I live in southwest Florida & I care for a mini cooper whose owners, who work out of state, only use it 2-3 times a year for a week or two when they come home. How often & how far should the car be driven to keep it in good running condition? I have noticed some cars are covered from the sun & the tires rest in a plastic holder off the cement. Is this advisable? Thank you.
I hope the owners, or you, are adding fuel stabilizer to this Mini’s gas tank at each fill up. If not, start now.
If you drive the car 20-30 minutes every two to three weeks it should be OK. The idea is to drive the car long enough for the engine and transmission to reach normal operating temperature.
If you can include some driving at highway speed now and then it would also be good, as this heats up the entire exhaust system and drives off condensation.
Short trips of a few miles or less do more harm than good.
Car covers can be good or bad. If there’s a lot of sand in your area I’d avoid a car cover. Sand will get under the cover and can damage the paint. If sand is not an issue I suppose a car cover might help prevent sun damage. A garage or carport would be better.
I would get a battery tender or smart charger to keep the battery charged up and drive it as mcparadise says every 3 months or so.
I would recommend they sell the car and rent one when they are in town. It will be much cheaper. They also should be keeping all their insurance current on that car because it is being driven.
Really have them total up all the cost involved and what a rental car would cost. They are doing it the expensive way.