As many of you know, I've been quite unexpectedly stuck in Melbourne AU, since the week before the F1.
Anyhow, I've been asking my son to take the car out for a spin for many months now. And he just has.

He knows exactly how I prefer to start her up. And he does the same. That car has been sitting since November, not on a battery tender, and I thought for certain we'd need to charge her... but we didn't. Started right up, and was ready for a drive. He reminded me how much he likes that car, and that reminds me how much I missed driving her this year.

This will be the first year where we didn't drain the gas tank once. Next year, I'm taking a road trip.

 

10 or 11 months and the battery didn't go flat? That is amazing. I had a classic Porsche 911 for some years, which I didn't drive much, and even with the old-school electronics etc of that car, the battery would not go that long and had to be put on a tender. I had to move the car around a little (pushing it) or the tyres would get really evident flat spots, the rubber being soft an' all. Eventually, I sold it on having figured that cars really need to be used, or if not, then a complicated routine followed in order to keep them in tip top shape. I replaced it with a more modern 911 which I used a lot more frequently.

I can imagine you are chomping at the bit to get back into your XK!

 

I have a suggestion regarding draining the tank - I have motorbikes that sit doing nothing all winter. Here is what I do:
1. Fill tank - this prevents rusting internally and rubber pipes and seals degrading
2. Use Super Unleaded - it has less ethanol
3. I use marine fuel stabiliser - the one I buy is from the US, I'll get the name if you need it

Less hassle than draining a tank, and makes life easy to fire her up which I do occasionally to move her around the private road leading to our house, just to stop flat spots on tyres, wheel bearing issues etc

 

Thats code for "hey dad, when is it going to be mine?" lol

 

LOL! It surely is!

 

Me thinks you misunderstood his meaning. He's saying this is first time he's driven so little he hasn't had to fill the tank.

 

Ahh...terminology, i misunderstood. Thank you to you at least for responding and pointing it out!

 

And your advice for longer term fuel storage is good. I use STABIL Marine additive for my fuel storage (generator, motorbikes, etc). I think it has a bit of two stroke oil in the mix.

 

Thank you, much research over the years. I think that's the one I use, but im away at the moment so can't check, sounds very familiar. You'd be amazed the amount of people who don't know to do this.

 

I don't keep my XKR on a tender, however, it's my daily driver and I drive it considerably every day (how else do you get to 180,000 miles?), but on Monday of this week I had some minor outpatient surgery, and I didn't drive my car for 4 days. Yesterday, I went out to start her and dead as can be. Fortunately, there was enough juice to allow me to open the trunk and hook up my battery charger. It started after about 5 minutes, and I left it on the charger all night with charger in the trunk and trunk closed. This morning, everything back to normal, I'll have to remember to either leave on a maintainer when I'm not going to be driving it, or remember to leave trunk ajar so I can hook up charger.

For those celebrating tonight, Happy New Year to you and your families.

 

Weird that you normally drive it A LOT yet it goes flat if left undriven for a mere 4 days?

I'd be looking at parasitic drain of some sort or else the usual battery replacement required...as the longest I've left mine is 3 week and it was fine.

As it's getting colder here in the nights so (and I'm using the heated seats/wheel for the last couple of days on morning drives), so will start my CTEK bi-weekly regime this weekend*

*Two of my neighbours have asked if it's hybrid/electric in past winters.. with no backbox it certainly doesn't sound like one

 

My main drive is to Le Mans once a year. We have to carry a first aid kit to France by law that velcros itself to the carpet. I place it in a way to stop the boot (trunk) closing when i park up in the garage. I drilled a hole in the boot lining to allow the leads socket permanently wired to my CTEK 10 to be easily accessible to plug her in too

 

Well I took Guy's comments to heart and yesterday I drove south with my wife to find an A&W. I grew up near one and they've been around 101 years so I found one on a map. 30 minute drive by freeway wasn't going to do it so I found some obscure country codes and turned it into a 90 minute drive. Came back a different way and fwiw, A&W still have some great greasy burgers!

 

Nothing beats eating A&W burgers to get your oil changed!

 

Oh man, that brings back memories! Had an A&W in my home town growing up, loved their cheeseburgers! Buns were sourced from the local bakery, and Cheez Whiz was the ‘secret’ cheese that made them taste so good. Now I gotta find one!