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Motoring - Leaving a Car Standing for a Long Period.
my car will be left stationary for a while. What precautions should I take
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Laying up your car
Items you'll need to attend to
The preparation required before you put a car into storage depends to some exent on how long the vehicle will be left for. Detailed below are our recommendations for storing a car for one month, one to three months, and more than three months.
Read the general advice and then attend to the specific items corresponding to the period for which you will be leaving your car.
General advice
Check the code of any coded radio before removing a battery lead. You must find out too if any on-board computer will be affected by having the battery disconnected for a long period of time. Refer to the vehicle owner's handbook or contact the manufacturer
If covering the vehicle don't allow plastic or any other moisture / condensation inducing material to rest on the paintwork. If outside, be careful to avoid paint damage due to flapping covers.
Note exactly what you've done to the vehicle and put it in the car, perhaps tied to the steering wheel so that when the time comes to take it out of storage, everything can be returned to how it should be, either by you or anybody else.
There are commercial companies who will undertake storage and looking after your vehicle; this may be an option you could take up, though it might prove expensive.
If covering the recommended points below is impractical an alternative would be to arrange for someone to use the vehicle once or twice a month in dry weather, providing insurance, tax and MoT etc are current. This will help keep the engine and other systems functional.
Take care when re-starting after a long period. The battery must be fully charged and all the fluid levels checked. Try the brakes, and check that the handbrake and clutch are free. It may be best to arrange a full service of the car, including changing the brake fluid.
Items you'll need to attend to
The preparation required before you put a car into storage depends to some exent on how long the vehicle will be left for. Detailed below are our recommendations for storing a car for one month, one to three months, and more than three months.
Read the general advice and then attend to the specific items corresponding to the period for which you will be leaving your car.
General advice
Check the code of any coded radio before removing a battery lead. You must find out too if any on-board computer will be affected by having the battery disconnected for a long period of time. Refer to the vehicle owner's handbook or contact the manufacturer
If covering the vehicle don't allow plastic or any other moisture / condensation inducing material to rest on the paintwork. If outside, be careful to avoid paint damage due to flapping covers.
Note exactly what you've done to the vehicle and put it in the car, perhaps tied to the steering wheel so that when the time comes to take it out of storage, everything can be returned to how it should be, either by you or anybody else.
There are commercial companies who will undertake storage and looking after your vehicle; this may be an option you could take up, though it might prove expensive.
If covering the recommended points below is impractical an alternative would be to arrange for someone to use the vehicle once or twice a month in dry weather, providing insurance, tax and MoT etc are current. This will help keep the engine and other systems functional.
Take care when re-starting after a long period. The battery must be fully charged and all the fluid levels checked. Try the brakes, and check that the handbrake and clutch are free. It may be best to arrange a full service of the car, including changing the brake fluid.
One month
If you're storing your car unused for up to one month we recommend the following
Make sure the cooling system contains a good quality, glycol based anti-freeze at a concentration of 30% to 50%.
Renew the anti-freeze if it's over one year old. [This doesn't apply if the engine contains one of the modern long-life antifreeze solutions - OAT coolant]
Leave the handbrake in the off position, making sure the vehicle wheels are securely chocked.
If the vehicle is in a secure garage, leave the windows partly lowered.
Ensure the drain holes in the doors, sills and bulkhead / heater are not blocked.
Unpainted metal parts (not rubber or trim etc) can be sprayed with a water dispersant such as WD40 to reduce corrosion.
If you're storing your car unused for up to one month we recommend the following
Make sure the cooling system contains a good quality, glycol based anti-freeze at a concentration of 30% to 50%.
Renew the anti-freeze if it's over one year old. [This doesn't apply if the engine contains one of the modern long-life antifreeze solutions - OAT coolant]
Leave the handbrake in the off position, making sure the vehicle wheels are securely chocked.
If the vehicle is in a secure garage, leave the windows partly lowered.
Ensure the drain holes in the doors, sills and bulkhead / heater are not blocked.
Unpainted metal parts (not rubber or trim etc) can be sprayed with a water dispersant such as WD40 to reduce corrosion.
