RayM Posted September 21, 2011 Posted September 21, 2011 Morning all I'm after some advice please. I wont be "sorn"ing my car over the winter as we might get a nice day here and there but I will be laying it up for a period between December and Feb when the weather is likely to be doing its worst. I have spoken with the previous owner as I only got the car in July and he has recommended taking the tyre pressures up by and extra 15-20 PSI and then rolling the car back and forwards a yard or so every few days to prevent the tyres going out of shape etc, which seems sensible. I have a battery monitor which tops up the battery as and when it loses any charge which I will be connecting up but is there anything else that I should do? Is it adviseable to start the car every few weeks for example? The car will be in a garage seperate from the house which is well ventilated. Cheers. Quote
Cleggy the Spyder Man Posted September 21, 2011 Posted September 21, 2011 must admit for three months I would not bother doing any of the above apart from maybe condition the battery Quote
RobC Posted September 21, 2011 Posted September 21, 2011 I've bought some KA wheels and tyres for mine to sit over winter £10 got to worth it. otherwise like cleggy said... Batteries are the first things to look after over winter Quote
flyingbanana Posted September 21, 2011 Posted September 21, 2011 As ^, Battery should be connected to a conditioner, either in-car, or remove it to somewhere convenient. I would worry about the tyres over that timescale, but no harm. I wouldn't start the engine every couple of weeks unless you can actually take the car out for a drive, as it won't be beneficial. Depending on your concerns you might want to fill the fuel tank fully (to avoid condensation forming inside, apparently) or leave it near to empty (to minimise the quantity of fuel that might go stale). If you don't normally, put it away nice and clean, especially if you have been exposed to any road grit/salt. Might be worth a check over general condition whilst you are there, not that it is specifically related to the lay-up itself. Is the garage mouse-proof? Keep an eye out for any coming in from the cold... Quote
carbonizer Posted September 21, 2011 Posted September 21, 2011 I've bought some KA wheels and tyres for mine to sit over winter £10 got to worth it. Hey thats not a bad idea, over to ebay i think! Quote
RedditchJay Posted September 21, 2011 Posted September 21, 2011 KA wheels or cheap ford steel wheels very good idea...... How then ? would you best store your loose wheels in the dark in blankets Quote
langy Posted September 22, 2011 Posted September 22, 2011 I normally put mine in the garage and put the dust cover on it. When it gets used next, i remove the dust cover, push it out of the garage, turn the key and if the battery has enough life in it, then i drive off a few minutes later (after a quick fluid check etc), otherwise it gets jump started form the tin top. Quote
RayM Posted September 22, 2011 Author Posted September 22, 2011 Thanks for all the replies Guys. Advice noted !! I had thought of the mice and already have two traps in place (caught 2 in one night) I have heard horror stories in the past of them eating wiring looms. Trouble is its a bit of a trade off as I always thought it was better to have good ventilation rather than keeping the garage air tight unless you can dehumidify. Cheers Quote
flyingbanana Posted September 22, 2011 Posted September 22, 2011 Genrally-speaking, Lead-Acid batteries don't like deep discharge, and it will reduce their life and performance. If you jump it with a battery in low charge state then the vehicle's charging system may give the battery a bit of a spanking rather than a gentle trickle charge as you would off a good quality charger-maintainer. Having ruined several batteries I now always disconnect or put on my maintainer just in case the short lay-up gets longer... Mice- Best to trap than and let the air circulate, as you said. They can be quite destructive if you are unlucky, but their house-training also leaves a lot to be desired... Quote
lippydave Posted September 22, 2011 Posted September 22, 2011 Mice- Best to trap than and let the air circulate, as you said. They can be quite destructive if you are unlucky, but their house-training also leaves a lot to be desired... b****y things mice..... I'm just sorting out a Yamaha farm quad for a friend that's sat in a warm barn for a couple of years... Sodding mice have eaten the airfilter, shat in the airbox, and eaten over half of the intake manifold... Eventually got it running again but had to fabricate an intake manifold as spares are hard to find for the old thing.... Told 'em they need to get a moggy that lives in their barn..... Quote
Man On The Clapham Omnibus Posted September 22, 2011 Posted September 22, 2011 I put it in gear with the clutch pedal depressed by my lovely assistant, and shove it back and forth a couple of times to free the clutch plate from the flywheel. It also prevents brakes seizing on too. Quote
RayM Posted September 22, 2011 Author Posted September 22, 2011 I might get one of those ultrasonic Repellers as well and plug that in the garage.........Can't take any chances. Quote
tex Posted September 25, 2011 Posted September 25, 2011 a good idea also is when you wash it before you put it away is to use an air line air blaster to really blow all water off the nooks and crannys which will help corrosion of bits. work especially brake discs avoiding the caliper pistons as you dont want air penetrating the pistons. works really well. if you wash and dry it with a chamois leather then blow dry it - you wont believe just how much water is hiding away causing rust. personally i heat my garage when the temps drop. dont go out when there is salt on the roads [unless your going to wash it well after] use a conditioner - mine has a permanant plug now under the engine cover to help make it easier to plug in. you can also just jack the car up on stands to keep the wheels off the deck. if your going to take the wheels off IF you can put them away from the car say in the house [if you can] as a theft deterrent. starting it up regular isnt good, the power required just to start the engine would take ages of running to get that charge back. we have a chart at work and i was surprised just how long it takes Quote
chappers Posted September 27, 2011 Posted September 27, 2011 a good idea also is when you wash it before you put it away is to use an air line air blaster to really blow all water off the nooks and crannys which will help corrosion of bits. work especially brake discs avoiding the caliper pistons as you dont want air penetrating the pistons. works really well. if you wash and dry it with a chamois leather then blow dry it - you wont believe just how much water is hiding away causing rust. Normally wash mine and then take it for a bit of a spin to dry things out. Any extra squashed flies etc. then get cleaned/polished out. Not so easy to do if the roads are wet though. Quote
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