Over 6 Months Without Moving

[L3XUSIS200]

Hey

Hope every one is well

Just looking for some advice, Ive been offered a temp transfer to India with my work which will be anything from 6 months to a year so the lexus will need to be put away for a long time.

I was just looking for info on how to prep the car for a storage as i dont know were to begin.

Cheers

Steve.

[Mr Singh]

Drop tyre pressures, disconnect the Battery and make sure its not got alot of fuel in there.

[Mr Morse]

Better to have someone you can trust to drive the car for at least 15mins a week

[L3XUSIS200]

Thanks for the help guys

one of the problems i have is the car will only be in a drive and not a garage. will this be ok.

[creatinelex]

Sounds awfull mate but i would sell it , six months is a real long time . handbrake could seize on . discs go rusty . a good car wasteing away and so is your dosh .

Peter. :)

[MrADeveci]

one of the problems i have is the car will only be in a drive and not a garage. will this be ok.

←

Well sureley that depends on where you live ?

[Nick The Greek]

Well, to give you a comparison.

I went to the caribbean to work for eight months in 2003. I parked my mondeo up in the garage, disconnected the Battery, left the handbrake off and that was it.

Came home 8 months later, bought a new Battery, connected it up, turned the key, started FIRST time! :D

So, from my experience, dont worry too much. As long as it's somewhere dry it'll be fine. If your leaving it outside though, thats a completley different thing....

If it's left outside, get a car cover and leave it. Brakes will probably rust up, bodywork should be ok, give it a good polish first :D

[lexicon]

Drop tyre pressures, disconnect the battery and make sure its not got alot of fuel in there.

←

Surely you would RAISE the tyre pressures (to stop them flat-spotting).

[Bazza]

replenish the fuel

it goes off fairly quickly

[Jolliffee]

I take my classic off the road for 6 months each year but due to work she has been off for 12 months. Don't worry about the petrol it'll lasts OK, make sure the oil is clean, and inflate the tyres to max,and lastly disconnect the Battery to stop it going flat but I'm not sure about your insurance if your alarm is disabled.

Maybe in your case a good waxing(for the car) would be a good idea too.

[squarehead]

Just remember that new cars can sometimes be in an airfield for 6 months or more. So I wouldn't worry!

If it was me I would leave it on the drive and ask a friend (as already suggested) to drive it for 15 mins a week.

[Arrem]

If I wanted to keep the car and find it in a usable condition after a six month lay-up I would buy a decent fitted car cover to use, but only after I had given the car a thorough waxing. I would also lift the car up on axle stands and make sure the wheels and tyres were properly covered & protected from the elements. Previous advice re: Battery holds good too.

Enjoy India and get home safe. Happy travels mate.

[lexus boy]

all u need to do is check your levels then dis-connect, its fine to d it

[Kazi]

May sound bizzare but I have heard of peeps spraying wd40 on the entire car (less windows)

[marshy]

Here are some general tips for storing any car from a motoring journalist.

Have the oil and filter changed. Make sure the coolant corrosion inhibitors have not degraded (they usually have after 3 - 4 years, so have the coolant changed). If the car has ABS, make sure the brake fluid has been changed within the past two years or the ABS pump could suffer internal corrosion from moisture absorbed by the fluid. Clean and polish the car. Take it for a reasonable length dry run to thorougly heat through all systems and evaporate off any condensation. Overpressure the tyres to 40+psi help prevent them flatspotting, then put it in the garage still hot from the run. Connect up to a trickle charger which monitors the Battery and keeps it to a constant 13.5 volts without damaging the electronics. Leave one window open a crack to keep the interior ventilated, but not open enough to allow mice to get in. Cover with a cotton sheet.

Trickle chargers from www.international-tool.co.uk; www.hamiltonclassic.co.uk; www.ctek.com www.toolconnection.co.uk; www.airflow-uk.com, www.carparts-direct.co.uk

Car storage specialists www.carbank.co.uk; www.classicarstorage.co.uk; www.classic-reserve.co.uk; www.northerncarstorage.co.uk; www.premiervehiclestorage.co.uk

[sparkystav]

Nothing like dragging up an old post lol

[84Stoney]

Nothing like dragging up an old post lol

Still very informative!

My Celica been parked up 4 months and counting - since i got the Lex!