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Old 27th May 2018, 03:14   #286
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I have to agree with what blackwasp says and maybe you should take permission from your dad to allow you to idle both the cars once every 2weeks for 10-15 min. That should take care of most of the issues that plague these cars. Do note always take an elder with you and be very careful so as to not touch the shift levers in both your cars as the creep functionally can quickly lead to trouble.

Suggestion of using jack stands should take care of the tyres. Getting a driver may seem easy but if he is not competent enough with the automatics it may lead to more harm then good. I would say occasional idling and using all the tips above should suffice. Cheers.
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Old 27th May 2018, 06:23   #287
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Re: What to do when I won't be using my cars for almost a year?

Links to the related threads.

Link 1:

Link 2:
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Old 27th May 2018, 17:25   #288
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Re: What to do when I won't be using my cars for almost a year?

Well about petrol car, idling it once a month should be fine. If possible a short few kms run while at it. Telling from my personal experience. I had a 4 year old Estilo similarly lying around for 2 years. Gave the keys to my friend who used to idle it once a month. Been 15 months & 15k kms post return. No visible issue as such except the battery had to be changed as it was anyways past it's age.

Can't say about the diesel as I don't have much experience with them.
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Old 30th May 2018, 22:55   #289
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SoumenD View Post
Well about petrol car, idling it once a month should be fine. If possible a short few kms run while at it. Telling from my personal experience. I had a 4 year old Estilo similarly lying around for 2 years. Gave the keys to my friend who used to idle it once a month. Been 15 months & 15k kms post return. No visible issue as such except the battery had to be changed as it was anyways past it's age.



Can't say about the diesel as I don't have much experience with them.

Whether petrol or diesel don't idle once a month, don't do a short run either. Do at least a 15 - 20 minute run so the whole engine warms up properly. Just idling away, the engine will not warm up and that causes wear and tear. Specifically on the piston rings and cylinders.

So don't run them, or run them properly, never leave a car to idle. Always drive away right away whilst being careful with the throttle until the engine is properly warmed up.

There should be no problem leaving a modern well maintained car for several months without starting. More than that might give problems with the battery. Three of my cars have been stored over an extended period of time. Got very little use in eight years. Even today I might use them only once every 3-4 months. I keep all the battery on a trickle charger all the time.

Tires might be another component that suffers due to prolonged non usage. Other than putting extra air in them before storing the car, not much you can do. Low, wide, fat tyre are more likely to become square then your regular tires.

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Old 4th June 2018, 05:02   #290
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Re: Long-term Parking : Do's and Don'ts

Long term storage ......Just my 2 cents.

I had been storing my 2008 F430 spider from end of September each year till May 15 the following spring.These are the steps I routinely follow.

1. Change oil and filter.
2. Fill up the tank with petrol / gas.
3. Clean and detailed the car
4. raise tire pressures by 4-6 psi to eliminate flat spots ....despite this flat spots will develop but that quickly disappears once put back on the road.
5.plug a battery tender/ maintainer directly to the battery terminals ..make sure it is not going to over-charge the battery.It should constantly monitor the voltage of the battery and top off when needed.i.e. Ctek is the brand most car manufacturers use.
6. cover the car.
this is my routine since I don't drive that car during winter.
n spring just uncover the car, unplug the maintainer start the car and drive.
Since the winters are very cold and temperatures may be in minus,I store my car in the heated garage.
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Old 18th December 2018, 23:09   #291
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Leaving my car unused for a considerable period (1 year), how to keep it in running condition?

Dear bhpians -
I need your advise/help on this.
My car is 2012 Maruti Ertiga Diesel VDi car. I will be on a deputation to Gulf for an year and because of that, I have to leave my car unused for a considerable period (1 year).
How do i keep this car running condition? is there any specific thing that i need to do ?
Thanks a lot in advance for your kind help.
Regards
Mohan
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Old 18th December 2018, 23:21   #292
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Re: Leaving my car unused for a considerable period (1 year), how to keep it in running condition?

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Originally Posted by mohandas View Post
Dear bhpians -
I need your advise/help on this.
There are similar threads sir on this topic, have given two links below.

