Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

Original poster

Driving enough to keep car battery fully charged

22 replies

FromTheAshes · 10/01/2021 09:16

How long do I need to run my car for in order to keep the battery topped up, rather than just drawing from it? I know cold weather and just doing short journeys is bad for the battery but I'm scared of being out for more than 5 minutes at a time just now due to the stories of police overeactions. Can I just leave it running on my drive? How long does it need?

Just to add, this car has already broken the bank, I can't afford another huge bill if it's avoidable. I also have anxiety and stupid things like this genuinely keep me awake at night, so please be kind 😊

OP posts:

Crockof · 10/01/2021 09:25

If a battery drops too low the alternator won't be able to charge it and it will need a full recharge (it can bring on warning lights) a 30 minute drive will mean the alternator puts charge back in the battery but it won't be a full charge. You shouldn't leave a car running whilst stationary as it's illegal (not sure if this includes private land)
You are allowed out with a reason, drive to a supermarket further away. The chance of being stopped is tiny and you have a reason.

middleager · 10/01/2021 09:29

This happened to us during lockdown one and in self isolation, when we weren't allowed outside the front door.

We now take the cars out every few days(we left it a week before but one car didn't like it). It's not just battery though, it's breaks too that need to be used, I believe, or else they can cease up.

But if you are told to self isolate then I don't know what you do then as you are not even supposed to leave the front door!

middleager · 10/01/2021 09:29

Brakes!

NastyBlouse · 10/01/2021 09:37

Mine went flat during the first lockdown, because I left it for six weeks without starting or driving it. I had to get someone out to charge it up.

Since then I've been finding acceptable, if sometimes rather tenuous, reasons to take it out once a week down a local A-road and back to keep the battery charged up.

Starting and running a car idling on the drive for a few minutes doesn't charge the battery much, really. Ideally it needs to be driven for about 20 to 30 minutes. (It can vary between petrol and diesel, diesels need slightly longer I believe.) It's also good for the brakes to be used every so often.

Personally, I haven't once seen police stopping people on the roads simply for being out, including the last week or two. Although I'm only out once a week. Sometimes they're out with the speed traps in the usual places but that's normal activity here.

If you really don't want (or need) to drive it, you could get a trickle charger. It's a thing you clip onto the battery which keeps it charged up at a very low level. They're designed for people who have sports cars that they only use in the summer (for example) but a lot of people have bought them during lockdown. You can get them from Halfords, Amazon, all sorts of places.

Crockof · 10/01/2021 09:37

If it's being left for a while (and the drive is flat) it's worth leaving the car in gear and the handbrake off as they seize. On older cars you can disconnect the battery but with newer cars you can cause a host of problems doing that.
You can buy a trickle charger which charges the battery, might be woeth looking into.

yankeedoodledandee · 10/01/2021 09:42

If you are finding reasons simply to take the car out I would say stop. Ask a neighbour if they are willing to jump start you should you need it, or contact a local garage. There is very little point in going out simply to drive your car.

PicsInRed · 10/01/2021 09:43

Tyres deflate too if left in situ too long.

This could be seen in cars and bikes during lockdown #1.

Original poster

FromTheAshes · 10/01/2021 09:46

Thanks for all the practical advice! It's an automatic, 14 years old. It's not illegal to leave it running on my drive, as long as I'm in it, but if that won't benefit the battery then it's a waste of time and fuel.

I'm in a suburban area, it's surprisingly difficult to think of somewhere to go that will take even 30 minutes 😂 I shall have to think harder. Just got worried seeing the multiple articles of govt supporting the police taking a hard stance on people not staying local and issuing fines. Can't afford the £200 hit just now. Already had alternator problems last year so don't want to be dealing with that again either!

OP posts:

PicsInRed · 10/01/2021 09:46

Ask a neighbour if they are willing to jump start you should you need it

Surely a periodic solo drive to keep the car going (so it's actually available in an emergency) makes more sense than door knocking and chatting to neighbours for, and then team working, an urgent jump start.

Original poster

FromTheAshes · 10/01/2021 09:47

@yankeedoodledandee a jump start won't help if the alternator fails again, that'll be a very expensive trip to the garage. I'd rather avoid that if possible.

OP posts:

cyclingmad · 10/01/2021 09:55

Advice i read up says dont leave car on driveway in cold weather for 2 weeks. Also said need to get over 50mph too, to make sure everything stays working.

