x46359

Mods, please feel free to move if off topic

Quick and to the point. I'm stationed in Korea right now and my cars sitting in the garage back home. I'm probably not going home till next december (another year and a half) My cars been sitting in the garage for about 7 months now and its been driven once for about 20 minutes (I told my dad not to but I guess he couldn't resist) Anyways, I took all the necessary precautions before storing. But I can't help but think my cars gonna die just sitting at home. My question is...should I just let it sit there? Or should I have someone try and drive it 10-20 minutes a week?month? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Rich

jdmfbpsi

i don't know about everybody else... but i heard quite a few times that cars need exercise, too. just a couple of minutes a week. let your dad know to warm it up before driving it. other than that, it should be fine.

other issues to bring up that i've heard about were tire rot, and rust in the gas tank. could anybody else help address these issues?

xviper

Starting a stored car for a "few minutes" a week is the WORST thing you can do. The most wear and tear on an engine is during a cold start. Doing it only once a week is even worse. This does not circulate the oil well nor does it allow the engine and exhaust system to get up to operating temps. This leaves condensation in places you do not want it to be.
Since it's been sitting this long already, LEAVE IT ALONE! About the only thing I can suggest you get your dad to do is to address the tires. He should pump those babies up to about 45 psi and keep them up there. Also roll the tires onto a thick piece of carpet or a piece of styrofoam. Another possibility is to support the car by its side rails with lumber (don't jack it up and decompress the suspension). This will prevent the tires from settling onto the rims if they lose pressure. Also, disconnect the negative battery terminal or take the battery out entirely. Plug all the holes to keep mice out. Set poison or traps.
When you get home, change all the fluids, check the tire pressures, put in a new battery, pull out the fuel pump fuse and crank the engine for about 15 seconds, let rest for 30 seconds, crank again for 15 seconds, put the fuse back in and start it. Let it idle for a couple minutes. Don't try to rev it.

x46359

I read all the "storage" posts and cleaned the car, put it up on styrofoam, and unhooked the battery before I left. But it didn't seem like many people kept the car in storage longer than about 6months to a yr. I'm just worried cause it might be sitting there for a good 1.5 to 2 yrs and thinking that it might do some "damage" to the engine or even the car itself.

A little off topic though but I might be going home in october 05 and I saved up a good chunk of change. I want to SC my car. The thing is, I'll only be home for about 3-4 weeks and then I won't be seeing the car for another 7-8 months. Is having the SC on the car while its in storage going to negatively affect the engine or the SC?

xviper

A car that sits for 2 years won't go 4 times as "bad" as it would if it sat for 6 months. If you did the storage preparation as you say, just leave it. Getting the car ready for driving again will still involve the same amount of attention.

As for putting on a supercharger after a long period of storage and then storing it again, personally, I wouldn't do it. Not that the s/c will go "bad" while it's being stored but why not put it on when you can drive it, enjoy it and be around to tweak it if you need to. After the initial installation, there is always the possibility that something needs to be done in the first few hundred miles. As this is only my opinion, you should post this question up in Forced Induction for other views on this.

Budman05

As an old boat owner, I always use moth balls in critical areas for long term storage. They will keep all critters away. If you put one inside, it will protect your interior, but it takes a while to air it out.

I suppose the faster you go with the top down, the faster the smell dissipates. If you come back when it's cold, it could smell a while.

BlitzSRM

i'm not sure if this applies to the S, but my generator storage instruction call to put a tea spoon of oil in the cyliner (thru the spark plug) to prevent the cylinders from freezing. I'm not sure if this applies to the S, since the cylinder walls are not steel.

anyways, a good advice i saw on this board is to unlatch the top so the rubber seal won't be compressed.

Budman05

I'm not sure about that either, but I always used the misting oil sprays in my aluminum outboards through the plug hole.

Never had any engine problems.

Pillowsplat

You may want to check at VFR discussion web site. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php
search storage
It is a honda motorcycle board same as outboards the majority of the guys are storing their bikes all winter.
One glaring thing is a gas additive Stabil is a great product. Oil in the cylinders, Battery disconect, fresh fluids before before you go ( a little late) and fresh when you get back.
If you are over saving our country Thanks, I'm sure someone would be glad to help you out. Unfortuanatly I'm not your guy as I'm still waiting on my car and I live in Maryland.

mudpuppy

Xviper,
Will putting the car on jack stands, (tires off the ground), cause damage to suspension parts?
Thanks
Mudpuppy