Up to three months
If storing a car for up to three months you should attend to the following in addition to the one month items
Hose under the wheel arches to remove accumulated mud. Wash the vehicle then polish, apply a chrome protective polish where appropriate. Let the car dry thoroughly before putting it away.
Remove the battery (Check the code of any coded radio before removing a battery lead, and you must find out if any on-board computer will be affected by having the battery disconnected for a long period of time. Refer to the vehicle owner's handbook.), clean the terminals, top up if required (if it's not a sealed for life battery) and arrange for it to be slow / trickle charged about every 4 to 6 weeks. Don't leave it where it may freeze. Some special chargers can be left on all the time.
Raise or remove the carpets if dampness is suspected and dry thoroughly.
Make sure the wiper blades are not in contact with the front or rear screens.
Empty the windscreen washer bottle.
If the vehicle is not to be parked on the public highway you should consider getting a refund on your road tax by declaring Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) on the refund application form. You can read more details on the DVLA website.You may also be able to reduce your insurance cover to fire and theft only.
If the car is in a garage, make sure that there's plenty of ventilation - gaps under the doors and a high-level air vent to promote circulation.
An alternative is to use a dehumidifier, in which case the garage should be sealed as far as possible. Dehumidifying is cheaper and probably better than heating a garage, though a dehumidifier will need a low-temperature shut-off thermostat as they can't work below about 4C. Corrosion is in fact not a problem in very cold weather, provided the car is dry and free from road salt.
If storing a car for up to three months you should attend to the following in addition to the one month items
Hose under the wheel arches to remove accumulated mud. Wash the vehicle then polish, apply a chrome protective polish where appropriate. Let the car dry thoroughly before putting it away.
Remove the battery (Check the code of any coded radio before removing a battery lead, and you must find out if any on-board computer will be affected by having the battery disconnected for a long period of time. Refer to the vehicle owner's handbook.), clean the terminals, top up if required (if it's not a sealed for life battery) and arrange for it to be slow / trickle charged about every 4 to 6 weeks. Don't leave it where it may freeze. Some special chargers can be left on all the time.
Raise or remove the carpets if dampness is suspected and dry thoroughly.
Make sure the wiper blades are not in contact with the front or rear screens.
Empty the windscreen washer bottle.
If the vehicle is not to be parked on the public highway you should consider getting a refund on your road tax by declaring Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) on the refund application form. You can read more details on the DVLA website.You may also be able to reduce your insurance cover to fire and theft only.
If the car is in a garage, make sure that there's plenty of ventilation - gaps under the doors and a high-level air vent to promote circulation.
An alternative is to use a dehumidifier, in which case the garage should be sealed as far as possible. Dehumidifying is cheaper and probably better than heating a garage, though a dehumidifier will need a low-temperature shut-off thermostat as they can't work below about 4C. Corrosion is in fact not a problem in very cold weather, provided the car is dry and free from road salt.
More than three months
If storing a car for more than three months you should attend to the following as well as all of the above 'one' and 'three' month items
Carry out a complete lubrication service, including oil filter.
Slacken the auxiliary drive belts, i.e. alternator, power steering, air conditioning etc; (NB: don't slacken the camshaft drive belt).
Lubricate locks with a suitable lock oil. Spray under the bonnet, around the battery box, under the wings and the metal in the boot area with a water dispersant.
Place the vehicle on blocks or stands (to raise the wheels clear of the ground and unstress the tyres), if convenient remove the wheels and store them flat in a cool dark place. Don't leave a vehicle resting on a hydraulic jack, as it will slowly creep down.
If storing a car for more than three months you should attend to the following as well as all of the above 'one' and 'three' month items
Carry out a complete lubrication service, including oil filter.
Slacken the auxiliary drive belts, i.e. alternator, power steering, air conditioning etc; (NB: don't slacken the camshaft drive belt).
Lubricate locks with a suitable lock oil. Spray under the bonnet, around the battery box, under the wings and the metal in the boot area with a water dispersant.
Place the vehicle on blocks or stands (to raise the wheels clear of the ground and unstress the tyres), if convenient remove the wheels and store them flat in a cool dark place. Don't leave a vehicle resting on a hydraulic jack, as it will slowly creep down.
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