Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: I_want_an_Omega on 10 October 2010, 21:18:30

Title: Storing a car ...............
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 10 October 2010, 21:18:30
Our eldest son will shortly be "deployed" and will be leaving his car with us for about 6 months.

It's an '06 Lancer Sport.

I'm planning on putting it in the garage, handbrake off (with wheels chocked) & unlocked. Was going to start it up once a month and let it get upto temp and keep the battery charged.

Apart from that, is there anything else that I should/shouldn't do?

Thanks
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: waspy on 10 October 2010, 21:27:24
I think you'll find that starting it & running up to temp will do more harm than good. A good ten mile run will do it alot better.
I've stored quite a few cars for months on end without starting them.
If you don't want to drain the battery, just disconnect it :y
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 10 October 2010, 21:36:26
In that case I'll leave it. Won't be taking it for a run as car will be SORN, otherwise that would be my plan too.
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: Andy B on 10 October 2010, 21:44:33
Quote
In that case I'll leave it. Won't be taking it for a run as car will be SORN, otherwise that would be my plan too.

Aldi have a battery charger on offer at the moment, you can connect it and forget about it, and for the money it'd be rude not to. I have one I connect to my caravan battery if I intend leaving it a while.
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys3_15825.htm
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: Kevin Wood on 10 October 2010, 22:40:11
Yep, not worth starting it.

Keep an intelligent charger on it or disconnect the battery (after ensuring you have codes for the ICE gear and it won't upset alarms, etc.).

Probably worth changing the oil before storage if the current stuff is tired.

Run the fuel tank as low as possible before storage so after recommissioning the stale fuel can be diluted with fresh ASAP.

Leave the handbrake off and chock the wheels (or put it on axle stands if really keen).

Kevin
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: Amigo on 10 October 2010, 22:47:16
All the above plus i would axle stand it to save the tyres flatting off.
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: Entwood on 10 October 2010, 22:56:11
In addition to the advice above ....

When I was deployed for a longer period some years back, one piece of advice was to remove the spark plugs, pour in a dessert spoon of oil, turn the engine over 2 revolutions, insert plugs finger tight.

The idea is to coat the bores with a film of oil to reduce cylinder corrosion. before starting the plugs are removed again, and the engine turned over a dozen times with papertowel in the plug holes. Insert plugs and tighten. Start engine. This procedure also ensures that some oil has been "moved" around the engine prior to it firing up on re-commission.

Certainly worked .. but it was an MGB and not an Omega V6 !!

:)
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 10 October 2010, 22:59:09
if will stay on tires, they will be damaged badly..

at least inflate them to 42-45 psi..
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: Vamps on 10 October 2010, 22:59:37
Quote
In addition to the advice above ....

When I was deployed for a longer period some years back, one piece of advice was to remove the spark plugs, pour in a dessert spoon of oil, turn the engine over 2 revolutions, insert plugs finger tight.

The idea is to coat the bores with a film of oil to reduce cylinder corrosion. before starting the plugs are removed again, and the engine turned over a dozen times with papertowel in the plug holes. Insert plugs and tighten. Start engine. This procedure also ensures that some oil has been "moved" around the engine prior to it firing up on re-commission.

Certainly worked .. but it was an MGB and not an Omega V6 !!

:)

Sound advice E, I believe it is also a good idea to take the weight off the tyres by lifting the car and putting on stands or blocks for long term storage..... :)
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: mrgreen on 11 October 2010, 08:45:56
if it's garaged you shouldn't have a problem jappers sit very well and i'm sure it will start like the day you put it there when it's re-commissioned i always in the past have disconnected the coil (back in the days of coils!) and run the starter a bit to get some oil moving through the engine before starting the idea with the oil down the bores sounds a good one
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: Varche on 11 October 2010, 17:44:37
Better still would be to store it in a hot dry country. I have a large garage (admittedly not quite as large as yours).

I don't know what a 06Lancer sport is but it sounds good. I hope it has a towbar and rear wheel drive as i will be doing a lot of on and off road  towing during the harvest. :y
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 13 October 2010, 15:58:07
Thanks for all the comments guys - much appreciated.

A Lancer is the model on which the EVO is based. Despite the EVO being expensive/desirable, the basic Lancer model had a somewhat dowdy image.

When he bought the car it was a minter with only 10k miles on the clock (with one owner verified history) @ 3 years old - for the same money as an Astra with 60k+ miles on. So far its been totally reliable - benefiting of course from regular oil changes any time I get near it  :y

I like the idea about an oil change and then spinning it over to get oil circulating before fuel is burnt - but how about this:

Get it parked in position and then pull the fuel pump fuse - let it die of fuel starvation. Then, x months later spin it over, of course it wont start as there is no fuel being pumped. Switch off, put fuse back in and then start.  :question
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: aaronjb on 13 October 2010, 16:02:47
I've done precisely that before now after an oil pump change - pull the spark plugs and it'll spin over faster (and therefore make better oil pressure).
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: Kevin Wood on 13 October 2010, 16:24:54
Quote
I've done precisely that before now after an oil pump change - pull the spark plugs and it'll spin over faster (and therefore make better oil pressure).

it also takes the load off the (potentially a bit dry) bearings because there's no compression. :y

Kevin
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: aaronjb on 13 October 2010, 16:40:37
That too :)  :y
Title: Re: Storing a car ...............
Post by: scimmy_man on 14 October 2010, 17:38:50
or tax it and use it?