This is probably obvious, but I'm storing my Intrepid next week until March-ish in the garage, and are there any steps I should take?
Here's my checklist so far:
-Give it a car wash
-Fill up the tank
-Make sure all windows/sunroof/doors are closed and locked
-Change the oil
-Temporarily shut off the insurance
-Take off the license plates
Picture of the car for reference
(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9614/dsc00196mediumlm9.jpg)
Disconnect the battery
How long are you storing it for?
If it's a long time, you should also drain the fluids.
Why are you storing it, BTW?
if you are filling up the tank, add fuel stabilizer to the tank.
This sounds like too much of a PITA to me. Just drive the f*$king thing once a week to keep it going....
Don't fill up the tank, and why are you taking off the license plates? :confused:
Should I not fill up the tank? I still have a week or so to go before I store it, and my tank's about halfway. I can safely assume it'll be damn close to empty when I am ready to park it.
Quote from: dazzleman on December 29, 2007, 12:48:25 PM
This sounds like too much of a PITA to me. Just drive the f*$king thing once a week to keep it going....
Honestly.
Dude, the thing is not a Porsche. Just drive it once a week, and skip all this bullshit. The Subaru sits around most of the time, doesn't even get driven once a week (unless I come home for a period and take it back to school with me :devil: ), and it's just fine.
Quote from: dazzleman on December 29, 2007, 12:48:25 PM
This sounds like too much of a PITA to me. Just drive the f*$king thing once a week to keep it going....
Dad said that by taking off the insurance, we're saving about $1025 over 3 months. I'm not going to take it out of the garage with no insurance.
Quote from: TheIntrepid on December 29, 2007, 12:51:24 PM
Dad said that by taking off the insurance, we're saving about $1025 over 3 months. I'm not going to take it out of the garage with no insurance.
Drive it around the block, you don't exactly need a cross-country road trip.
Quote from: CALL_911 on December 29, 2007, 12:52:54 PM
Drive it around the block, you don't exactly need a cross-country road trip.
There's always the risk of someone running into me, especially with crazy Expedition bitch living a few doors down.
Quote from: TheIntrepid on December 29, 2007, 12:51:24 PM
Dad said that by taking off the insurance, we're saving about $1025 over 3 months. I'm not going to take it out of the garage with no insurance.
He can afford a 5,000 SF house, and he's worried about a few hundred a month for insurance? Honestly, it's not even worth his time to go through all the effort of canceling the insurance and plates, and then reinstating them later.
BTW, that's a f*$kload of money for insurance. Are those normal rates?
Quote from: TheIntrepid on December 29, 2007, 12:54:42 PM
There's always the risk of someone running into me, especially with crazy Expedition bitch living a few doors down.
You're an idiot. That is all.
Quote from: CALL_911 on December 29, 2007, 12:58:15 PM
You're an idiot. That is all.
Listen here kid, this wasn't about why I should or should not store my car. The decision isn't up to you, it's up to me and my family, and it's been made. I made this thread to ask if there's anything else I can do to make sure it'll start up just fine when I am ready to take it out of storage.
Quote from: TheIntrepid on December 29, 2007, 01:01:19 PM
Listen here kid, this wasn't about why I should or should not store my car. The decision isn't up to you, it's up to me and my family, and it's been made. I made this thread to ask if there's anything else I can do to make sure it'll start up just fine when I am ready to take it out of storage.
#1. You aren't NEARLY old enough to call me "kid".
#2. My suggestions save you a lot of trouble.
#3. Why the hell would you take off the license plates.
#4. If these precautions make you feel "hardcore", do it.
Quote from: M_power on December 29, 2007, 12:22:18 PM
Disconnect the battery
Should probably remove it all together. But, be sure not to store it directly on concrete. Use a buffer such as wood.
Stabil you gas as well. It only costs a few dollars, and hurts nothing.
Do not cancel your insurance completely. Keep your comprehensive, or storage, insurance on it in case of fire, theft, flood, etc.
Quote from: CALL_911 on December 29, 2007, 12:52:54 PM
Drive it around the block, you don't exactly need a cross-country road trip.
That is worse than letting it set. It gets only warm enough to create condensation in the exhaust system, and then the condensation rusts the pipes and muffler.
Quote from: hounddog on December 29, 2007, 01:20:29 PM
Should probably remove it all together. But, be sure not to store it directly on concrete. Use a buffer such as wood.
