Not driving much recently

Tiny
INMYHEART28
  • MEMBER
  • 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 17,000 MILES
I have this car that I don’t drive a lot. However, I’ve been driving it once every couple of weeks for like 15-20 miles. Half of that has been on the highway. Recently I’ve been traveling and I’ve only driven once every 3 weeks. Should the car be okay? I know it’s not good for the battery but other than the battery maybe going bad, should it be okay?
Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 AT 7:16 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
That is a tough question because it is hard to know for sure. Clearly the vehicle is meant to be driven and when a battery sits unused it does drain.

Here are some symptoms to look for if the battery is draining:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-car-battery

To answer the question as best as possible, it should be fine for a while but I would suggest getting a battery tender. This is a small charger that you hook to the battery that will keep it properly charge. Or at the very least get a quick disconnect for the negative terminal. This will disconnect the electrical system and will not drain the battery. Then it is like the battery is just sitting on a shelf and will not drain as fast.

I attached pictures of these items. Clearly the charger is the best as the disconnect switch will require you to reset the radio and clock all the time.
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Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 AT 7:31 PM
Tiny
INMYHEART28
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  • 222 POSTS
Other than the battery should the car be okay?
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Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 AT 7:35 PM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
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Yes. Absolutely. The only thing you have to really be concerned about is seals drying out but that takes a long time of no movement. Lastly just make sure you are still changing the oil at least once per year. Clearly you are not going to drive enough to change it based on miles so you want to keep the oil in good condition. Also, the tires need to be checked before driving just to make sure they are not low. It is best if they are keep inflated properly because sitting still and low pressure will cause flat spots. My wife only drives 2 times per month and this is what we do with her car and it is just fine for years now.
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Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 AT 7:41 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,871 POSTS
Chrysler says a good, fully-charged battery will be charged enough to start the engine after sitting for three weeks. That assumes a maximum of 35 milliamps, (.035 amps) drain from the multiple computer memory circuits. That 35 milliamps has become an industry-standard unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer.

In actual practice, most cars' computers don't draw that full 35 milliamps. I have two vehicles with lots of computers, both driven vary seldom, and they've sat as much as six weeks and still started. It sounds like you have nothing to worry about, but be aware that some computers draw very high current for as much as 20 minutes after you stop the engine, then they go to "sleep" mode. If the battery runs down enough, or if you simply open a door, those computers can wake up and draw that high current again. That will run the battery down even faster.

If you ever do get in a situation where the battery needs a jump-start or charge, if it was really drawn down, it can take a good ten or 15 minutes before the acid becomes conductive enough for the battery to start recharging. That means it isn't recharging very much during the first few minutes when you start driving again. Also, even if the engine does start, after three weeks of sitting, it might take as much as an hour or more for the battery to fully recharge.

If you think you might run into a problem, look into a solar-powered battery maintainer. You can find them at Harbor Freight Tools, Walmart, any auto parts store and at most hardware stores. They have to see the sun during the day, then they put a very small charge into the battery to make up for what the computers used. Most of these plug into the cigarette lighter socket, so they'll only work if that socket stays turned on when the ignition switch is off. Those lighter sockets go dead with the ignition switch off on a lot of import models. There are some models of battery maintainers that clip right to the battery's terminals. Those are a little more cumbersome and should be disconnected when you drive the car.
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Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 AT 7:41 PM

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