Vehicles are like us. If you sit around, things don’t seem to work right. It is important to keep all the moving parts of your vehicle moving, especially here in the northwest. Just starting your engine and letting it idle for 5 minutes every other week is not enough. Keeping the engine moving is essential, but what about all the other moving parts? The brakes need to move otherwise they start to rust up and become seized. The transmission has lots of moving parts, and moving them around is just as important. These are just two of the many different systems of the drivetrain.
What about all those little things on the inside or the outside of your vehicle? Most systems on a vehicle now days are controlled by electricity and a computer. What would happen to your laptop if you left it outside under cover for weeks on end without turning it on, using it or warming it up? Moisture and electronics usually do not mix well. It is important for your vehicle to be driven. It will warm up, exercise, dry out if needed, a lot of the individual systems of your vehicle. We see on occasion a vehicle come in with a door lock that the key will not work in. It worked when it was used last but that was a long time ago because the key fob was used instead of the key itself. A little lubrication and some fiddling and working the key back and forth will usually fix the issue but you get the point. Things need to be used once in a while to work properly.
A good rule of thumb is, if you have a vehicle that sits a lot, put it on a regular schedule to drive it at least 20 miles about every two weeks. If you head into Costco or “across the bridge” as we call it in our area, about every 2-3 weeks, use that vehicle that sits most of the time. It is good for the longevity of the vehicle. So, whatever reason you have for that vehicle to sit a lot, it will work when you need it.