My car and Motorcycle will be parked for 6 months. Any preparation needed?

[Don Mega]

4 hours ago, Strange said:

 

This is correct. Ethanol evaporates at a higher rate than gasoline, and it also carries a higher octane rating. Long term storage with 10% ethanol ( the gasohol here is 10%) can cause your fuel to end up with a lower octane rating if the ethanol evaporates. Can also cause a film in your tank. With a lower octane rating you could end up with an ignition ping/nock. This isn't a good thing if you have a carb, but modern fuel injected cars have knock sensors and can pull timing to compensate. You will get more "time" with benzine without as much of an effect on octane rating. 

 

The idea behind filling with Benzine over an Ethanol blended fuel has nothing to do with octane rating.

 

Ethanol blended fuel has a very short shelf life  (weeks) vs benzine  (years). Ethanol also attract and absorb moisture.

 

 

[ToddinChonburi]

Ýes dryer sheets for the mice.  Do the sell clothes dryer sheets anywhere in Thailand ?    We parked car on card board to keep moisture away and then placed Downey dryer sheets around to kerp mice away.   They can not stand the smell of the perfume they give off.

[Grubster]

17 hours ago, Pdavies99 said:

6 months is not a big deal.

 

Bingo, You have hit the nail on the head. No Mechanical problems.  Put a few moth balls on each tire and a few under the car and in and around the bike to keep the vermin away.

[Tatertot]

Many good tips here. 

Having recently rebuilt an engine here, I was absolutely shocked at how quickly bare metal rusts here. Literally over night the engines' freshly honed bores started rusting, even with a liberal dose of oil applied to them. CRAZY. Similarly, tools do the same, literally overnight I've  seen tools go from bright shiny to covered in a film of rust. The humidity, and the daily heating and cooling leaves a residue of condensation and  seems to dilute and wash away protective applications of petrol based protectants. The condensation also contains minerals and thus plays havoc this way in promoting corrosion and rust. This also occurs on electrical contacts and connections.

Do all that you can.

[Strange]

3 hours ago, Don Mega said:

 

The idea behind filling with Benzine over an Ethanol blended fuel has nothing to do with octane rating.

 

Ethanol blended fuel has a very short shelf life  (weeks) vs benzine  (years). Ethanol also attract and absorb moisture.

 

Ive built 2 performance engine systems to run on E85 sold at the pumps in the states. Stored it, used it, never had a problem if its stored properly. Would I use it after sitting for 6 months? No. Ethanol attracts water like crazy, yes. But for the topic of storing a car with a modern emissions controls, its not a huge concern, and will last for months not weeks. Its not like the old days where crankcase and fuel systems were vented to the atmosphere. With a 10% blend of ethanol and modern fuel systems my experience is that a regular passenger car will be fine for WAY longer than weeks. In performance engines on the chassis dyno with older fuel (E85 Octane rating over 110), we have had to pull timing due to pinging under the same weather/atmosphere/engine conditions. 

[transam]

To isolate the battery you disconnect the negative (-) cable...

 

Fill the tank up with benzine and run the ride until whatever your running on is burnt out the lines., few kilometers, nothing is going to rot.

 

My fun ride in UK was garaged for months on end with crap unleaded fuel that I believe loses it's potency after 3 weeks...... Electric pump on to fill the fuel bowls (it evaporates), one pump of the go pedal, instant start, even with crap fuel....

[Don Mega]

49 minutes ago, Strange said:

 

Ive built 2 performance engine systems to run on E85 sold at the pumps in the states. Stored it, used it, never had a problem if its stored properly. Would I use it after sitting for 6 months? No. Ethanol attracts water like crazy, yes. But for the topic of storing a car with a modern emissions controls, its not a huge concern, and will last for months not weeks. Its not like the old days where crankcase and fuel systems were vented to the atmosphere. With a 10% blend of ethanol and modern fuel systems my experience is that a regular passenger car will be fine for WAY longer than weeks. In performance engines on the chassis dyno with older fuel (E85 Octane rating over 110), we have had to pull timing due to pinging under the same weather/atmosphere/engine conditions. 

 

E10/E20 will turn bad very quick.

[Strange]

1 minute ago, Don Mega said:

 

E10/E20 will turn bad very quick.

 

I agree man not trying to be combative. Just saying my direct experience with these fuels. They will turn bad faster than gasoline, but for a modern car, with modern emissions control, knock sensors, etc. it will last longer and the car can safely compensate. 

 

The stuff has to be stored somewhere before it gets in your fuel tank. 

[Don Mega]

ok, good for you.

[MYKTHEMIN]

Here in Thailand gasahol has a very short life span, it is absolute crap, I will only use proper petrol benzine in all of my things that run on it be it bikes generator etc etc.

[elgenon]

AAA in America told me to disconnect the negative.

I did disconnect the battery but still went dead. Hope you have better luck. Easy to reset radio and navigation.

I would try to have a friend run the car for 15 minutes per week as recommended by AAA.

 

If you completely fill the tank you will have a full tank of degraded gasoline.

 

[KBsinter]

4 hours ago, Tatertot said:

Many good tips here. 

Having recently rebuilt an engine here, I was absolutely shocked at how quickly bare metal rusts here. Literally over night the engines' freshly honed bores started rusting, even with a liberal dose of oil applied to them. CRAZY. Similarly, tools do the same, literally overnight I've  seen tools go from bright shiny to covered in a film of rust. The humidity, and the daily heating and cooling leaves a residue of condensation and  seems to dilute and wash away protective applications of petrol based protectants. The condensation also contains minerals and thus plays havoc this way in promoting corrosion and rust. This also occurs on electrical contacts and connections.

Do all that you can.

I also found, this to be the case, Unbelievable. 

