We are a 2 car family just bought my wife a new Hyundai Santa Fe, and our other car is a 94 Hyundai Excel. I drive a work truck so our Excel does not get driven. We start and warm it up every week or two, but we are really concerned that because it is not driven en we are creating a problem for our self mechanically. How should be take care of a car that we don’t use? To maintain the drive chain what can we do to prevent known problem of a car that just sits?
I’d do more than just start it and let it warm up. You should actually take it out on the road for a while every so often. The transmission doesn’t really get warmed up just sitting there.
If you don’t drive it, why not sell it?
Agree; sell it. It is worth some value now that small cars are in demand, but with age it will be worth less and less.
Agree with budd…drive it once in awhile, not just idle in park. case in point my own 79 chev. p/u - grand total OE miles - 69786.2 . Noticed puddle of trans fluid under the tail housing so I brought it to the shop…no leak. Hmmm, “why, says I”…Tech says.“because you drove it !” Seals get dry and need warmed up or they get brittle and crack even with low mileage. Suggestion–one week drive the SantaFe , the next week drive the Excel.
We cant afford to sell it, it is a good car, and with the job you never know when something may happen and you need the 2nd car. It is my car, but I only drive my work truck during the week, not allow to drive it during the week end, so I need a car just in case. When the wife and I go anywhere together we use the good car. We still want to be able to keep this other car in good ruining condition just in case I ever need it, and Besides I hope to retire in five year at which time I will be driving it full time.
How many minutes or mile must we drive it a month in order to warm it up and keep thing in good running order?
I just drive my 79 to the walmart, to dinner, or ( because it’s the pick-up ),to Home Depot, maybe a ten mile round trip. Works in my case…no more leaks. And remember, in a vehicle parked so long it’s easy to still have the same gas in the tank a year from now, so put some Sta-bil in the tank at the next fill-up to keep your fuel good.