Putting away a car for a few weeks

"Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras" (jegoingout)
11/18/2015 at 14:36 • Filed to: None

So come next month I may be putting my TL away for 3-4 weeks. Is there anything particular I need to do before doing so? I’ve never stored my cars or family cars before so this is all new to me.

DISCUSSION (24)

Party-vi > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:38

Nope. just park it. It’ll be fine. At the most disconnect the battery if you’re worried about it and the battery hasn’t been replaced recently.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:38

3-4 weeks you should be fine. Chock it securely and leave the handbrake off and try and start it up every week or two.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
11/18/2015 at 14:42

excellent. I’m sure my dad would be happy to take my TL for a joyride once or twice a week

GMart > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:42

If it leaks anything, just toss a drip pan under it to protect the floor, but the car itself is A-OK.

functionoverfashion > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:42

I would disconnect the battery for sure. Will it be stored inside?

Master Cylinder > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:43

Not much issue with parking a modern car for a few weeks. Disconnect the battery maybe, or put it on a tender. Otherwise, you’re good to go. The gas in the tank won’t spoil on that time scale, but if you want you can pour some Seafoam or Stabil in before you park it.

Urambo Tauro > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:43

Good idea. If the engine is started, it must be allowed to warm up and burn off condensation for a few minutes.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > functionoverfashion
11/18/2015 at 14:44

yes, i will be putting this in my garage

Ash78, voting early and often > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:46

Sta-bil in the fuel tank, car cover, take the vehicle off your insurance, drain all other fluids and store them in BPA-free containers, then remove the tires and vacuum-seal them to prevent dry-rot.

Nah, just the battery.

crowmolly > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:47

Fill it with a fresh tank of gas before parking it and relax :)

functionoverfashion > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:47

yeah, then I would disconnect the battery, that’s it. Longer term, I’d use fuel stabilizer (I do in my older truck that I store all winter). But you’ll be fine.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:49

nothing. i park cars for the winter here in MI and all i ever do is stabil in fuel and unhook batter. 3 to 4 weeks is nothing. park it and look back when you walk away

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
11/18/2015 at 14:50

I’m going to shed a tear if i look back at it...3-4 weeks of no driving :(

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 14:53

What Party-vi said is more than sufficient

iSureWilll > Urambo Tauro
11/18/2015 at 14:58

This. Otherwise condensation will build up in the crankcase and has potential to do damage.

GLiddy > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 15:00

You might want to get a battery tender for it. Likely not, but when my wife went to visit her parents for a month, her TSX was a bit sluggish to crank. I bought an Eastwood battery tender plus for next time this arises.

vicali > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 15:28

I used to have seasonal cars, driving lowered vws in Edmonton winters is no fun.. Both cars got battery disconnects, and my nice car would get fuel stabilizer, a car cover, and would even get put up on blocks (cut to length to take most of the weight off the tires). They would usually sit for 6 months, until the snow was gone and the streets were swept.. never had any problems.

4 weeks is nothing, I would just lock the doors.

jariten1781 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 15:28

I leave my cars in the airport parking lot for 2-3 weeks at a time all the time. No issues.

Rainbow > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 15:31

Give it a full tune-up, a complete flush of all fluids, and a few coats of wax to protect the paint. Remove the wheels and hang them from something so that they don’t warp under their own weight. Keep the car in a climate-controlled storage unit after vacuum-sealing it in a giant plastic bag. Hire a few armed guards, too.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 15:51

I don’t think that’s long enough to matter. Have the tank full of gas, and park it level so that liquids aren’t pressing against seals, but otherwise, I wouldn’t give it a thought.

TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H! > Ash78, voting early and often
11/18/2015 at 15:54

Sta-bil gummed up the carb on my snow blower so bad that I actively reccomend against it.

TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H! > crowmolly
11/18/2015 at 15:55

IDK about that with ethanol’s tendancy to pull moisture out of the air.

Your boy, BJR > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/18/2015 at 16:00

CARS ARE MEANT TO BE DRIVEN. JUST SELL IT TO A REAL ENTHUSIAST IF YOU’RE GONNA MAKE IT A GARAGE QUEEN, NOOB.

crowmolly > TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H!
11/18/2015 at 16:08

Not sure of your point. Either way there will be gas in the tank, and if he fills it it’s fresh and there’s less head space for moisture.