Vehicle storage tips

[DaRKNT]

Hey all...
So I'm going overseas tomorrow for about a month and a half... I'm planning on leaving my car in a mate's backyard with a cover on it...

So what are your tips for storing a car that long? (It's a DC5 S)

What do I do before I leave it and what do I do when I go get it back?

[tinkerbell]

wash car before you put the cover on it - any dirt that is on the car will act like sand paper when the wind blows the cover around...

make sure the tyre pressures are correct + a couple of psi higher.

disconncct the battery.

engine will be fine (unless you have not been servicesing at the right intervals)

[kavehman]

If it's in the open I'd leave the cover off.

Half the time people treat car's with covers differently thinking that they can lean on it, kick a ball against it, use it as a storage bench and nothing will happen to the car.

Give the car a good wash and polish (get some duragloss spray wax), get one of those moisture absorbers and put it in the car to absorb any damp, also fill up the tank, and consider changing the oil if you are really picky.

Get one of those sun reflectors if it's going to be in direct sunlight.

[DaRKNT]

Re: Vehicle storage tips

To be honest, the cover is only really on because I'm worrying about fade... would it be better to leave the cover off?

If I get him to start it and let it idle for 5 or so minutes once or twice a week, does the battery need to be disconnected?

Will do on the wash and wax + tyre pressures.

Also, should I do an oil change before I drive it home? To my understanding all the contaminants in the oil would have settled at the bottom of the sump, so it may be a good time to get them out?

[tinkerbell]

To be honest, the cover is only really on because I'm worrying about fade... would it be better to leave the cover off?

hmmm, scratches vs fade from 6 weeks in the sun? hmmm, i'll go with scrathes are worse...

If I get him to start it and let it idle for 5 or so minutes once or twice a week, does the battery need to be disconnected?

this will do more harm to your engine and other systems than it will help - why dont you want to disconnect the battery?

Will do on the wash and wax + tyre pressures.

Also, should I do an oil change before I drive it home? To my understanding all the contaminants in the oil would have settled at the bottom of the sump, so it may be a good time to get them out?

if you like?

but it would be much better to change the oil when the engine is warm... (i.e. just after you drive it to your friends...)

[DaRKNT]

I might just leave the cover off then.

I just wasn't sure if I should have it turned over occasionally or whether I should disconnect the battery. Edit: I was advidsed to have it turned over once a week to "keep seals fresh"... any ideas on this?

And alright, I'll change the oil once I get it back!

Thanks tinks.

[kavehman]

I agree with dave,

A decent wax, spray wax will have some uv protection so it should be fine.

Don't be so anal about the oil, it's 6 weeks nothing will happen.

Just get the moisture absorber thing.

[tinkerbell]

I might just leave the cover off then.

I just wasn't sure if I should have it turned over occasionally or whether I should disconnect the battery.

if the battery is healthy, it shouldn't lose charge over 6 weeks if disconnected (just the negative cable is enough)

And alright, I'll change the oil once I get it back!

read my last comment - change it when you get there but really like Kave says, not really necessary... it is only 6 weeks...

Thanks tinks.

no worries...


Kave - you mean like a 'closet camel' right?

[DaRKNT]

Will do - already got the aborber

Edited above post in relation to seals... thoughts?

[tinkerbell]

Honda uses very high quality 'seals' and has been building cars long enough to know how to engineer a car to withstand a variety of extreme usage situations... (note that 6 weeks without moving is hardly an extreme scenario)

the idea of 'keeping seals fresh' eminates from ye olden days, when cars were poorly designed and used unsophisticated rubber for seals + were run with 'old-school' oils - unlike yours which runs 'high technology' synthetic oil i presume?

the downside to starting weekly is that the engine never gets to proper operating temperature, and this means the moistures inside the engine will build up and this is bad.

in addition, the engine will run 'rich' untill fullly warm, which increases the chance of the cylinder walls suffering 'wash-down', where the excess fuel washes the oil off the cylinder walls, removing the protective properites of the oil (but again - this is more an issue for olden days cars with loose clearances)...

[fr4n]

good tips from tinkerbell

also how come you must leave it at your mates house? no garage at home? how do you normally keep it?

[DaRKNT]

Ah, that helps. Thanks again Tinks.

Fr4n,
Normally, it's at work during the day and goes in the garage at night - and my parent's cars end up outside. However, as I'm going overseas with my family this year, mum was insistent that her car stay in the garage over this period... so mine gets left at a family friend's...

[fr4n]

damn sucks

[DaRKNT]

I concur. I'm going to be worrying about it the whole time.

[Apu]

Jeez...it's 6 weeks, not 6 months. I didn't even disconnect my battery (only because I forgot) but that's probably the only thing I'd do. Wash and polish is a good idea.

When I went away recently I did cover my car, but I knew that no one would touch it.