Leaving car parked up for 2 months...

Alanstrainor

So, heading off to South America for two months on Monday, and I'm starting to think about the car situation. Anything I should do to it before I go to keep it in best nick.

It'll be in the folks gaff, so I may be able to convince my dad to start her up every once in a while, but I doubt it'll leave the drive seeing that it's untaxed/soon to be uninsured.

Only thing I can think of is to leave the parking brake off, but other than that I don't know!

Bartyman

someone posted this earlier in relation to a similar problem.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SOLAR-POWER-BATTERY-TRICKLE-CHARGER/dp/B002V9JEF0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370007686&sr=8-2&keywords=solar+powered+battery+charger

all we need is some sun.

Veloce

Alanstrainor wrote: »

soon to be uninsured.

Would you not keep it insured in case of theft etc?

Alanstrainor

Veloce wrote: »

Would you not keep it insured in case of theft etc?

2 reasons. I'm currently 24, so insuring it as a 24 year old is a lot more expensive when compared to 25. And I'll be 25 on my return. Should be grand, hardly worth stealing given how little its worth too.

Dardania

Look up your radio code in case the batt dies?

ba_barabus

I personally would put some extra pressure in the tyres and remove the battery altogether or at the very least disconnect it. It'll be fine as yours not parking it up for that long.

I don't think I'd do any more than that other than make sure there are no leaks and don't park it under trees unless its covered

jetfiremuck

Ive left a car sit for 6months. I pumped tyres to sidewall max pressure. Filled the fuel tank full to reduce condensation and disconnected - battery cable. Smeared vaseline on the battery posts. Put some damp rid with windows closed on the floor in a big bowl to reduce dampness and mould.

Jordan537

i would take it out of gear and let the hand brake off and putting some wheels stops on the wheels instead.

Having the handbrake engaged for a long period of time can cause the brakes to seize up.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Parked my car up for 6 months at a time a few years back and took no measures allways started first time.just got the ol fela too start it every week r 2 n let it run idle for a minute.when I got back i started it and let it tick over about 30 mins before I moved it.

CiniO

Alanstrainor wrote: »

So, heading off to South America for two months on Monday, and I'm starting to think about the car situation. Anything I should do to it before I go to keep it in best nick.

It'll be in the folks gaff, so I may be able to convince my dad to start her up every once in a while, but I doubt it'll leave the drive seeing that it's untaxed/soon to be uninsured.

Only thing I can think of is to leave the parking brake off, but other than that I don't know!

Pump up the tyres to greater pressure than usual.
Unplug the battery.
Leave it on gear but without handbrake.
Clean it outside and inside.
Ask your dad to open the doors once a week or two to get some fresh air in to avoid getting inside of car mouldy.

With 2 months time, I wouldn't even bother having it started.

antodeco

When I put the car away for winter the main things that I do are:

Remove Negative terminal off battery
or Use a solar panel battery charger (I have one for when its outdoors for a little while)
Disengage the hand brake
Put the car into first gear
Put about 5psi more into the tyres
If its in a garage/under a cover, leave the windows open a small bit. Prevents mould.
or If you cant do the above, get a big bowl of uncooked rice and put it on one of the seats (absorbs any moisture in the air).


Just be aware about starting it all the time and not having it driven. It works for the oil no problem, but engines prefer to be under load.

ba_barabus

Lock a pigeon in the boot and put some expensive French cheese on the dashboard and report back the results when you return

deckie27

Disconnect the battery
moisture trap is a good idea or leave a window open a crack.
leave in gear with handbrake off.

Jesus.

Nothing other than disconnect the battery mate. It would be different if you were leaving it in winter and its not like you're leaving it for a year.

