it every week. I would worry about rotors rusting/seizing etc from being outside.
If I take my car for a highway drive 30-40 minutes once a week is that sufficient during the winter to keep the battery okay? Car sits outside, battery is a year old
What model and year and is the car? I think I would use a battery tender on it and no drive it every week. I would worry about rotors rusting/seizing etc from being outside.
Originally Posted by JC1
Originally Posted by Corollaman
If I take my car for a highway drive 30-40 minutes once a week is that sufficient during the winter to keep the battery okay? Car sits outside, battery is a year old
What model and year and is the car? I think I would use a battery tender on it and no drive it every week. I would worry about rotors rusting/seizing etc from being outside.
2011 silverado, it's a two wheel drive I drive my other car usually when it snows. Doing some research I've found that according to many people it's better to go on a 30 minute highway drive once a week to get the car up to temperature and get all the moving parts moving if a car isn't driven everyday. It's worse to start a car and let it idle or go on a short trip at lower speeds because the battery isn't really getting charged.
Originally Posted by Corollaman
If I take my car for a highway drive 30-40 minutes once a week is that sufficient during the winter to keep the battery okay? Car sits outside, battery is a year old
What model and year and is the car? I think I would use a battery tender on it and no drive it every week. I would worry about rotors rusting/seizing etc from being outside.
2011 silverado, it's a two wheel drive I drive my other car usually when it snows. Doing some research I've found that according to many people it's better to go on a 30 minute highway drive once a week to get the car up to temperature and get all the moving parts moving if a car isn't driven everyday. It's worse to start a car and let it idle or go on a short trip at lower speeds because the battery isn't really getting charged.
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30-40 minutes should be adequate to get the oil hot enough to vaporize any water. A short drive that does not get the oil up to temp is worse than none at all. Another alternative is to remove the battery, fill the tank, use sta-bil (or equivalent), inflate the tires to max and let the vehicle hibernate. I'd think about fogging the cylinders and plugging the exhaust and intakes if outside (rodents). In short, best to either fully use or fully store a vehicle if you can.
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These " storage ideas" involving taking the battery out might be different from what the OP is talking about. Can we have some clarification from Corollaman?
If you need the car occasionally then taking the battery out is a PITA.
If you need the car occasionally then taking the battery out is a PITA.
In winter I take my Camaro out once every 2-4 weeks for a 20 mile drive on a 40 deg day. In between runs I put it on the battery charger once a week at 1-2 amps for 10-15 min to fully recharge it.
In previous years I took it out every week if possible. Not a fan of cars sitting for extended period where seals can dry out in various systems....and that includes the AC. Back in the 1970's when I deployed overseas in the Navy (and knew nothing about cars except to change fluids), my old Dodge Dart would sit for 4 months during the winter in a fenced in deployed parking area. It started most every time. And for those few times it wouldn't start, there was always someone around who could give a jump start. I never noticed any issues with my old car from those extended sittings....and that was on 1970's technology and bias ply tires. Didn't even put in a gas treatment. Has to be LOTS better today.
In previous years I took it out every week if possible. Not a fan of cars sitting for extended period where seals can dry out in various systems....and that includes the AC. Back in the 1970's when I deployed overseas in the Navy (and knew nothing about cars except to change fluids), my old Dodge Dart would sit for 4 months during the winter in a fenced in deployed parking area. It started most every time. And for those few times it wouldn't start, there was always someone around who could give a jump start. I never noticed any issues with my old car from those extended sittings....and that was on 1970's technology and bias ply tires. Didn't even put in a gas treatment. Has to be LOTS better today.
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Far as I know the interior and gas needs to be dry, the wheels not egg shaped, no vegetation anywhere on the car, and the battery not discharged. Everything else can sit and wait.
If the car is dry, wheels unloaded and on a battery tender the only thing I'd worry about is seals drying out, but nothing I own will sit that long. They all run at least once a year.
If the car is dry, wheels unloaded and on a battery tender the only thing I'd worry about is seals drying out, but nothing I own will sit that long. They all run at least once a year.
Highest engine wear is caused by a cold start, if all you want is to keep the battery charged use a battery charger.
Will your run get the engine up to full (saturated) operating temp? Maybe not, in winter.
Either use the car, or store it!
Will your run get the engine up to full (saturated) operating temp? Maybe not, in winter.
Either use the car, or store it!
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
I would just let it sit. A winter's length is not long at all.
Originally Posted by expat
Highest engine wear is caused by a cold start, if all you want is to keep the battery charged use a battery charger.
Will your run get the engine up to full (saturated) operating temp? Maybe not, in winter.
Either use the car, or store it!
So my one cold start for my weekly drive is really that bad? The average person who works 5 days a week has 5 cold starts in the morning plus 5 cold starts after work plus cold starts on the weekends. A 30 minute drive at highway speeds even in the winter is going to get any car up to temp.
Highest engine wear is caused by a cold start, if all you want is to keep the battery charged use a battery charger.
Will your run get the engine up to full (saturated) operating temp? Maybe not, in winter.
Either use the car, or store it!
So my one cold start for my weekly drive is really that bad? The average person who works 5 days a week has 5 cold starts in the morning plus 5 cold starts after work plus cold starts on the weekends. A 30 minute drive at highway speeds even in the winter is going to get any car up to temp.
For close to 40 years I've owned at least one vehicle that sat for weeks at a time during the winter, and I don't ever recall having any problems with the battery or anything else for that matter. When I did drive it, I would drive a minimum of 20-30 minutes or more. Unless the vehicle is going to sit for several months at a time, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
I see you're in Washington, a high moisture state (at least most of it). I had problems with my low-use Dakota when I let it sit for more than a week, it would stumble and be hard to start, stall, hesitate, etc. until ran for 10-15 minutes or so.
After a while I figured it was phase separation of E10 so i started using E-Free gas, adding dry gas (which acts differently than Ethanol), and driving it more often. Problem went away.
Slacked off and it sat with E10 and problem came right back.
So I think your 30 minutes once a week is a good regimen, it keeps the fuel mixed up. The problem with E10 is it absorbs moisture from the air and then the alcohol/water mix separates to the bottom of the tank, and the engine has a hard time running on just that. Just going for a drive gets it mixed up again.
After a while I figured it was phase separation of E10 so i started using E-Free gas, adding dry gas (which acts differently than Ethanol), and driving it more often. Problem went away.
Slacked off and it sat with E10 and problem came right back.
So I think your 30 minutes once a week is a good regimen, it keeps the fuel mixed up. The problem with E10 is it absorbs moisture from the air and then the alcohol/water mix separates to the bottom of the tank, and the engine has a hard time running on just that. Just going for a drive gets it mixed up again.
The experience here with high mileage vehicles sitting for months has been seals that dry and leak, one front axle seal one center manifold seal. Now when the grand daughter is at school we run and move the 04 Trailblazer around the yard every two weeks. Just remembered, there is an occasional problem with dash gauges where we have to reboot by disconnecting the battery.
I let my old van sit all winter long. It's a 91 Toyota. I put fuel stabilizer in and let it sit. I am convinced it is better to let it sit than start it up. Cold starts seem to be bad for engine longevity, but it's more so for rust protection from salty roads. If you don't have salt, I wouldn't even worry much whatever you choose to do.
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