[Cyrus43]

you can give me the car for one year...dont worrk i will take good care of it...

on a more serious note...my fiat is used once a year on the 26th of jan for the fiat classic car club rally...and we never have a problem starting it up..

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by 1self

2. Over-inflate the tyres by 5psi more than the recommended.

Try and get 4 tripods to jack up the car. Saves your suspension too.

4. Disconnect both the battery terminals.

Give me the battery next time. Will save you costs of replacing it each time. I'll keep it charged.

5. Just before i hibernate my vehicle...i fill half a tank of SPEED 97....this keeps from clogging anything in the fuel lines.

Keep it to full tank. Prevents rusting of the tank too.

[mithun]

When disconnecting the battery terminals, is it necessary to disconnect both the terminals OR the -ve terminal only ?

[ImmortalZ]

Always disconnect both. Never a good idea to let terminals float.

[Dhanmeet]

I had left my 1998 M800 idle twice for 3 months each when I went onsite. The only precautions that I took were disconnecting the battery and closing all the the vents.

There were no problems. The battery was perfect and tyres didnt jam. I got the servicing done both times, but it was purely for my satisfaction.

But 800's steering and brake definitely felt heavy after driving Pontiac G6

[Santoshg]

Now,
My situation:
leaving My RITZ-LDI idle for 2.5 months,tank is 90% full with Normal Bharat Petroleum Diesel.
My query is: should i have to keep less fuel(approx 10 liters)..??
About disconnecting Both battery terminal, i contacted one of Service engineer at MSM chennai,he said disconnecting -VE will have to be done and insulate with electric tape(both battery and terminal wire)..needs suggestion at the earliest.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Santoshg

Now,
My situation:
leaving My RITZ-LDI idle for 2.5 months,tank is 90% full with Normal Bharat Petroleum Diesel.
My query is: should i have to keep less fuel(approx 10 liters)..??
About disconnecting Both battery terminal, i contacted one of Service engineer at MSM chennai,he said disconnecting -VE will have to be done and insulate with electric tape(both battery and terminal wire)..needs suggestion at the earliest.

Ensure the fuel tank is filled up more than half the capacity. Keeping more fuel is always recommended.

Also, fill air more than the recommended psi for the tyres. eg. if the recommended psi is 30, fill around 35.

While disconnecting the battery terminals, one of them (I'm not sure if its the -ve or +ve) has to disconnected first and then the second.

[ShanG]

I'll be going overseas in a few weeks and current plan is to be there for atleast 2 years.

• My i20 Asta Cherry is just over a year old and has gone 10K+ so far.
• It uses a open air parking within our society compound and have round-the-clock security, who can wash / clean it regularly if reqd, along with keeping it within covers.
• My dad don't drive and even if we get a good driver, they may not use it much.
• I had taken a car loan for this and close to 23 more EMIs is still there & only after another 6 months can I close it without any pre-payment charges

Checked the Long term parking dos and donts thread and below postings in this thread.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

@All - thanks for all the inputs... do the following -

1. Dust and dirt is no problem as there is a caretaker who cleans it everyday
2. Dad will start the car (if you guys advise to start it daily, then he will do so)
3. Maybe dad will hire a driver once in while to take the car out for a spin.
4. Change all the tires after coming back (which I had to do anyway as they have travelled 40,000 Kilometers.
5. Changes all the oils after coming back.

...

Originally Posted by 1self

Hey Blackpearl,

Am a seafarer...regularly leave my drive for LONG (Min 6-9 months) periods (do not allow anyone to drive my sweetheart!!). I have had no problems with ANY of my vehicles. This is what i do:

1. Put lots of moth***** in the passanger cabin & boot...this prevents pests from entering the cabin.
2. Over-inflate the tyres by 5psi more than the recommended.
3. I use 2 car-covers one on top of the other with elastic & strap underneath...helps to keep the elements away.
4. Disconnect both the battery terminals.
5. Just before i hibernate my vehicle...i fill half a tank of SPEED 97....this keeps from clogging anything in the fuel lines.
6. i am lucky to have sheltered parking & building security though.
7. i always use a coat of wax just before a leave...even though gets dusty...just a wash & she is like before! i would even recommend teflon coating a couple of days before departure!

