Help, Low usage advise

[MikeandMary]

My wife and I have bought a 2007 STX duel cab. It was to good a buy to miss. Our problem is it will not get much use in the next 2 years when we retire.
We have a Getz we drive most of the time, and will sell in 2 years.
So what can I do to keep it in top condition, engine wise, The service dept of my local said I should still get it serviced every 6 months. This seems a bit silly when it hardly gets used. This is also my first diesel engine and I believe they have to be looked after a little more than a petrol engine.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Mike.

 

[KraftyPg]

Personally I'd just drive it occasionally, even if it is just a drive down the beach for lunch once a month and then if you don't get near to 10K in 12 months then do the service at the 12 month mark.

Diesels are not as weak as some people want to make them out to be. Merc make a modern small diesel engine that can go 2 years without servicing, small trucks easily go 20K without servicing, a car sitting there and only getting run every few weeks will not have an issue going 12 months.

Note this is a personal opinion only, many religiously change the oil every time they change their underwear, there is really no proof that either way is going to make or break your rig.

 

[nakedape]

The only thing I'd add to what Krusty has said is to get some advice from a good diesel mech about the potential for bacteria to grow in the tank -- a once a month drive would probably be enough to prevent it, but its worth asking!

 

[KraftyPg]

Yeah what nudenute said

Park it under cover and out of the sun and frost.

It was the hairdo that gave me away wasn't it ape

 

[joe2006]

It was the hairdo that gave me away

Where?

 

[KraftyPg]

It's my Krusty hairdo, nudenut-ape obviously found those pictures of me I thought had been removed from the net.

 

[nakedape]

It's my Krusty hairdo, nudenut-ape obviously found those pictures of me I thought had been removed from the net.

No, no - Twas me thinking of that rather nice crusty baguette that was to be my lunch, my aplogies. I'm an ape -- can't do more than one thing at a time and get easily distra... LOOK a shiny thing on the floor!

 

[Tappet]

When do give it run give it a good run. Like not to the shops and back and fill to the tank to brim on the return close to home, less air in the tank the better. Make sure your run the A/cond to.

 

[tweak'e]

put diesel bug treatment in. don't let the bug start.
the big thing is to keep the battery charged up. get a trickle charger for it.

 

[180degrees]

should just sell your getz now, depreciation and running costs on 2 cars will be worse then just 1 car...

 

[Eug]

when you do drive it make sure you give it a decent warm up by driving slow to allow any oil (gearbox, diff, etc.) to re-lube moving parts as the oil would have settled over time.