RE: car going to be stood for six months.

[Jason318is]

Hi all,
not sure if this is the right place for this question, so apologise if it is.

i'm planning a trip away for 6 months and my car is going to be stood outside for that length of time.

does anyone have any advice on keeping it sweet if its not going to be run?

i am going to cover it up with a proper cover and maybe spray the discs with WD...

anything else?

is there anything i should do before starting her up after 6 months?

thanks for any advice

cheers

jason

[zimmer-320i]

is the car healthy condition as in engine wise, no problem in the cold mornings etc?, if not then i wouldnt worry, ,as for the brake discs dont spray tthem with wd, seriously all you need to do is dissconnect the battary, and then open all the windows like half a inch if that,to help with weather changes as moture can create mould and condensation then just lock the car, cover it up

still bring it to mine ill keep her safe

then when you return id sugest having all the doors open for a few hours, and when you run the engine dont even touch the trottle for id say 10-15 mins till the engine is nice and warm, then again if it were me id then take it out for a gentle drive one way say 4-5 miles then give it more throttle on the return to clear her out

[Jason318is]

Hi, the engine is sweet, starts first time.......

thanks for the advice.

just out of curiosity, if the engine was lumpy on cold days, what would you do differently?

cheers

jason

[djk]

You might wanna pump the tyres up to a high pressure to minimise any flatspotting. Make sure any cover is breathable, you don't want it to hold moisture against the bodywork. If it were me I'd try as hard as possible to get someone to drive it regularly though, that way there won't be any surprises when you come back to it - the only cost would be the tax.

[zimmer-320i]

oh i just wondered on if it takes a long time to start, if it did on the return or before you go id get a can of easy start, and to be honest you may benifet from buying it its handy to have any how, but you have to take off the air box pipe so you can spray this stuff in tot the inlet and it combusts like petrol and just helps the car start if it has starting problems
Easy start sprays contain ether which has a low flash point and thius helps to start the car


this stuff
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STARTING-AID-EASY ... 18Q2el1247

[Ricksta]

I read a lot about car storage for putting my e34 M5 away, and surprisingly they recommend NOT allowing the vehicle to idle when you first start it! this is because the oil pump is not working at sufficient pressure to feed the top of the engine when its idling. The recomendation was to vary the revs between 1000 and 2000 but not much higher, so as to pump oil effectively round the engine.

[zimmer-320i]

true ddit think of that

[Ziggy]

6 months isn't really a huge amount of time.
Battery disconnected.
Tyres pumped up hard.
Handbrake off.
& I'd pour some oil over the top of the engine before re-starting it - & do an oil change at the same time...
Probably best to turn the fuel pump over a bit before trying to start it too - to save overworking your battery as much as anything else.

You should never need easy start on an E30 - if you do it's because you have another problem that will probably get worse while you effectively ignore it.

[Jason318is]

thanks for the advice...

i was maybe thinking of putting it on axle stands?? is that a good idea?

would you hold the body or suspension??

thanks

jay

[Taylor325i]

Another tip is to fill the petrol tank to the brim to avoid condensation building up inside the tank.



Taylor.

[DaveD]

leave it with the hand brake off and I bought a battery conditioner that I leave on all the time I have had no problems in the past and both my cars usually start on first turn after 6 months off the road

[grantfk10]

My cabby is off the road for at least the next 6 months, DaveD - where did you get your battery conditioner? What does it do?




.

[agent006]

Left mine stored for 14 months till last year with no preparation at all. Tyres were fine, battery charged and it started on the spot. Clutch took a bit of legwork to get going but other than that it's been fine. If it's outside the navoid putting it under trees or even near trees if you can. Sap & birdshit will kill it.

[Felix79]

best advice i have is be very anal and check for leaks and damage before you start it after your return. The cooling pipes can suffer with no use over the winter and crack when it gets warmer. Also watch the engine temp like a hawk for the 1st few runs to make sure no leaks at pressure.

[DaveD]

My cabby is off the road for at least the next 6 months, DaveD - where did you get your battery conditioner? What does it do?

.

I forget where I got it from ...it is a very small trickle charger that keeps the battery topped up and when fully charged allows some discharge..and then goes on in cycles like that...I will try and remember and let you know

[Alex]

mine is off the road for the next 6 month too. all ive done is left the hand break off