Thread 1

Thread 2

Both these threads have ample information that you need.
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Old 19th December 2018, 00:15   #293
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Re: Leaving my car unused for a considerable period (1 year), how to keep it in running condition?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mohandas View Post
Dear bhpians -
I have to leave my car unused for a considerable period (1 year).
How do i keep this car running condition? is there any specific thing that i need to do ?

My honest advise is to sell it and put the capital to good use. Cars are depreciating assets, keeping it idle will ruin you battery, tyres and other aging related maintenance can be expensive. Plus you will have to still incur the cost of maintaining an insurance coverage, also one will lose out on the resale value.

If you consider all these and do the math then its a no-brainer.

I have sold my cars in similar situations in the past and I have never regretted it.
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Old 19th December 2018, 04:43   #294
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Re: Leaving my car unused for a considerable period (1 year), how to keep it in running condition?

i say 1 year is nothing. My Indica has been done several 1 year stints in hibernation (and is doing one right now)
Just follow the directions in the threads posted earlier, and you should be good.
Selling a known good car, and buying another new one just in a year makes no sense ( unless you (or someone you know) can get you a very good deal on the used car market.
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Old 19th December 2018, 05:14   #295
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Re: Leaving my car unused for a considerable period (1 year), how to keep it in running condition?

I would suggest selling the car. Its already 6 years old.
Are you sure the stint will be for one year? Sometimes the project gets extended and then you will have go back.
All in all, you lose out. Unless, someone at home will be using it, the car depreciates while not being used. You will also need to get it serviced.

So, weigh the pros and cons and then decide.
In my case the project completed earlier than what was planned. I was about to sell my vehicle but the seller backed out at the last minute. Thank God for that.
But yes, the fuel pump conked out shortly after I returned.
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Old 19th December 2018, 07:16   #296
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Re: Leaving my car unused for a considerable period (1 year), how to keep it in running condition?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mohandas View Post
...
I will be on a deputation to Gulf for a year and because of that, I have to leave my car unused for a considerable period (1 year).
How do i keep this car in running condition ?
...
Quote:
Originally Posted by greenhorn View Post
I say 1 year is nothing.
...
Selling a known good car, and buying another new one just in a year makes no sense...
This is what I would suggest too...

In 2016, I had to travel abroad at very short notice. My car is a 2001 Alto, which I love very much. My original plan was to unplug the battery, drain all the fluids, jack up the car, yada, yada, yada... In the end, all I could do was unplug the battery, the only other thing I did was to arrange for it to be cleaned everyday ( as it has always been ). I left in Jan '16 & returned in Aug '16. I was expecting to find my poor car with flat tires & a drained battery, in fact checking on my car was the first thing I did on getting back ( literally, I got off the airport taxi & walked over to my car - to annoyed looks from my family ). But, you know what, the car was just standing there, with air in its tires & everything. All I had to do was reconnect the battery ( at this time, the battery, an Amaron, was already 6 years old ) & she fired up on the 1st crank ! All I had to do was get the tires topped up & I used the car for 3 weeks as if nothing had happened.

I left again in Aug '16 & returned in Aug '18, now this was after 2 whole years. I was expecting the worst & a long drawn out recovery for my poor old girl. But, once again, to my utter amazement, the car just stood there, with even air in its tires. Sure, they had lost a bit of PSI, but it was enough for a crawl to the local tire shop for a top-up. The battery was flat of course, I had to get a new one because the local battery guy told me that the old one wouldn't hold a decent charge. I got a new battery ( another Amaron, of course ) & connected it up & guess what, she just fired up on the first crank ( a prolonged one though ). To say my jaw hit the wheel is an understatement, the engine just kept ticking as if there had been a time slippage & the intervening 2 years hadn't happened at all. So I did the only thing I could, drove slowly to the local tire shop, topped up the tires, & kept driving. Over the next several weeks I put a couple' thousand Kms on the car & when I had to leave again, all I did was disconnect the battery.

So, put your mind at ease, your car isn't going to disintegrate in just a year of hibernation. Just take the usual precautions & who knows, your car might surprise you too. They are more resilient than we give them credit for.
~

Last edited by im_srini : 19th December 2018 at 07:18.
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Old 19th December 2018, 16:27   #297
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Re: Leaving my car unused for a considerable period (1 year), how to keep it in running condition?