When i come back...the battery is dead...sometimes the cells are dead too...so have to change the battery...engine oil change is recommended...no other oils are necessary (like transmission, brake, clutch etc).

Hope this gives you a good idea!

Originally Posted by ankitahuja

My turn:

Keep the car, get to your location, see for a couple of months how things are - If you are going to stay long term (1+ years) then ask your family to sell the car.

If you get to know you'll be back soon, let her be and do everything that the BHPians advised.

Also, we humans are a never-satisfied lot. Fact is, after coming back (US or UK or wherever) you WILL want a better ride being used to the grunt, that's what I feel.

Think about it!

(quoted most part to let this be a summary of the good recos)

Though I agree that selling it now / in a few months & planning to buy a new one on return seem to be most sensible option, it does have few issues:

• Emotional attachment with my just 1yr old i20 Asta Cherry
• Unnecessary Prepayment charges for pre-closure of the loan at this time
• Don't think I'll get much time to find a good buyer at right price to close this before I leave

Apart from the recommendations listed above, what else might need to be planned (since none of the existing posts discussed of 2+ yr parking) ?

Incase I decide to have my dad oversee selling the car in few months, do I need to just give a PoA for him to take care or is there something more required for him to sell in my absense?

[siddharthp]

Hi Guys,

I am facing similar dilemma.I have following vehicles and will go for long term onsite for 2 years atleast.

1. Toyota Innova(2009) 25k on odo
2. Ritz Vxi(2010) 6k on Odo
3. Rx100(1988) going strong since last restoration
4. Lambretta(1972) awaiting restoration

My Confusion and risks:

• I am in no mood to sell these vehicles as all are very close to my heart.Even if I sell all,it will leave me heartbroken for my entire life.The selling value will be far less and if I wish to build the same set of vehicles after I come back from onsite,the increased prices will eat what I would have earned at onsite.Considering the way I have kept all the vehicles in immaculate condition,I am in no position to sell these babies to any person.
• Also,the ODO readings on the cars are very low due to my intermittent trips to onsite.Highest time I have kept my vehicle iddle is 6 months till now but have never troubled me when I start the engine.
• My father can not drive any car and he will be also in US for 6 months so he can not use it by hiring driver.So all the cars will be totally idle.

My mitigation:

• I have 2 covered and secured parkings and vehicles can be stored safely.
• Just by following precautions of air pressure/Covers/Battery terminals/rat prevention, do you think I am doing right thing? (I am using my heart over my head)
• I may ask some of my good friends to use these cars but they also have very good cars with them so the overall running which they will do with my cars may not be more that 1k-2k in a year.
• I can keep my RX100 and Lambretta in my apartment so as to prevent any damage to them,but same can not be done with Innova and Ritz sadly.

What are you suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Ensure the fuel tank is filled up more than half the capacity. Keeping more fuel is always recommended.

Also, fill air more than the recommended psi for the tyres. eg. if the recommended psi is 30, fill around 35.

While disconnecting the battery terminals, one of them (I'm not sure if its the -ve or +ve) has to disconnected first and then the second.

I have not used my Santro for 1 month as i am in US. I did not disconnect the battery.

Will i be able to start the engine. Are there any steps to be followed when starting a car that has not been used for 1 month.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Are there any steps to be followed when starting a car that has not been used for 1 month.

My car has been idle for periods like 1.5 or 2.5 months in some instances. Had no problem starting. Same can't be for longer period of time like 6 months. Infact its better to sell off if its going to stay idle for more than a year.

[TB16]

The maximum I have kept my car idle (kizashi) has been 1 month. The car started on the first press of the button but there were a lot of noises coming from the wheels. There was also giving out a noise on braking. But all that dissappeared after driving 3-4 km.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by TB16

The maximum I have kept my car idle (kizashi) has been 1 month. The car started on the first press of the button but there were a lot of noises coming from the wheels. There was also giving out a noise on braking. But all that disappeared after driving 3-4 km.

The noise comes from the disc brakes. The discs get a superficial layer of rust with non usage. My Esteems start making noises if I don't drive them for a week or so.