How often to run your ICE vehicle?

[rlbussard]

I have a 23 Lightning and a 23 Toyota Crown Hybrid. I just purchased the Grabber Yellow 24 Mach E Rally for my wife that we are super excited about. I found it at Long McArthur Ford in Kansas and they are shipping it to me in Maine in next week or so. Once we get it, we will probably use our hybrid mostly in the winter months. Our daughter has her learners permit until November and then we will let her drive the Crown to school until she graduates in the spring. At that point we will probably only drive it once a month in the nice weather months and more often in the winter.

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[djstough]

I've got a classic BMW that sits most of the winter, but I take it out every 4-6 weeks for a quick run out on the highway and back. I check the air in the tires, and keep the fuel level high thorughout the winter. Nothing more needed.

 

[sdingeldein]

I'd drive it once a week.

Any less and I'd probably get rid of it. Unless of course it's something you want to keep for sentimental reasons.

It's a lease! No sentiment.

 

[sdingeldein]

The key issue is the fuel. I would add fuel stabilizer and fuel system cleaner to every tank and make sure I use up one full tank of gas every six months.
Another poster mentioned using premium gas, but I don’t agree with that. Premium gas on its own is just refined further to allow more compression without preignition, it is not necessarily a “better” fuel. In fact, if ethanol is used to raise the octane, then the fuel could be even less stable.
I also recommend a battery tender and something to repel rodents.

Thanks! This tank is about 6 months old. I clearly need to drive the car more often. I will add a fuel stabilizer.

 

[Henry Ford]

It's a lease! No sentiment.

A lease? We're talking about a lease?

Take it to the drag strip every six months. Definitely don't warm it up first.

 

[Jseis]

The 10 hp lawn tractor about once a year as an electric self propelled replaced it and the ‘41 Ford 9N like once a year.

 

[FANTIEPEI1]

Talk is cheap. I’ve got two cars and a Harley that I need to sell now that I have my Lightning. I already sold one car. The problem is I really don’t have a reason to drive the other cars and now I need to spend a bunch of time fixing them up just to sell them.

And of course me fixing up the cars to sell is always very low on my wife’s priority list. Instead of fixing up the cars to sell I always seem to have to work on my wife’s priority list items on my free time. So week after week, month after month I just get to watch my once beautiful cars rot away in the driveway, very frustrating.

Same here

 

[MM in SouthTX]

I hope no one on this thread who has an extra vehicle sitting around bought the Lightning in order to save the planet! I actually do know a couple who bought a third car to decrease their carbon footprint.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

At very least you should drive it a short distance (5-10 miles) once a week. You should also try and use it for a longer distance once every 6-9 months. Something like a long steady 65mph drive for an hour or two. Short distances will help keep everything lubed up, long distance will help keep the valves clean.

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