Do you need to "run the car"

[copernicium]

It's just occurred to me that I haven't driven my car since before the New Year. When I started driving, you'd always be told to give the engine a run every week or whatever...

Is this still a thing with new cars? Will it be dead if I don't take it out soon?

We bought a trickle charger as DS isn't using his car at all and the battery keeps going flat. We had to jump start the car before the trickle charger would charge up the battery - it wouldn't do anything when the battery was totally flat.

Battery wise mine is fine but it's a diesel and gets upset if we don't run it at a good speed for a while, it needs to clear the filters apparently. I've used it sparingly but the preschool run involves a rural A road/60mph stretch so that probably helps.

I make sure I go to the big supermarket once a fortnight, my reason if the police ask is to top up the battery, in reality it is because they have world foods and fresh sushi! (And clothes and other non essentials unlike our little one). It's 20/25 mins each way. Only time I use my car because I walk to the local supermarket (Lidl)

I know the battery is flat on mine right now, it was flat a week or two before Christmas. I’ve just left it as is, no point getting it running to be left abandoned again as I don’t see myself going anywhere this side of Easter now.

You should run it at least twice a week. Make sure the engine reaches full temperature. Getting on a dual carriage way and motorway is good.

It isn't just the battery, cars are rubbish being left to stand. The discs corrode and brakes bind on and they really deteriorate. Also important that the aircon is run as well as otherwise the seals dry out.

I know as DH gets cross with me if I don't use my car etc

A mechanic said that I should take the car out once a week to ... nearest large city 5 miles away. I don't fancy that so I go in the more rural opposite direction for about the same distance. It not only prevents a dying battery, there's something more technical about the uptake of petrol, oil etc. My battery is about three years old and touch wood this little journey has helped. I do this when it's neither wet or dark as the wipers, heating and lights all cause a further drain. I dread being pulled over by the police though - I'm not far from Derbyshire!

I have an 09 Honda CRV, bloody great car but, you only have to look at it and the battery goes flat.

We used to think it was due to the battery that was in it when we bought it (three years ago,) then it went flat over Christmas fair dues it had been standing idle for fifteen days, so we bought a sooper dooper battery charger thingy and charged it up, took it out on the Monday for a good thirty minutes, parked went to use it at the weekend gone again.

This battery charger is certainly paying for itself.

Between lockdowns, I've had a weekly drive on a dual carriageway which gives a good warm-up.

In lockdown, I shop weekly anyway, but occasionally go a longer, faster route home to warm her through.
She's been to the tip today so that was rather exciting

I have never had a flat battery but only drive 2x10 minutes daily.

I had to have a new battery just after Christmas due to not driving much. The RAC guy who came out and installed it suggested I run the car a couple of times a week to stop it going flat again.

Having said "run it every week" above, I've just taken mine out for its first drive since mid-december, and at least one of the brakes had bound to the disks... They pinged off fine but it's a reminder to do better!

Good tips here thanks

We have an 19 plate BMW and that certainly needed a run out as the dashboard was throwing out all sort of messages. The newer one was okay though.

Mine does - it a diesel, don’t know if that makes a difference, but the battery died at least once.

I don't understand the comment above about insurance possibly not covering a non-essential journey - why wouldn't it?

I run mine at least once a week, as people have said regarding tyres, oil, battery etc

Shopping but go the long way round 👍

Also the exhaust catalyst to get any moisture out of the system

I'm planning to start regularly moving each of our cars once every 2 weeks. My dad is away from home for 2 months & has someone come start & run his cars once a week for 10 minutes each.

My DH has been working from home since March so his car has been sitting idle except for a trip to the supermarket once a week. He hasn't had to put fuel in it since October. I've started taking it to work once every couple of weeks to give it a run of 20 miles each way to keep it ticking over as it was starting to get reluctant to start.

Last Saturday, I drove to the big supermarket, having last used it Christmas eve, so about 3 weeks without driving. It was very sluggish to turnover, so I went the long way home. It did start better when I restarted after stalling when I was parking back at home.

So yes. Though my old car survived okay when parked st the airport for a fortnight.

Thanks for this @copernicium, our car hasn’t been driven for weeks, completely hadn’t occurred to me!

A friend said he had to call the RAC recently, and they said they're getting a lot of calls for flat batteries lately.

Daughter‘s car won’t start if she doesn’t drive it for a couple of weeks. Mine seems ok. We bought a battery charger for hers so we didn’t have to keep calling the garage out!

Drove my car today to take my cat to the vet, previous to then I drove it in March.

13 plate diesel.

"You must drive you car every week for x amount of time otherwise your battery might go flat" sounds like marketing spiel to get us to drive more, consume more fuel etc etc

The issue about insurance not being valid is of course a myth.

During last lockdown my battery went flat but then it turned out it wouldn't hold any charge so it needed replacing anyway.

@InsufferableLKIA it didn't occur to me until I started this thread, and I just got wondering if it was an "old wives tale".

Thanks for all the advice!