Is it bad to let your TDI sit long term?

[mum22cuties]

Those that have bought new cars, are you still driving your TDI? I am worried about it sitting long term. I bought a new car yesterday and hope to have my car turned in December or January by the latest. For a December turn in I only have around 130 miles and I need around 50 to get to the dealer. I was going to drive it twice a week to take my son to school so the car does not sit and will start when I turn it back it. Should twice a week be sufficient?

 

[Chris Thomas]

My 2012 Jetta has been sitting for over a month now and yesterday it fired right up so I could move it to a different spot in the woods. Haven't drove it since I picked up a 2016 Colorado diesel

 

[k1xv]

Even once a week should be sufficient. You may want to put a battery tender on it and let it sit even longer. Don't know if it is cold or warm where you are, or what ambient temperature you are storing the car in.

This Spring, I was away for five weeks, and the car just sat in a garage at above freezing temperatures. Started right up when I got home.

 

[Eggieztdi]

My 2012 Jetta has been sitting for over a month now and yesterday it fired right up so I could move it to a different spot in the woods. Haven't drove it since I picked up a 2016 Colorado diesel

I'm really happy they came out with a small diesel pickup. How are you enjoying it?

 

[RalphVa]

Ours is just sitting. Cannot drive it because inspection sticker isn't valid. Will just drive it to the dealer about 8 miles away when they tell us to bring it in. May stick a battery tender on it if it sits for very long. At worst, can just jump start it before taking it in.

Once had a 1973 220D. Went to Singapore for 9 months. Just took battery out and put it on two timers in series to work a battery trickle charger every so often. Think each timer would run for about 30 minutes/day. So, the charger was only on probably 30 minutes/week. Came back from Singapore, put battery in car, glowed it, and it started right up, usual about 1/2 turn or so of the starter.

More problems when we stored a 240D for 4 years later. The diesel even turned brown.

 

[maybe368]

It is bad to let any car, or any mechanical device for that matter, to sit long term. That said, long term to me is months and years. Tires go flat, springs go flat, pistons glue themselves to the cylinder walls and many other malladys. A few weeks or a very few months (one) will not hurt it. Just starting it is not good enough in the long term, it should be driven to its operating temperature. A battery conditioner is not a bad idea either...Mar

 

[iadubber]

Mine was sitting outside for 4 weeks and it fired right up this week. I took it for a 20 minute drive and re-parked it.

 

[HBarlow]

Mine has been parked in my garage with battery tender for about a month now.

Many of these cars were inactive for long periods before they were sold and registered or if they were traded and repurchased as used cars.

No harm will occur.

 

[IXLR8]

I put a battery tender on my Passat every 2 months and I haven't had any issue with it not starting. Haven't driven it more than a 100 ft since last December when I got my new car. With 86K miles on it, my car has a leaking water pump and the "200 mile to no start" adblue message so I don't dare drive it. It is 75 miles to my dealer and I don't want to use up my 'no start' mileage and I am not paying to get either issue fixed before I turn it in. If I was keeping the car, I would fix these issue and be driving it on a regular basis. But since I am taking the buyback, I don't care what happens to the car as long as I can get it to the dealer to turn it in. Even if I have to trailer it to the shopping center next to the dealer and then drive it to the dealers lot.

 

[lowmiles]

Watch out for rodents building nests under the hood, is my bit of advice.

 

[dmarsingill]

It is better for a car to sit for a month or 2 and then drive it for a long drive, than it is to start it once a week and not drive it for a long drive. You have to get all the condensation burned off, get all the seals nice and hot, and get all the fluids nice and hot.

Donald

 

[02TDIred]

Watch out for rodents building nests under the hood, is my bit of advice.

And in the fender wells, where they eat the wiring to the sidemarker lights.

 

[ericy]

The mothballs that I put in there a few weeks back are doing a good job of keeping rodents from eating nuts in my engine compartment. The only downside is that the car smells like a urinal cake when you pop the hood.

 

[johncanfield]

We are usually away from home every summer to escape the Texas heat, this summer we were gone for three months. I have float chargers on my big mower and Honda generator, all of the vehicles left behind are on their own. Our Passat, my Ford F-250 diesel, my gas Mule and a mini-truck all started right up but they all have good batteries. Keep your fuel tank 99.9% full so you don't get any moisture condensating in the tank.

Edit: we have four barn cats that take care of rodents

 

[Tenebrae]

I've heard folks suggest shoving dryer sheets in the car to keep insects and mice at bay. I'd try googling for suggestions as having a car sit for extended periods of time is a common thing. My hubby, for example, has a garage queen Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. We were too cheap / lazy to buy a trickle charger and ended up with battery issues. He ended up just taking it into Autozone and had them charge it all day for him, then just left the battery disconnected in the trunk (that's where the battery goes in his Evo). When he did fire it up to go for a drive, the tires were a bit off. I think he was considering some kind of lift for the car to keep the tires from getting damaged.

-T.