Stabil you gas as well. It only costs a few dollars, and hurts nothing.
Do not cancel your insurance completely. Keep your comprehensive, or storage, insurance on it in case of fire, theft, flood, etc.
Thanks. :ohyeah:
Quote from: Raghavan on December 29, 2007, 12:49:03 PM
Don't fill up the tank, and why are you taking off the license plates? :confused:
Actually, by not filling the tank, you leave space in the tank for condensation to be created. And, there is little worse than allowing moisture in the gas. Add plenty of stabilizer, and fill it to the top.
But, I agree, why are you cancelling the plates?
Quote from: TheIntrepid on December 29, 2007, 01:25:30 PM
Thanks. :ohyeah:
Come to think of it, where your battery is located, just disconnect it. You will have to remove the fender to get it out, I believe.
You are welcome. We store our BMW every winter, along with my dads one owner 1964 Cutlass, and their one owner 1977 Ford T-bird. So, this happens to be a topic I do know something about.
Quote from: hounddog on December 29, 2007, 01:28:24 PM
Come to think of it, where your battery is located, just disconnect it. You will have to remove the fender to get it out, I believe.
You are welcome. We store our BMW every winter, along with my dads one owner 1964 Cutlass, and their one owner 1977 Ford T-bird. So, this happens to be a topic I do know something about.
You store your BMW in the winter? Aren't you using it right now?
I never really give it much thought when I go off to school and let the TSX sit for a few months. I suppose it gets driven here and there when I'm gone, but it definitely will go weeks at a time without being touched.
Quote from: TheIntrepid on December 29, 2007, 01:29:24 PM
You store your BMW in the winter? Aren't you using it right now?
We were, I put it away right after our little beer run. In fact, we got back Sunday, and I put it away Monday morning. I am headed up to my folks farm in the next few days, I will take a couple photos when I get up there of both the 330, and the other cars.
Quote from: dazzleman on December 29, 2007, 12:57:08 PM
BTW, that's a f*$kload of money for insurance. Are those normal rates?
yea... i pay less then that for a year :hammerhead:
Just leave it at your house and start it up and let it run for 5min once a week.
Leave the plates on it, it will make it easier for the police to find when I go up to Toronto and steal it.
Also, I agree with Jordan on just letting it run. It does more harm to a car to run it around the block without letting it warm up than it does to take it on a short trip or something. You want the engine to have time to warm up.
Quote from: r0tor on December 29, 2007, 01:50:19 PM
yea... i pay less then that for a year :hammerhead:
so do I
Like Hounddog said, don't cancel the insurance. He listed some good reasons, and here is another one: Depending on your province's insurance regulations, it could be considered a gap in insurance, and could have a negative impact in the future.
Others have said good stuff too. Full tank of gas with fuel stabilizer is a must, keep the tires inflated properly, and run the car periodically (let it fully warm up).
I think you're nuts for doing this, BTW.
I would put a car cover over it.
Quote from: the Teuton on December 29, 2007, 03:43:48 PM
Also, I agree with Jordan on just letting it run. It does more harm to a car to run it around the block without letting it warm up than it does to take it on a short trip or something. You want the engine to have time to warm up.
That's what I meant. Not just around the block, but let it warm a bit.
Quote from: The Pirate on December 29, 2007, 03:49:30 PM
Not me... :banghead:
What's your insurance annually? Didn't it just go down when you turned 25?
I got mine down last year from $1600 per year to $1100 per year.... :praise:
Quote from: dazzleman on December 29, 2007, 04:02:53 PM
What's your insurance annually? Didn't it just go down when you turned 25?
I got mine down last year from $1600 per year to $1100 per year.... :praise:
That's nothing! Our insurance is crazy since my mom's accident a few years ago forced the insurance company to settle for an apparently very large sum of money before the lady my mom hit sued for even more. Apparently, they'll never make money off us.
Quote from: dazzleman on December 29, 2007, 04:02:53 PM
What's your insurance annually? Didn't it just go down when you turned 25?
I got mine down last year from $1600 per year to $1100 per year.... :praise:
I'm at just under 1400 per year now. Not too bad, now that I think about it. It was much higher til two weeks ago though.
Quote from: The Pirate on December 29, 2007, 04:54:32 PM
I'm at just under 1400 per year now. Not too bad, now that I think about it. It was much higher til two weeks ago though.
That's not too bad, though your area is cheaper than mine. Does that rate reflect a perfect driving record?