MuppetCheck

Disconnect the barriers possibly alright, but I wouldn't be too bothered otherwise. I've left cars parked up for 2-3 months regularly in the past and I've never needed even a jump start on a 4-5 year old battery. If you have someone to take it for a regular run then that will be more than enough.

renofan

I've a car off the road since Nov 2011 and what I did was remove the battery, pump the tyres to 45 psi to stop flat spots, wash and dry the car and vacuum/polish the interior and because I've air deflectors on the front windows they are always open an inch. I've started it and driven it around the yard about 4 to 5 times in that period. I'd not start yours if your Dad isn't going to drive it. Two months is nothing on leaving an engine un-started. I once left a car 4 or 5 years without starting it and its fine


Enjoy your hols btw

MetzgerMeister

Leave the car with me and I'll look after it. I'll even fully valet and detail it for you upon your return

dgt

^^^^^
Covered what I was going to say! Park in a garage if possible, out of mother natures reach. Pump the tyres quite hard. Disconnect the battery. Leave the vents open to allow circulation. Make sure the interior is dry.

If you got manuals with the car, should be a guide there too. There is a nice section with my E34 on leaving parked up for a long period of time, pretty much as above (with oblig bring car to authorised BMW garage for service :pac:)

Have fun out there! :cool:

T-Maxx

Park it and lock it.

It's only two months. Some of the "advice" given here mad me LOL'ed.

MetzgerMeister

T-Maxx wrote: »

Park it and lock it.

It's only two months. Some of the "advice" given here mad me LOL'ed.

Is it not better to take the advice and be safe rather than sorry?

Big Nasty

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Leave the car with me and I'll look after it. I'll even fully valet and detail it for you upon your return

Yeah, but you wont drive it.

Alan, I'll take it off you, insure it AND tax it for you while you're away. You'll even have a months free tax on your return.

I'm quite serious BTW as I need something to drive while I sell the T/A.

MetzgerMeister

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Yeah, but you wont drive it.

Of course I'd drive it, why do you think I was going to valet it?! :pac:

I want to see if a normal BMW is as ****e off road as an X5!

pred racer

T-Maxx wrote: »

Park it and lock it.

It's only two months. Some of the "advice" given here mad me LOL'ed.

This!

Itll be grand!

If you are going to leave the handbrake off dont leave it in gear ( much easier to unstick brakes than a clutch ) get your Da to start it a couple of time while you're gone.

Btw Alan I do this quite a bit (once for 8 months) so Im not just making it up.

Big Nasty

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Of course I'd drive it, why do you think I was going to valet it?! :pac:

I want to see if a normal BMW is as ****e off road as an X5!

It's not a 'normal' BMW. If it was it would be a 318.

joolsveer

Is "park up" a new phrasal verb? Except for one, most British dictionaries have not listed it.
allanb
734 posts
May 01, 2011
10:02 AM I'm British, and I don't know what it means. Can you give an example?
Antaryamin
16 posts
May 01, 2011
10:23 AM The following excerpt is from Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

Phrasal verb: "park something up"--- (especially British English or Australian English) to find a place where you can park your vehicle:

1. There was a police car parked up outside the warehouse.
2. I couldn't get parked up anywhere near the restaurant.
3. I parked up the moped and waited at the crossroads.

The following definition of "park up" is from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English":

park up--- phrasal verb
to put a car or other vehicle in a particular place for a period of time [= park].
allanb
735 posts
May 02, 2011
2:04 AM Thank you. I had never heard of it - which of course doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

However, I think that "up" in this context would be on my list of totally unnecessary words: it could be omitted from any of the examples without changing the meaning in any way.
Antaryamin
30 posts
May 11, 2011
8:28 PM Allanb,

Hmmmm.... maybe, I am wrong, but I have found the so-called redundant prepositions in some common and idiomatic expressions. For example, "climb up" and "ring me/him up". The latter, I reckon, is British. You can see much of it in P.G.Wodehouse and his contemporaries' works.

The Gride

Sold my old car yesterday for a decent price. Had it parked up for about 8 months without going near it. Guy approached me and we agreed a price. He brought a new battery with him. Was worried that it might not start but it went on the first turn of the key. Saw it outside the pub last night, all cleaned up and looking the biz. Answer to your query, Do Nothing at all.

