How often does a car need to be driven?

[Anonymous]

I’ll be out of town for 6 weeks. I’ll ask my neighbor to drive my car for a couple minutes around the neighborhood so the battery doesn’t die. Is just once at the 3 week mark fine, or should it be more often than that? It’ll be in the fall when temperatures are mild and the car will be kept in a garage.

[Anonymous]

6 weeks in garage should be absolutely no problem.

if you are really paranoid, you could get a $100 battery jump start , in case the battery does drain but that seems unlikely

[Anonymous]

Or you can buy a trickle charger for your car. But 6 weeks shouldn’t be an issue. When I lived in ny, we would leave the car in the parking garage for months without driving it, and it was fine.

[Anonymous]

6 weeks should be fine.

[Anonymous]

For our car, all the GPS and other electronics gorp seems to consume battery even while it is off. We can go maybe 7-8 days without driving it before the battery loses charge (to be clear, the battery always tests as good). OTOH, it always comes back with a quick jump start.

We bought a widget at AutoZone which plus into wall outlet in the garage and has long cables to connect to the car battery. So for us, the jump start is easy if home. At most airports, a jump start in the official parking areas is free - as a service from the airport.

[Anonymous]

Should be fine. My parents have a summer home in Alaska and keep a car there in a climate-controlled garage. Their neighbor goes to start it once a month or so and it's never been a problem.

[Anonymous]

These responses are surprising! Ive been starting a car up every week if not driven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For our car, all the GPS and other electronics gorp seems to consume battery even while it is off. We can go maybe 7-8 days without driving it before the battery loses charge (to be clear, the battery always tests as good). OTOH, it always comes back with a quick jump start.

We bought a widget at AutoZone which plus into wall outlet in the garage and has long cables to connect to the car battery. So for us, the jump start is easy if home. At most airports, a jump start in the official parking areas is free - as a service from the airport.

you can disconnect the battery while you are gone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For our car, all the GPS and other electronics gorp seems to consume battery even while it is off. We can go maybe 7-8 days without driving it before the battery loses charge (to be clear, the battery always tests as good). OTOH, it always comes back with a quick jump start.

We bought a widget at AutoZone which plus into wall outlet in the garage and has long cables to connect to the car battery. So for us, the jump start is easy if home. At most airports, a jump start in the official parking areas is free - as a service from the airport.

Something sounds wrong with your car— maybe the alternator is bad or something.

There is no reason why a car can’t go 6 weeks— much less 10 days— without running.

[Anonymous]

It’s actually better not to drive the car at all if it’s only going to 6 weeks and the “drive” will only be for a few minutes.


A few minute drive isn’t enough to put any appreciable charge into the battery, and it will just add moisture into the exhaust system which won’t get hot enough to dissipate, so it’ll stay damp, increasing rust inside. Also, the oil in the engine will get contaminated with fuel residue - which also won’t “cook” out because the engine doesn’t really get warm in a short drive. So the contamination stays in the oil instead of evaporating out of the oil, going through the PCV system, and then getting burned.

Just leave it parked, give it a battery charge at 4 weeks, and don’t drive it unless you’re able to drive it for 30 minutes or longer.

[Anonymous]

PP is right, you are doing more harm than good by starting and idling the car or taking it for a short drive. If you are going to ask your neighbor to drive the car ask him to drive it at least for twenty minutes.

[Anonymous]

I'd connect the battery to a smart charger and leave it at that. A battery in good condition should still start the car after 6 weeks, but it will have lost some charge and possibly some life. When you do finally drive it, if you don't drive it enough to fully recharge the battery you may find that the battery fails later after several short trips where the energy required to start the car depletes the battery beyond what the short drives can provide in the way of recharging. A smart charger will maximize battery life for sure.

You probably don't need to add fuel stabilizer for that kind of time period, but I'd do that if you ever decide to forgo driving for more than 3 months or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP is right, you are doing more harm than good by starting and idling the car or taking it for a short drive. If you are going to ask your neighbor to drive the car ask him to drive it at least for twenty minutes.

+2

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone, this is so helpful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For our car, all the GPS and other electronics gorp seems to consume battery even while it is off. We can go maybe 7-8 days without driving it before the battery loses charge (to be clear, the battery always tests as good). OTOH, it always comes back with a quick jump start.

We bought a widget at AutoZone which plus into wall outlet in the garage and has long cables to connect to the car battery. So for us, the jump start is easy if home. At most airports, a jump start in the official parking areas is free - as a service from the airport.

Something sounds wrong with your car— maybe the alternator is bad or something.

There is no reason why a car can’t go 6 weeks— much less 10 days— without running.

Shop tested battery good, alternator good, all else good. Lights were turned off both inside and out. Dealer says the gorp just consumes too much battery while off.