Winter Storage

[Justpassedu]

Why is it better to not drive the car at all than small trips ? Won’t the battery loose charge , shouldn’t it be driven a little to get the brakes moving so they don’t seize and also prevent flat spots on the tires ?

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[SilverRocket]

Why is it better to not drive the car at all than small trips ? Won’t the battery loose charge , shouldn’t it be driven a little to get the brakes moving so they don’t seize and also prevent flat spots on the tires ?

Here's my understanding and why I'm doing what I'm doing.

Tires: New tires don't really get flat spots. This goes back to the days of Bias Ply tires which did suffer from this. Make sure they're topped up and good to go.

Battery: It's better to charge it with a tender than it is to do with an alternator. Honestly how long can you run you car to charge versus plugging it into the wall every now and again.

Brakes: You should be parking somewhere flat where the gear is enough to keep it in place. It's a valid concern but it shouldn't be an issue if you do this.

No little trips. AFAIK, the heat cycles create water in the air to condense. If you warm up your car to full operating temperature, what happens is the condensation evaporates and gets flushed from the systems. If you heat it up just a bit and turn it back off, it may get be enough to collect more condensation without burning off the previous amount. Do this a couple times you get water in places you don't want it to be.

If you don't want to believe me because I'm just some random internet person, I don't take offense but let me offer you this potential alternative. If you worry about tires and brakes, why not jack up the car once a month and spin them by hand. Just make sure to use blocks to prevent roll since you'll need to be in neutral or have the parking off to do so but it would eliminate those concerns without driving.

 

[RamVA]

Not opining on any of the other advice offered here, but if your car will be parked for a while, get a battery tender. It's good peace of mind and does extend the life of the battery. They are cheap and easy to use.

 

[Frenzal]

Good practice to not use the parking brake. If ON for a while, especially outside, then your rear brake might seize (pads will stick to the rotor).

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