Big Nasty

joolsveer wrote: »

Is "park up" a new phrasal verb? Except for one, most British dictionaries have not listed it.
allanb
734 posts
May 01, 2011
10:02 AM I'm British, and I don't know what it means. Can you give an example?
Antaryamin
16 posts
May 01, 2011
10:23 AM The following excerpt is from Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

Phrasal verb: "park something up"--- (especially British English or Australian English) to find a place where you can park your vehicle:

1. There was a police car parked up outside the warehouse.
2. I couldn't get parked up anywhere near the restaurant.
3. I parked up the moped and waited at the crossroads.

The following definition of "park up" is from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English":

park up--- phrasal verb
to put a car or other vehicle in a particular place for a period of time [= park].
allanb
735 posts
May 02, 2011
2:04 AM Thank you. I had never heard of it - which of course doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

However, I think that "up" in this context would be on my list of totally unnecessary words: it could be omitted from any of the examples without changing the meaning in any way.
Antaryamin
30 posts
May 11, 2011
8:28 PM Allanb,

Hmmmm.... maybe, I am wrong, but I have found the so-called redundant prepositions in some common and idiomatic expressions. For example, "climb up" and "ring me/him up". The latter, I reckon, is British. You can see much of it in P.G.Wodehouse and his contemporaries' works.

Think you're in the wrong forum dude.

MetzgerMeister

MCMLXXV wrote: »

It's not a 'normal' BMW. If it was it would be a 318.

By normal I meant a normal BMW RWD car

ProudDUB

If you are leaving the car on open land, eyeball the area around where the car will be parked, before you park it. A friend of mine left his car parked up at the bottom of an unused field when he went away. When he came back, it was infested with ants. He'd parked it on top of an ant hill ! :eek:

Merch

Veloce wrote: »

Would you not keep it insured in case of theft etc?

Id agree with that, how much money can be saved? by cancelling a policy for a few months? when I'd imagine finishing a policy early will prevent the Op getting an extra year NCB (unless they are at max allowance already?).
Either way, if anything happens the car, it will cost more than not having it insured.

I'd consider using one of those 12v lighter solar chargers, if the battery is left connected, you could disable the alarm, although that might not be advisable either.

Its not extreme weather conditions, so I would not consider leaving the handbrake off, just dont lock it down tight, would be my opinion and leave in gear, unless owners have experience of these cars handbrake locking up in particular.

I would not leave the windows down even slightly, might be leaving a gap for rain to get in or something that wants to make a nice nest in the upholstery, I'd consider getting one of those dehydrator packs, Ive seen in B&Q, I would rest it on/in an old ceramic plate/bowl out of contact with any carpet/other upholstery and out of sunlight in case that causes a reaction.

Over inflating the tyres, to me, that means a greater pressure difference to atmosphere, more likely any air escape will be greater, personally I'd prefer someone was covered to drive it, started it up, gave it a run or even just moved it slightly to move the part of the tyre in contact with the ground to a different position.
Id prefer someone drove it instead of sitting there idling, 2 months, I think it will be fine without doing anything, at best have someone open the doors up to let some fresh air in.

I left a car for 6 months and it started first go on return, I think I disabled the alarm.

All this, especially if someone is there to open it up and check it every week, operate the handbrake, turn over the engine.
edit
Its going to be a pain if someone has to keep reconnecting the negative terminal and disconnect it.
Personally, Id be considering the security element more than anything at just 2 months rather than it going to rot element, pulling out the leads or maybe better still, some other component someone isnt likely to bring?
Also, out of sight, out of mind.

Alanstrainor

Current policy will end in the middle of the trip, so it will sit in my drive uninsured for a little over a month. The saving in terms of insurance will be worth it I reckon. Can't see much harm coming to her!

Cheers for all the replies lads! Really appreciate it!

Del2005

T-Maxx wrote: »

Park it and lock it.

It's only two months. Some of the "advice" given here mad me LOL'ed.

Another +1. It's only two months, if it was for longer or over the winter I'd be doing some of the other stuff. If the car can't get a decent 10-20 minute drive then don't bother starting it.

We left an a Sierra sitting up for years, all we did to get it started was put in a charged battery and then sheepishly remember the kill switch. Another car left sitting for about 8 months only barely got flat spots with no prep before.