[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I sometimes have occasion to store my car for a few months at a time every year or two, and I'm pretty anal about this sort of thing. Here's roughly what I do:
-Fuel: add stabalizer, fill tank, drive for a little while. This get the stabalizer into the entire fuel system. I've had fuel go bad enough in a year that it made the car run poorly, so I think the stabalizer is an important step.
-Fluid: I change the oil, coolant, and brake fluid so they won't corrode anything while sitting. I'll also do the next oil change a little early.
-Tires: I over inflate them as I don't have the space to place the car on jack stands, which I assume is preferable. I've had tires slightly flat spot after about 6 months, but they became true again after some driving.
-Battery: I just disconnect it, take it out of the car, store it on a wood block, and recharge it before starting the car. I've never had a problem this way, and I'd be a little nervous about leaving a trickle charge hooked up for a year and a half, though it's probably safe.
-General prep: I clean, wax, and cover the car. I make sure there are no leaves or gunk collected anywhere. I also condition the leather. Make sure the car is perfectly dry inside, or you will can get some mold.
-Shutting down/starting up: I pull the fuel pump fuse to shut down the car so there's no residual fuel in the combustion chambers. The also allows me to spin the engine over when I get back to build up oil pressure before starting the engine. It's still noisy on the top end for a few mintues after starting.
Honestly, you could probably just leave the darn thing sitting as-is, and after 18-months charge the battery and drive away, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious.
Craig
'87 9kT 295k
posted by 69.134.129...
, Wed, 3 May 2006 04:48:23
, Mon, 1 May 2006 17:42:30, Tue, 2 May 2006 15:30:02, Wed, 3 May 2006 04:45:00, Fri, 5 May 2006 08:44:11, Wed, 3 May 2006 06:21:00
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
