Taking car off road for few months

monkeysnapper

I've just started new job after years of having to drive 40 mins to work and 40 mins back .

My new job is only 15 mins walk so I've decided to take my car off the road. My car is a audi a4 avant 2003 1.9 tdi. I bought it back in 2007 for a small fortune and still love the car but tax is a bit steep when you not really using it .

So I've declared it out of action with tax office for three months taking it up to end of January, we have the family car so I have that for weekends but for the 1st time ever well be down to 1 car family which will be strange.

I've kept the insurance on car as I don't see a point taking it off as it's only 260 fully comp.

Just wondering though is there anything I should do to car when leaving idle for a few months. Or is there any potential downfalls to doing this, especially as it's been used a lot up to now . Car will be kept in drive.

The car has been regularly serviced but will need a timing belt change next year so I thought I'd use money I've saved doing this to put towards that at end of idle time and service.

Stheno

You need to fill out the form to declare it off the road and send to revenue

AmberAmber

why would one have to send off a form to Revenue ..
once it is declared off the road with the Motor Tax office , that is all that is reasonably requested of any one was my understanding. I have a Car declared off the Road and no one , friends or Tax office has ever mentioned Revenue.

Nino Brown

No not really, just start it regularly to keep the battery charged and healthy, but you could always jump start it after the three months if you had to. Just leaving it sitting isn't great for the tyres either, a short spin from time to time would help.

CiniO

Stheno wrote: »

You need to fill out the form to declare it off the road and send to revenue

motor tax office.

Easier though to do it online.

CiniO

monkeysnapper wrote: »

I've just started new job after years of having to drive 40 mins to work and 40 mins back .

My new job is only 15 mins walk so I've decided to take my car off the road. My car is a audi a4 avant 2003 1.9 tdi. I bought it back in 2007 for a small fortune and still love the car but tax is a bit steep when you not really using it .

So I've declared it out of action with tax office for three months taking it up to end of January, we have the family car so I have that for weekends but for the 1st time ever well be down to 1 car family which will be strange.

I've kept the insurance on car as I don't see a point taking it off as it's only 260 fully comp.

Just wondering though is there anything I should do to car when leaving idle for a few months. Or is there any potential downfalls to doing this, especially as it's been used a lot up to now . Car will be kept in drive.

The car has been regularly serviced but will need a timing belt change next year so I thought I'd use money I've saved doing this to put towards that at end of idle time and service.

1. With insurance you can suspend the policy, leaving fire and theft in place.
This will usually give you about 75% to 85% of premium back for that period.
Even if policy is 260, then it's 65 per quarter. If you could get 80% of this back, then it's over 50 quid. Definitely worth doing for price of post stamp with letter to your insurer requesting suspension and attaching disc and cert.

2. Make sure you unplug the battery when car is parked. This will prevent it from draining over time.

3. Start it from time to time. If you can't drive it any further (as it's declared off the road) it will be beneficial to even move it few meters forward and backwards from time to time.

4. Pump up your tyres to high pressure (f.e. 45 psi).

5. Don't attach hand brake. Leave it in gear. Or possibly put something under the wheels to prevent rolling, but leave handbrake off.

monkeysnapper

When I had my pin to renew my tax online there is a link to take car off road, so basically I'll get pin again in January to renew tax again, then I can decide if I want to renew or take it back off use again for another 3 months.

pablo128

Give it a wash and a good coat of wax. A large bag of silica gel inside might combat dampness in the winter.

slimjimmc

Leave a few desiccant gels/crystal kits in the car to help keep mould at bay.
http://www.woodiesdiy.com/category/dehumidifier/3.5.12

corktina

CiniO wrote: »

motor tax office.

Easier though to do it online.

he already has done...keep up at the back there......

monkeysnapper

Ok so I took car off road like I said in original post for 3 month till February. At end of July im going to take car off road for foreseeable future . My car is a Audi a4 avant 2003 and it's done 114k .

I just don't see point selling it as its a great car and I may need a car again in year or so to drive over to Wales to visit family .

I found after the 3 month the interior was a bit mouldy but after a good scrub was good . I'll defo put something in this time to help the cold moisture .

I've often wondered if other people are in same position as myself. I have a good car but hardly use it now but tax is killing me . But I can't bring myself to sell car because I'd struggle to get another car as good. I've thought about selling and getting a 1 litre but I'd be lucky to get 2.5 for my Audi and Im not throwing any more money getting new car when car I have is so good .

I suppose I'd like to know are there many people just storing cars , just leaving them idle in case they may need them .

To be honest it's only a 1.9L not a 3L or anything. It's what 680 a year? I agree the tax rates are criminal for the large engine cars but your engine isn't particularly large. Anything below a two litre is small. 680 a year, I'd pay that just to use my car at the weekends.