Brunswick's streets
Lots of other ways to get around
Five tram routes run through Brunswick, and Jewell, Brunswick and Anstey stations are on the Upfield line. The suburb is among the most served by public transport in Melbourne, so the car can stay parked most of the week.
Narrow streets, parked cars
Some Brunswick streets are too narrow for two cars to pass, and plenty of cars are parked on the street overnight. RACV suggests a garage over the street where possible, because cold cuts a battery's output.
Sydney Road
Sydney Road, Melbourne's longest continuous shopping strip, is Brunswick's main road, with tram 19 along its inner section. It's usually congested, so short trips along it are stop-start.
Looking after a car that doesn't get driven much
Low kilometres don't mean the service can wait. Most service books set a time limit as well as a distance, and RACV's general guide is every 12 months for a minor service if the kilometres haven't come up first. For a car doing short hops around Brunswick, the 12 months will usually arrive before the distance does.
Batteries are the other thing. Short trips rarely put back what starting the car took out, and RACV lists a slow crank, dim lights and slow wipers among the warning signs. Car battery in Melbourne has more.
No driveway? A mobile mechanic can still change a battery or do a basic service at the kerb, as long as there's a safe place to work.
Our take
If the car mostly sits, we'd service it by the calendar, at least once every 12 months, and give it a proper drive of half an hour or so each week. If it's been slow to start lately, have the battery tested before winter rather than after it leaves you stuck.