How often do I have to drive my TJ?

Wombat

Wombat

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 18, 2018
Messages
333
Location
Melbourne VIC, Australia
Hey All!
  1. How often do I need to take my TJ for a run?
  2. And for how long do I need to drive it?
  3. what maintenance procedures should I put in place?
For the most part the TJ now lives in it's natural habitat, in the garage with the hood up connected to the battery charger as we now have a new vehicle (Elantra GT USA/i30 N-Line AU)

I'll be doing a few things to the ole girl like a reconditioned NV3550 that's ready to go in and a few cosmetic fixeruppers over the next few months to get it ready for our next adventure into the bush and I'm not sure how long I can leave it standing still and what maintenance procedures should I put in place when it's not getting much use.

At this point my maintenance procedures list is...
  • Drive once a week for 30 min - would prefer to leave it longer then this but not sure if it's OK to do so?
  • Change oil at 10,000 or 1 year.
  • Drain and clean windscreen washer system.
  • Slow charge battery every two or three days.
I don't wan't it to depreciate from sitting still for too long so let's know if I need to add to my list?

IMG_0651.JPG


Thanks in advance :)
 
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You don't need to change the oil once a year, do it by mileage. Get in it and pump the hydraulics every month, brakes and clutch. Get a battery maintainer so you can just set it and forget it. Drive it once an month and you'll be good. If you pump the brakes and keep it charged a drive once every six months will be fine. Fuel is going to kill you, that'll go bad if you don't burn it unless you use stabilizer.
 
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pagrey said:
Get a battery maintainer
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I have a good charger.
pagrey said:
Fuel is going to kill you, that'll go bad if you don't burn it unless you use stabilizer.
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Good point, I keep the tank full up and plan on running a tank full every three months or so but I may need to look at stabilizers


L J said:
I regret having to be the one to tell you but it's time to sell it. 😕
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Bought it new in 2001 to replace my three YO 97 TJ, will need to pry it from my cold dead hands
 
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Every chance you get.

And cliffish, why even own a vette if you never drive it??? Please don’t say so it holds its value. Drove my 69 427/435 hard and sold it for far more than I paid for it.
 
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Not very often. Also depends on how you store it. Keep the fuel tank full and use stabilizer if going for a long time (>3-6 months). How humid is it where you live?

You don't need to burn the full tank when you do drive, just make sure it's mostly full. Drive long enough that everything gets fully warmed up. Short runs are worse than letting it sit. 30 minutes is plenty.

I like to disconnect the battery as well, but I don't use a trickle charger.
 
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I'm in a similar position as you. I typically drive it once a month for at least 30 minutes, including highway speeds for a portion of that time. That said, I've been known to let it go for 3 months, with no ill impacts.
 
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SPECWAR said:
Every chance you get.

And cliffish, why even own a vette if you never drive it??? Please don’t say so it holds its value. Drove my 69 427/435 hard and sold it for far more than I paid for it.
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No that is not it, it is an 81 so it is worth less than I paid for it. I just hate selling cars, collector insurance is cheap. I also have a 76 TR6 that just sits on a lift....just too lazy and never home 2 weekends in a row to sell.
 
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I try to drive mine at least once a week. Try to find an errand you run every week and always use the TJ for that. Like I always drive the TJ to the store to by beer. :)

Make sure you have a good charger that will not overcharge the battery.
 
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