Quote from: dazzleman on December 29, 2007, 05:41:20 PM
That's not too bad, though your area is cheaper than mine. Does that rate reflect a perfect driving record?
No points on my license and I have never made an insurance claim.
Quote from: The Pirate on December 29, 2007, 05:45:21 PM
No points on my license and I have never made an insurance claim.
I think your rates will go down in increments for the next five years unless you get married sooner, in which case it will drop more quickly. Males reach a full adult insurance rate at 30, or when they get married after age 25, whichever is sooner.
Quote from: CALL_911 on December 29, 2007, 12:58:15 PM
You're an idiot. That is all.
Ummm, is there really any need for comments like this? Knock it off.
I'm with hounddog, disconnect the battery, fill up tank, add stabilizer.
I also wouldn't take off the insurance or the plates (why did you think of this in the first place?). You might want to look into putting the car onto jack stands but the other guys here know more than I about whether the car sitting for three months warrants this or not
BTW Treppo, I like the reference photo :lol:
Quote from: Danish on December 29, 2007, 07:57:10 PM
I'm with hounddog, disconnect the battery, fill up tank, add stabilizer.
I also wouldn't take off the insurance or the plates (why did you think of this in the first place?). You might want to look into putting the car onto jack stands but the other guys here know more than I about whether the car sitting for three months warrants this or not
BTW Treppo, I like the reference photo :lol:
Is the photo comment sarcasm? :lol:
Well the plates are going off because I'm getting my new vanity plates in March, which is likely when the car gets back on the road.
If you're going to "run it periodically" anything under 10minutes is crazy. It needs to get FULLY warm, not just the oil/radiator fluid but the Catalytic converter too- otherwise it will get moisture built up and will rust out earlier...
Check on "garage insurance"- should be cheaper than comprehensive.
Ditto on the fuel stabilizer, put it in THEN run the engine to let it get into the fuel lines.
And if it's in an area where critters might get to it, put a rag into your air inlet to keep them out..
This thread reminds me of some moron who spent 5 minutes wiping all of the rain drops off of his 2006-ish Pontiac Gran Prix in the Best Buy parking lot before going inside.
I feel like my experience can be a great help here. Disconnect the battery for wintertime. Fill up the fuel tank.
Last but not least:
Never drive it without liability insurance. :tounge:
Over a grand for 3 months' insurance? Shit, you need a new freakin' insurance company.
- If you are about due for an oil change, do it now.
- Fill the gas tank
- Tires to max inflation pressure
- Disconnect battery
Thats more than enough for a 3 month sit. Don't start it again until you are ready to drive it. Idling the car or even a short drive around the block will do more harm than good.
Call your insurance broker and find out what coverage you should have on it in case the house burns down and takes the car with it in the mean time. Its possible that your house insurance MAY cover it in that case, but better to find out for sure.
10 or 11 weeks?
Wash it.
Fill the tank
Change the oil
Top off the fluids
You might want to put a trickle charger on the battery.
If your garage gets real cold make sure your coolant can handle the temp.
Doing anything more is needless overkill
Gasoline won't go bad in 2-1/2 months. I'd be more concerned with mice looking for a place to nest. Top off the tank to limit condensation in the tank. If you want to be fanatical go buy an enexpensive car cover, the kind that allows moisture to migrate through it.
Typically your homeownere insurance won't cover any loss on a car parked in the garage unless it's not an operable car, say something you are restoring and it's in pieces all over the garage. Cancel your car insurance and you could suffer an uninsured loss.
Thanks to all. The car's going into storage Friday. My dad's put liability insurance on the car, but is taking off all the rest. Also, the homeowner's insurance covers up to $25,000 of automotive damage. The car's worth less than that, so I'm fine.
The oil was only changed 1000km ago, I'm not going to do that. The tank's full, and will be at about 85% full by then.
All the tips here have been good except the start it for 5 minutes once a week ones, those are nothing but bad.
Either store it or drive it, don't futz around with 50/50.
I might add you should keep the critters out by removing the interior of the vehicle. You can put all the seats in your closet in the new mansion.
Car's in the garage. Done and done. Thanks for all the help, guys :ohyeah:
Quote from: TheIntrepid on January 01, 2008, 02:17:12 PM
Car's in the garage. Done and done. Thanks for all the help, guys :ohyeah:
Enjoy the "psychoacoustics" of the Camry. :lol: