Storage

[JOE E LUTJEHARMS]

What needs done for 5 months storage?

[Rooster2]

I would put the car up on jack stands at all four wheels to get the tires off the ground.........prolly done best in a garage with a cement floor.

 

Also, would fill up gas tank with Stabil additive added.

 

I would disconnect the battery, and maybe put the battery on a trickle charge.

 

If left outside, I would cover the windshield from the inside with sun covers.

[jreb10]

In addition to Rooster's comments, I like to change the oil and filter before storage. I also use sheets of "Bounce" (used in clothes dryers) to help repel rodents that may try to set up housekeeping. Don't forget to stick a wad of bounce up the tail pipe. Those critters can get up there, as well as into the engine bay. They have been known to gnaw on wiring.

 

If storing over the winter months, make sure the antifreeze is up to snuff, as well as the window washer fluid.

[johnceggleston]

tires to half pressure can help.

but if off the ground it is less important.

[Bushwick]

+2 on covering the tail pipe. A foil ball jammed in works and wrap some around the opening then zip-tie or rubber band it, to make it that much harder, as they won't chew on that. I've run into 2 instances where *something* found it's way into an exhaust pipe, and smoked for good 25 minutes after 1st starting. Suppose the stupid things are gassed by the carbon monoxide in under a minute or are knocked out from the velocity of the gases, then get smoked. They can't get any further than the cat substrate (doubt they'll chew much on ceramic as that has to be really abrasive on the teeth), but if they are up in the cat casing, chances are they'll get lodged into the muffler baffling. Last time the smoking was so vile, my female neighbor decided it warranted complaining to me how her asthmatic kids were convulsing on the floor... well, the way she was griping they might as well have been   

 

Jackstands can make it harder for mice to get on or in the car, assuming it's high enough of the ground and they can't scale any section of the stands or reach a tire.

 

Condensation can and will build up in the gas tank. I think it's typically frowned on to fill tank all the way before parking. Usually I'll leave 1/4 to 1/2 tank, then when time comes, put a gallon of fresh gas in and then run to gas station and fill with premium. Dunno if that's "right" by internet standards, I just do it. No point in having a full tank go bad. Additives can remove the water, but be diligent with directions.

 

I strongly suggest driving up to one those high pressure washer places and putting like $5 worth of quarters in, pop the hood, then spray exterior down really good, spray under side of hood, spray the upper fenders where they bolt the body, trying to get in between the fender and body while avoiding the engine, wiring, and intake + air filter opening, and also spray your rims, the inner fender wells including the struts, then spray as much of the underside of the car as you can reach from each side, and hit the exhaust as well as the rear crossmember area. 

 

That way any salt (dunno if you have gotten snow there or not) that's just sitting now, won't have a chance to eat your car over the next 5 months. 

 

Do NOT set the e-brake as those will almost certainly be locked up. Moisture on the rotors will rust, seizing the pads or possibly shoes. I've debated spritzing WD-40 on the rotors then using brake cleaner to get that off, as my 9-3 for instance, now needs 4 new rotors from sitting, as they either need turned or replaced now. That occurred in 4 month span being parked in a driveway over last summer. So be proactive if the car will be outside.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Bushwick