People who have a car but don't use it much

[daverobev]

We are a two car family. We mostly only need one. I like having a car, which is not my wife's (which is often full of stuff and it drives me up the wall).

It gets cold here. I will in the middle of a snow storm need my car for something. Don't tell me to get rid of my car; I know that is the smartest choice financially. Not happening - for now.

So my question is this - is there anything other than driving my car I can do to stop it sitting too long? I just had a nightmare service, which went from oil change to brake pads to three calipers. I want this fairly old fairly rusty no value car to keep running as long as possible - without stuff siezing up because it doesn't get driven in hot humid, cold cold Ontario.

Any suggestions?

[modulus]

If it sits around for weeks or months in the cold, you probably want to disconnect the battery when not in use.  Otherwise it will slowly drain and not start when you actually need it.

[daverobev]

Thanks. I have a trickle charger, so that's the least of my worries :)

[FiftyIsTheNewTwenty]

When you do drive it, do so for at least half an hour.  This will warm the engine and transmission completely through, and evaporate any accumulated moisture that can combine with other stuff to cause corrosion and sludge.  If you have a diesel engine you should change the oil every 6 months regardless of use, but with a gasoline engine an occasional drive should take care of it.

Most trickle chargers are junk and will destroy your battery.  Battery Tender, Battery Minder and CTek brands are pretty good.  But driving for an hour every 6 months then disconnecting your battery is fine.

[HipGnosis]

Have the wife drive it a few days a year.   With some sort of agreement on the 'stuff'.

Why aren't you doing the oil and brakes?
If you did them on her car, there's an automatic trigger for her to drive your car. 

[daverobev]

Have the wife drive it a few days a year.   With some sort of agreement on the 'stuff'.

Why aren't you doing the oil and brakes?
If you did them on her car, there's an automatic trigger for her to drive your car.

Crunchy (gravel) driveway. Decent ramps are expensive. Etc.

I did the oil on my car this year, no problem. Wrecked the cheap plastic ramps I bought though. Brakes... no thanks. I'm sure I could do the pads ok, but calipers etc? No. Plus my car is heavy - I strained my back just changing the wheels over last year. Gotta do the wheels on my wife's, but there is such a difference between Crown Vic and old Accord wheels.

I could spend $20k to get a garage at my place... or I could just leave stuff outside. I mean, when we move - if we move - I'd much prefer to get a house with a garage so I can do more stuff - but this is *Canada*, it gets down to -30 degrees C sometimes.

I did just change a coil pack. I can do some stuff. But I'd rather not do the big heavy stuff without the right tools - and the tools cost money.

Brakes I know I know, everyone says they are easy. Hopefully with the calipers done I'll be good for a few years, and maybe do the pads myself next time. Maybe.

[HipGnosis]

I've done car work on gravel...  carpet remnants help quite a bit.
I've done car work in really cold (I'm in Wisconsin) - a couple big pieces of cardboard under the carpet helps - and I keep the tools in the house except when I'm actually using them (I have a garage, it isn't heated and I don't have room to work on the car in it).
When my current piece of carpet needs replacing I'm thinking of getting some foam-rubber flooring.  It should last a long time because I can wash any oil or grease off it.

Disk brakes are easy to maintain - which is checking and changing the pads.  Loosening and re-tightening the bolts when I rotate the tires and check the pads keeps the bolts from seizing between pad changes and makes things so much easier.
I use to rebuild calipers - now I buy rebuilt ones for the price of a rebuild kit (if you can even get a kit).  I have a brake bleeding tool.

My ramp is a 2x8 (maybe 2x10?) and a few pieces 4x4 and 2x4.  I drive one wheel up the ramp and use the jack on the other side  - other wise the ramp is where I want to be to get at the oil drain and filter.

[Retired To Win]

We are a two car family. We mostly only need one. I like having a car, which is not my wife's (which is often full of stuff and it drives me up the wall).

It gets cold here. I will in the middle of a snow storm need my car for something. Don't tell me to get rid of my car; I know that is the smartest choice financially. Not happening - for now.

So my question is this - is there anything other than driving my car I can do to stop it sitting too long? I just had a nightmare service, which went from oil change to brake pads to three calipers. I want this fairly old fairly rusty no value car to keep running as long as possible - without stuff siezing up because it doesn't get driven in hot humid, cold cold Ontario.

Any suggestions?

How about just running it in place?  Or making sure you take it out for a spin every so often?

There was a time when I would put less than 3000 miles a year on my 1996 Dodge Dakota (which I still own and drive).  But I do know that I would use it at least once a month; that seems to have kept it from osifying.

But I really don't understand why your brake pads would have gone to hell from not being used. :O

[Frs1661]

There are various car shares out there that let you rent your car to people who need it for a day or week at a time. In this way you could get paid to have someone else drive your car occasionally.

I see it is an emotional topic for you but if you can't make money renting it out, I would personally get rid of it. We sold our second car and haven't missed it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[daverobev]

There are various car shares out there that let you rent your car to people who need it for a day or week at a time. In this way you could get paid to have someone else drive your car occasionally.

I see it is an emotional topic for you but if you can't make money renting it out, I would personally get rid of it. We sold our second car and haven't missed it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

I'm in a smaller town, no such stuff here.

We've gone from 1-2-1-2 cars. Especially now with a toddler, and wife away at various times with her work and side business, I want to keep the car - esp. for Canadian winters.

[daverobev]

We are a two car family. We mostly only need one. I like having a car, which is not my wife's (which is often full of stuff and it drives me up the wall).

It gets cold here. I will in the middle of a snow storm need my car for something. Don't tell me to get rid of my car; I know that is the smartest choice financially. Not happening - for now.

So my question is this - is there anything other than driving my car I can do to stop it sitting too long? I just had a nightmare service, which went from oil change to brake pads to three calipers. I want this fairly old fairly rusty no value car to keep running as long as possible - without stuff siezing up because it doesn't get driven in hot humid, cold cold Ontario.

Any suggestions?

How about just running it in place?  Or making sure you take it out for a spin every so often?

There was a time when I would put less than 3000 miles a year on my 1996 Dodge Dakota (which I still own and drive).  But I do know that I would use it at least once a month; that seems to have kept it from osifying.

But I really don't understand why your brake pads would have gone to hell from not being used. :O

Idling is not good. Trans, brakes etc don't get hot to get moisture out, takes a long time to replace the juice from the battery.

I guess I'll just aim to drive every week or two, go to the next town over for groceries now and then - get big bags of potatoes.