rest it or test it?

rest it or test it?

ok. say you have an old car. you need to drive it for important occasions. there are other times when you can either drive it, or not. so, do you

a. [test it] drive it whenever you can, to keep it exercised, and more importantly, so that you are continually 'testing' it, in the hope that if it breaks down, it will be on an unimportant trip?

b. [rest it] drive it as little as possible to conserve its life?

i guess i am mostly concerned with components like starters and batteries, that typically work fine with no symptoms of impending failure, then one day boom, they are out.

not really interested in the aspect of cars that deteriorates from age alone, like seats that crack, and tires that dry rot. or in things you can see without driving, like oil leaks.

wle.

Reply to
larry english
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What is the time period between 'important occasions'? Also, factor in the times when you wish to drive it. This info will help decide, my .02

RG

Reply to
RG

ok. you need to drive it roughly once a week. say, to work and back, 35 miles round trip, when it;s raining or other times when you don;t want to ride your bike.

wle.

Reply to
larry english

This is very interesting and maybe not solvable. I suspect there is an optimum level of short term storage beyond which bad things can happen more. Vehicles do like to be exercised. An unused vehicle has all kinds of problems that you would not expect. For example, electrical connections corrode more. Brake lines rust more. Seals leak more. You may not be concerned with leaks, but they can affect the steering, brakes, and tranny. I wouldn't like to let my car sit for more than 2-3 days.

Reply to
Tomcat14

Re. batteries. I find it so strange that people who otherwise do all the periodic maintenance on there car (fluids, filters, timing belt, etc.) seem to never consider the battery a maintenance item.

Given that batteries start to fail after about 5 years, why not just replace it at ~4 years, rather than waiting until the day you turn the key and nothing happens?

Reply to
kgold

What an UnAmerican attitude! ;>)

Reply to
Larry Smith

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