[anono222]

Hey,

 

Stats has the best solution, have a friend take it for a spin.  There is no substitute for circulating the fluids in the system. Be sure to drive it far enough to get the engine up to temperature and keep the tire pressure up.  A CTEK battery trickle charger will take care of the battery problem between rides. Enjoy your trip!  Doc

[Kwasaki]

On 9/25/2016 at 9:17 AM, Tatertot said:

Many good tips here. 

Having recently rebuilt an engine here, I was absolutely shocked at how quickly bare metal rusts here. Literally over night the engines' freshly honed bores started rusting, even with a liberal dose of oil applied to them. CRAZY. Similarly, tools do the same, literally overnight I've  seen tools go from bright shiny to covered in a film of rust. The humidity, and the daily heating and cooling leaves a residue of condensation and  seems to dilute and wash away protective applications of petrol based protectants. The condensation also contains minerals and thus plays havoc this way in promoting corrosion and rust. This also occurs on electrical contacts and connections.

Do all that you can.

 

22 hours ago, KBsinter said:

I also found, this to be the case, Unbelievable. 

 

Never had above happen over night in Thailand even left open in the rain takes a while.

 

OP l did nothing much 6 months isn't long,  as long as you have somewhere under cover to keep them out of sun.

Get both cleaned and polished.

Charge batteries and disconnect.

Get all wheels off ground with paddock stands for bike and cover.

Car jacks stands for car, if not pump tyres to max pressures which is stated on the side wall of tyres.

Never had problem and certainly wouldn't let anyone take em for a spin, especially not my motorbike.  no worries  

[mettech]

I am coming to the land of smile on october and will be gone from home 6 months my car always was left parked and had gas treatment added  into gas tank, disconnected positive side of battery, tires properly inflated, all doors locked and every time when coming back it would start and ready to go. I am in Canada where it gets super sub zero temp and some time during winter here they also get rain mixed with snow but not to worry the car get covered  up with huge amount of snow  it become a snow bank.

In the spring when back I just clean the outside and reconnect the battery and it start.

Very different temperature I admit but it does work.

[tifino]

 

a good quality solar charger, connected with battery, while still connected to the vehicle,

otherwise a very low capacity charger (1.5amp trickler), which could even have a 240v wall socket timer, let the battery experience cycles of Use and Charge

 

someone earlier mentioned Rede - which I have done too. Recex maintenance has several different suggested level of maintenace activity:

 

upon your Return. Post-treatment:

one of the methods involves: dumping all your oil from sump,

and adding about 2 litres Redex.

Run the motor at idle, with vehicle stationary.

Then dump the Redex from the sump.

Refill with new oil.

 

Just be aware it will take at least 15 mins for all the resultant 'white' smoke to dissipate

 

Another thing: lift your wipers from the windscreen, as Rubber ones will have started to vulcanise to the glass.

 

One pre-treatment I have done before:

Before shutting the motor down for the duration,

Turn on your cabin ventilation, 

and spray some strong insecticide in through the plenum chamber vent intake.

Just hold your breath, when quickly opening car to shut it down...

 

 

 

 

 

[Coremouse]

Once left the car at open parking lot BKK airport(3500baht 4 months), disconnected battery of course, left small CNG pressure, and put on car cloth. 4 months later I came back to see the car cloth tearing off, but car itself ignited in first try and driven Chon Buri without doing anything else. 

[canthai55]

My HD spent almost 7 years in a steel crate. Full of gasahol. Opened crate. Drained fuel. Fill with 95 Gasahol. Install new battery. Fire up. Ride away. No mothballs. Dryer sheets. Bone in the nose. Voodoo magic. Don't over think this

[BuaBS]

19 hours ago, Coremouse said:

Once left the car at open parking lot BKK airport(3500baht 4 months), disconnected battery of course, left small CNG pressure, and put on car cloth. 4 months later I came back to see the car cloth tearing off, but car itself ignited in first try and driven Chon Buri without doing anything else. 

4 months in open air parking in Thailand ? You must hate your car !

[Coremouse]

21 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

4 months in open air parking in Thailand ? You must hate your car !

 

Still running brilliant, that's why I love'her! Taken whatever abuse thrown at her and still carry on. 

And I personally know how each bolt would or not last in my car. When I first got her for 60,000 baht every sensor smoked or cut off, did the entire rewiring, and rechased all threads time by time. 

[kuma]

On 2016-09-26 at 0:43 PM, Kwasaki said:

 

 

Never had above happen over night in Thailand even left open in the rain takes a while.

 

OP l did nothing much 6 months isn't long,  as long as you have somewhere under cover to keep them out of sun.

Get both cleaned and polished.

Charge batteries and disconnect.

Get all wheels off ground with paddock stands for bike and cover.

Car jacks stands for car, if not pump tyres to max pressures which is stated on the side wall of tyres.

Never had problem and certainly wouldn't let anyone take em for a spin, especially not my motorbike.  no worries  

Great thread, lots of good information.

 

Looking now to store my Ranger for up to six months while away, anyone have suggestions on this? What I have seen is:

Change the oil

Fill the tank and add fuel stabilizer

Clean it inside and out

Fill the tires to max pressure and/or put it on  jacks ( I am looking for second hand jacks now, in case anyone has a set of two or three ton they are offloading) - as I do want to put it on jacks.

Battery, could take it out and put on a trickle - but think I will just disconnect and leave it be, if it comes back w a charge after great - if not get a new one.

Wipers off the windscreen.

Plug the tailpipe with a rag to stop critters - and not worry about periodically starting it.

Store in a covered place out of the elements - I have that available.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Also, can I ask if anyone can suggest a decent place to get an oil change service in the Pattaya area or BKK, say around Udom Suk (Sukhumvit 101/1)?

 

I have a Ranger 2.2, 60+k km

 

Cheers