Leaving car doing nothing not only kills the battery but also air in tyres deflate and the weight of the car can cause flat spots.

MyHeroMakkaPakka · 10/01/2021 09:59

We had to take the car out in lockdown 1 to keep the battery going as I was due to give birth and we needed it working to get to hospital. There wouldn't have been time to jump start it. 30 min drive every week to 10 days seemed to be fine, though it wasn't winter. The chances of you getting stopped by police are tiny, and as pp have said you can just say you are off to the supermarket

rookiemere · 10/01/2021 09:59

I think it was crazy that people were told not to drive their cars at all during during first lockdown and presumably now. Many old people lost the confidence and ability to drive during that period and inevitably it meant many breakdown call outs and unnecessary interactions with people, when restrictions were lifted.

Thankfully my DF in his 80s continued to take the car out for a short local drive weekly during lockdown, thus making sure car could still run but also very importantly for his mental health, that he could still drive it. Sure there is a slight chance he might have broken down and caused an unnecessary call out, but a very small chance.

rookiemere · 10/01/2021 10:01

Sorry to answer the actual question, I would drive out on motorway and do a five mile loop a few times. It wasn't 30 mins but it was at least 15 mins once a week.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 10/01/2021 10:17

It is an offence to leave your car running unattended on a public road but I believe it is not an offence to do so on your own driveway.

However,

it may get stolen,
it is better for the car to drive it normally than leaving it idling for any length of time.
it can be really irritating for your neighbours (you might see this as a plus point! )

Whosthatpokemon · 10/01/2021 10:23

Halfords sell a solar powered trickle charger that has kept my car battery in top shape for weeks at a time. It cost me about £20, you plug it straight in to the OBD. As others have said though you should watch the handbrake doesn't seize, but I just pop out, ease it off and put it back on once a week.

RothRoth · 10/01/2021 10:31

Hi OP, I've had the exact same problem with mine so I bought a trickle charger (£30). I put it on for a couple of days each week to fully charge the battery as it has lights to let you know when it's full. I do have my car in the garage which makes it easier to leave on but with this charger you don't need to unplug the battery.

The first lockdown I bought a jump start battery which you charge up from the mains and then connect to your battery when it won't start and it start the car for you. I haven't needed to use it this time but keep it in the car just in case as like you I'm a bit of a worrier! That was more expensive though - about £55.

Lemons1571 · 10/01/2021 10:34

Drive around for 30-45 minutes but stay within a 5 mile radius of your home. Then you’re “just off to the supermarket”.

I looked this problem up in lockdown 1. The RAC suggested pushing the car up and down the drive to stop the brakes sticking. I am too old and unfit to ever make a success of this without ending up in A&E. The neighbours could help, but surely this defeats the purpose of minimising interactions outside your household.

I concluded that trying to manually push the car around is a higher risk activity for me and more likely to put me in contact with other people in hospital with a back injury, than if I just drove around alone for 30 minutes.

Original poster

FromTheAshes · 10/01/2021 12:30

I forgot about the tyres! Going to buy myself an inflator / gauge that runs off the cigarette lighter. Don't want to go to the garage any more than I have to.

I only started driving again 3 months ago after an 18 year break off the road. I was also worried about my confidence going as I'd been challenging myself to go out several times a week.

I've just been out on a circuit tour of the four nearest towns as it's the only way to achieve a decent speed. Realised I was passing McDonald's on the way home. Whoops, there go my healthy eating plans 😂

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles nowhere did I say I would leave my car running while unattended.

OP posts:

cyclingmad · 10/01/2021 13:38

Only have to go look at AA site and others that advise you how to keep car running in winter. Honestly people really expecting others to have to fork out hundreds of pounds to fix a car when it coikd of been easily avoidable.

annevonkleve · 10/01/2021 13:40

During the first lockdown I took the car out every three weeks for about 20 minutes. That was in the spring though, it might be a good idea to go a bit more often in this weather. I really can't see the police stopping you, but if you are worried take a shopping bag or top up your petrol.

KonTikki · 10/01/2021 13:55

I take the car up the bypass once a week in this weather, 6 miles there and 6 miles back.
It's enough to thoroughly run the engine and keep a charge on the battery.
Once the battery becomes unreliable I find it makes sense to just bite the bullet and get a new one.
Cold starts with a knackered battery is no fun !

Flip