Leaving Car Sitting For 6-7 Months .

[Kwasaki]

thanks for your replies, ive left allready 2 days ago, left the car under car port at house, left windows down an inch to let little air inside, gave it a good valet / clean , not waxed. put cover over it and left it, forgot to disconnect battery leads, maybe 6 mths to 1 year before i come back. the car is not n a farm its parked at my pattaya / darkside house where ive put a decent pedal lock on car also 4 massive locks on my gates, no one can get inside unless hacking for days with a hacksaw, ive some decent neigbours who say they will look after the place and water the plants etc in the garden also , so i guess the car will be fine

If you can get hold of your neighbours ask them to put tape over the window gaps you have left open or stuff some rags in the gaps.

[Kwasaki]

i noticed that no one mentioned to have the battery on permanent charge. i used to have a small charge which was designed to be permanrntly attached to the car it switched off at 13.2 volts and switched on at 11 volts. i used it on my mgb and had no problems in fact before i started to use it i would need new batteries every 2 years. ( it used 6volt old style lead acid type). i brought it with me and use it in my pick up as i do not drive it often and i know the battery is fully charged all the time.

at 11 Volt a battery is usually permanently damaged

and it takes 14,45 Volt to charge a 12 Volt battery 100% full.

I would not leave an ordinary batterycharger connected for months, as if electronic fails battery can explode

Yeah ! so right, there's too much worry about batteries on this subject, just make sure it's fully charged and topped up if nescesary, leave it connected, check the terminals are clean and give them a smear of grease.

[WarpSpeed]

When I fist moved out here I put my car into storage and I did the following,

1. Vehicle on stands, stands under suspension.

2. Drained petrol and from a small container pumped Inox throughout the fuel system and with plugs out cranked the engine to lubricate the bores (put plugs back in afterwards)

3. Hand brake off and backed off rear brake shoes.

4. Removed front disc pads.

5. Disconnected the battery (fully charged).

6. left doors slightly ajar (don't want the door rubbers to sit compressed).

7. Put on Car cover.

Vehicle was stored in an airtight shipping container along with the rest of my belongings, went back after 2 years and sorted the brakes, put fuel in it connected the battery and it started as if I had only just parked it.

6. I disagree with. good chance of mice geckos, cockroaches inside the car, and whatever else might like your interior. If mice can get in, and they can squeeze thru some narrow spaces, so will the snakes. I'd rather risk the the rubbers, but leave the windows slightly open.

I would definitely jack the car up, AND remove the tires and wheels, AND store them some place else. Make it difficult for others to "borrow" the car.

Or the tires since it would be so nicely jacked up already so just need to remove the lug nuts, not so easy off the ground but certainly not impossible.. But he's left the building already anyway so it is what it is..

[Spoonman]

When I fist moved out here I put my car into storage and I did the following,

1. Vehicle on stands, stands under suspension.

2. Drained petrol and from a small container pumped Inox throughout the fuel system and with plugs out cranked the engine to lubricate the bores (put plugs back in afterwards)

3. Hand brake off and backed off rear brake shoes.

4. Removed front disc pads.

5. Disconnected the battery (fully charged).

6. left doors slightly ajar (don't want the door rubbers to sit compressed).

7. Put on Car cover.

Vehicle was stored in an airtight shipping container along with the rest of my belongings, went back after 2 years and sorted the brakes, put fuel in it connected the battery and it started as if I had only just parked it.

6. I disagree with. good chance of mice geckos, cockroaches inside the car, and whatever else might like your interior. If mice can get in, and they can squeeze thru some narrow spaces, so will the snakes. I'd rather risk the the rubbers, but leave the windows slightly open.

I would definitely jack the car up, AND remove the tires and wheels, AND store them some place else. Make it difficult for others to "borrow" the car.

Vehicle was in a sealed shipping container, inside a secure facility, any rodent would have to have entered with my belongings and as I had no mice/rat/cockroach/whatever issues in the house I vacated it was safe for me to assume the place would be rodent free.

Edited May 23, 2011 by Spoonman