What is best?

izwozral

izwozral

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1. It is generally considered bad news to run a vehicle for only a very short time and distance.

2. It does a vehicle no good to be idle for months at a time.

I turned the engine over for 20 minutes and drove down the drive and back again once a month during lockdown. Was it a wise thing to do or not?

Asking because questions 1 and 2 are equally valid but contradictory.


This should set the cat amongst the pigeons.:)
 
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Engine should be spinning around 2000rpm on a diesel I think Ral but Trev will put me right. Sounds ok to me though, lot of short trips used to mean oil changes at lower mikes but not sure if that’s still the case. It used to be because of condensation in the oil I believe but again someone will correct 😂👍
 
Just thinking now though, since I have vastly uprated my charging system for winter/bad weather it means I will have to run my generator less often to full charge. Does that mean I should stick to manufacturers service schedule, not quite 500hrs on it so far?
 
Murky hadn't been moved or started for months.
Short runs and often will cause premature engine ware, but I doubt if you'd noticed.
Yes in cold damp weather you could get condensation in your crankcase.
This is another reason why you should always store a vehicle outside with a full tank of fuel.
With much older engines they could suffer from inlet valve seat corrosion on the valve that was open.

So imho, fill the fuel tank. Keep the battery charged. Kiss it good night and otherwise forget it.

BTW I changed the oil on Murky yesterday regardless of it doing less than 1k due to it being stood up.
 
I reckon it is best to move it ,keeps the clutch moving , run through the gears ,moving helps to stop brakes from sticking on
Moving for a few miles would help clean rust from brake , keep a check on tyre pressures .

i .would. go for a number 2
 
Best is to work an engine hardish, but driving it round the block is good for clutch and brakes, plus the g/box and diff get some lub splashed around them.
Always change the engine oil before a layup, not a lot folk could do during the long lockin. :(
 
A couple of weeks back, I finally got around to asking the mechanic who services my van for his opinion on this. He recommended driving about 20 miles if possible. I'd been mulling this over all winter but opted for not starting up the van or taking it for a short run, so she's been idle since mid October. Come service and MoT day, my heart was in my mouth but good old Birdie started first time and ran as sweetly as a 15 year old van can 😊
 
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