An hour a DAY? Are you kidding? I don't drive ANY of my cars an hour a day total, let alone all of them!

I suspect what he means is drive it for an hour when you do drive it. Better yet, as far as I am concerned, is to never drive it unless you get it completely warmed up -- engine temp up to normal, full output from the heater in the winter, etc. This is 20 min or so, not more. Short distance driving will kill it from acids in the oil and exhaust, and condensation in the interior.

You only need to drive it once a month or so. Any longer sitting, and the torque converter will start to leak down, and the excess tranny fluid will overflow and leak out. Messy.

Sitting for extended periods causes water to build up in the brake fluid, causing corrosion, rots the tires faster, and in general lets all the field critters make homes in strange places (such as the air filter housing). Rotors will rust, causing brake problems, and so forth.

Not that I take my own advice, mind you -- the 280 isn't licensed yet (hope to get that taken care of this weekend) and the 220D has been sitting all summer waiting on a caliper rebuild I've been putting off.

Drive it when the spirit moves you, but make sure you drive it long enough for it to get completely warmed up each time.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!