Laying up a Car....

[stek]

As I can't drive for six months, and the missus won't drive my car, I'm faced with either selling it (Nooo!) or laying it up. I live on a private road, so I thought I would;

1. Remove the battery and keep it charged

2. Pump the tyres up a bit to avoid flat-spotting

3. Every two weeks or so wap the battery back on and whizz up and down the length of the private road (200 meters or so)

4. Every week fire it up and give it a rev? Bit pointless probably...

5. At same time give the leccy bits a work out - windows, wipers, headlamp washers etc..

Not sure what else, it's LPG, there's only a bit of that left in tank, and about a quarter of a tank of petrol left. Recently serviced so oils are new etc...

It's 2nd June since I drove it apart from the odd trip to end of private road, it's now SORN'd, insurance is still valid, MOT still valid, battery is sounding a bit farty now so I'm whipping it off later.

3rd of Dec 2012 is looking like my D-Day assuming the defibrillator doesn't shock me, it hasn't so far, if it does it's six months from whenever it does it, apparently it's like a Donkey kick in the chest so it's somewhat noticeable....

I was just checked, via a laptop in the hospital, wirelessly...She said "Gonna slow your heart down......" then, "Gonna speed it up a bit now, you might feel this..." - and I did, weird, like giddiness and slightly disconcerting.....

At the moment, at home, benched, living off warchest, bored, feeling loads better, just occasional bouts of fatigue now, lost three stone which was nice....

[northernladuk]

If you are going to give it a run every 2 weeks you don't need to take the battery out, or do any of the others either to be honest. By doing that you are avoiding bearing and break seizing and the engine is keeping a nice coating of oil. If your battery is ok is should survive the startups and short runs for quite a long time. You should also be able to check the tyres so no need to over inflate either.

I would say you only need to start taking extra mearsures if you aren't going to be in it for a couple of months a time.

You might try a car cover but it tends to be a magent to people having a nosey whats underneath.

Is it your baby and worth a lot? Can't rent a spot in a friends garage or something?

Not sure if the technology is as good as it claims but I would think about having the oil changed to the magnatec stuff that sticks to the metal longer so you don't keep starting it up on a dry engine but this only really starts to pay back when the engine is older. If you don't intend keeping it for high mileage it won't really affect you.

[Notascooby]

I wouldn't think car sales forecourts go to this trouble...but I'm crap at looking after kit.

If it wont start after 6 months...phone the AA.

[stek]

If you are going to give it a run every 2 weeks you don't need to take the battery out, or do any of the others either to be honest. By doing that you are avoiding bearing and break seizing and the engine is keeping a nice coating of oil. If your battery is ok is should survive the startups and short runs for quite a long time. You should also be able to check the tyres so no need to over inflate either.

I would say you only need to start taking extra mearsures if you aren't going to be in it for a couple of months a time.

You might try a car cover but it tends to be a magent to people having a nosey whats underneath.

Is it your baby and worth a lot? Can't rent a spot in a friends garage or something?

Not sure if the technology is as good as it claims but I would think about having the oil changed to the magnatec stuff that sticks to the metal longer so you don't keep starting it up on a dry engine but this only really starts to pay back when the engine is older. If you don't intend keeping it for high mileage it won't really affect you.

Worth £4k, it's happy outside my house and has been for ages so no car cover needed really, re: oil, it takes and has fully synth so might be covered - oddly enough on the quick drives it sounds quieter and the autobox moan in first has gone so something to investigate when I;m fit again...

The 'Run' is only a Km at a time - not sure it's enough, since I've been doing that and the battery, while it still starts the car, it sounds a bit tired now....

I might take the battery out anyway since I have a spurious light on on the dash, might reset it, it's the 'traction control light set to off' light, can't turn it back on via the switch, worth a punt.

[northernladuk]

I would definitely be taking it for a few hundred yard spin from time to time. A lot more chance of breaks locking and parts siezing on an older car. Don't forget to run it while pumping the handbreak to keep it lose as well.

[Spacecadet]

I would definitely be taking it for a few hundred yard spin from time to time. A lot more chance of breaks locking and parts siezing on an older car. Don't forget to run it while pumping the handbreak to keep it lose as well.

the engine has to get properly hot as well and be left running to get the exhaust up to a decent temperature.
Short runs will mean condensation forming and then being left in the exhaust which will lead to corrosion

[BA to the Stars]

[QUOTE=stek;1585842]The 'Run' is only a Km at a time - not sure it's enough, since I've been doing that and the battery, while it still starts the car, it sounds a bit tired now....
QUOTE]

You may want to do a few "laps" of the private road, a few km's as just doing 1 may do more harm then good and could drain the battery.

IANAM (M=mechanic)!!

Good luck with your recovery - that is more important

[Lockhouse]

Six months isn't really a long time, normally I don't run our classic cars over winter at all. I'd put the battery on a trickle charger either in or out of the car. Pump the tyres up a bit more and every two weeks just push them round so they don't deform. Leave it in gear and not on the handbrake. If it has air con you will need to run the engine it every 3-4 weeks at the minimum to keep the seals lubricated.

[ZARDOZ]

Leaving a car unused for a while | AA

http://www.wikihow.com/Store-a-Car

[Sysman]

If it has a burglar alarm and central locking make sure you have a spare key outside the car when either taking the battery out or putting it in again. The recovery man was most insistent I showed him my spare key when he replaced the battery on my motor and sure enough, the thing did try to wind up windows and lock the car when he put the new one in.

If the battery is a bit weak anything you can't switch off like burglar alarms will drain it over time. I don't think a 1 Km run at a time will be enough. Idling it for 10 minutes (or longer?) afterwards might do the trick. Come December cold weather will be with us again and a weak battery doesn't like the cold.

Maybe disconnect the battery between runs?