Quote:
Originally Posted by im_srini View Post

...
So, put your mind at ease, your car isn't going to disintegrate in just a year of hibernation. Just take the usual precautions & who knows, your car might surprise you too. They are more resilient than we give them credit for.
~
I would be surprised if modern cars didn't behave in this way. There are few other parts, which will not show immediate problems but might turn tantrums in the future. Like your tyres should have definitely hardened. You might not notice it on small city runabouts. Also, in my experience, the starting motor too acts up.
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Old 19th December 2018, 22:51   #298
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Re: Leaving my car unused for a considerable period (1 year), how to keep it in running condition?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dhanushs View Post
I would be surprised if modern cars didn't behave in this way.
...
Like your tyres should have definitely hardened.
You might not notice it on small city runabouts.
...
The funny thing is that for 2 whole years the car stood on its tires without losing much air, then within the first few weeks of driving I picked up a puncture - it was a screw on the road ! The tires are from 2013 & I wanted them changed but the tire shop (TyreStore (Chennai)) guys told me that they were fine & that it would be better to change them the next time I'm home. They also told me that they offer a service to clients who travel a lot & don't use their cars so much, where they provide jack stands & jack up the car, they also send tire guys over to periodically to top-up the tires - which I thought was a niche service.

In any case, what really blew my mind was the way my baby roared back to life & idled like nothing had happened ( which was true, literally ). There was no idle speed hunting, she just purred, I have a wide-band gauge in my car & it was great to see the gauge settle at 14.7 once she'd warmed up. The brakes grabbed a bit on moving off, but they cleared up within the first few Kms. I was hesitant at first to push her as I used to but as the days went by without a hitch, I became more confident & by the time I had to return, had made a couple of highway runs ( more like Italian tune-ups ) just for the heck of it.

This old girl never ceases to amaze me
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Old 21st March 2019, 15:49   #299
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Re: Long-term Parking : Do's and Don'ts

Hey,

I park my car outside our flat partly on the entrance ramp. The right side of the car is on flat road while the left is on the ramp. The reason I chose this place is because it is clean and under a tree. There are several free spots around our flat but I found them to be either too close to unused drains with dry leaves or not under any shade. Probable rodent menace was a major concern for not parking near vacant plots and drains. But ironically my car was the only one in the area to suffer a rat bite in the recent past. Thankfully the damage wasn't very extensive, only a couple of wires in the engine hose were on its menu.

Coming back. Before I opted to park on the elevated surface, I was vaguely aware of the impact it could have on tyres and suspension. After doing a casual research on the internet about the negative effects of long term parking on inclined planes, I am even more confused and now in a sort of quandary. Whether to continue parking there. It has been over 4 months since I started parking there. Lesson I learnt though after the rat bite is that I can park anywhere but rat nuisance might remain. Now I am willing to move my car to an even place. But are my fears about suspension, axles, tyres etc. justified?

Last edited by strawhat : 21st March 2019 at 15:52.
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Old 23rd March 2020, 18:06   #300
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Car care during lockdown

By now most major cities in India and a lot of states have been completely locked down. Curfew has been imposed in few states. You are not expected to step out of your house unless emergency. So what sort of measures should be taken to keep your car healthy in these difficult times? A lot of us would have left our car idle for weeks while we traveled elsewhere. In current situation though, car is accessible and might be in a situation to take it out for a emergency.

1. Ensure to start your car atleast once a day, switch on AC, check all electrical/electronic components to see they are working well.
2. Give it a nice wash yourself if feasible. Don't know if this is okay?
3. Many service centers are closed and few are running with minimal staff. Postpone your visit if possible.
4. While fuel stations are open, it is good to have your tank full. You never know what situation will arise.
5. Watch out for those Rats, its business as usual for them.
6. Avoid any pleasure trip/vacation. With minimal staff, support will be nil incase of breakdown/accident. Well you might not even find a puncture shop!
7. Many might not have the luxury of moving car around their home with limited parking space. What is the best guideline to ensure the tires/brake don't get stuck? Move a few meters back and forth? Experts please advice.
8. Please buy your insurance online, visiting dealer may not be a good idea.
9. Most of us are not using cars. Is there an easy way for DIY disinfection? Is it really needed?
10. Keep Fasttag loaded. If at all you are to travel on emergency avoid cash transaction at toll.

Last edited by PrideRed : 23rd March 2020 at 18:10.
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