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Author Topic: Mothballing a car Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 03-09-2004 10:34 PM                     I've only skimmed this thread so forgive me if this has been said. My ford owner's manual says to put a fresh coat of wax on the paint and chrome polish on any chrome such as bumbers or wheels.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 03-09-2004 11:27 PM                        Re: Diesels... Since I don't normally put enough hours on my diesel generator to fully cycle the fuel each year, I usually put in some of that fuel stabiliser that you can get at most auto parts stores. That might be something to consider as you fill the tank for the last time. On the other hand, if, as Erick says, diesel is ok for 3 years, that may not be necessary... for either of us. Seemed a good idea though.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-10-2004 01:39 AM                        I've now got hold of a Haynes manual for the Fiesta, which pretty much confirms everything said here - with the exception of draining the coolant. It says that the Ford 'factory fill' coolant is supposed to last the entire life of the car and that it should never be replaced unless the cooling system springs a leak for some reason (e.g. the radiator fails). If it does ever need to be replaced, it should then be changed every two years thereafter. I'm not sure I get the logic of that: if a fresh fill of coolant is supposed to last as long as the engine, surely a replacement fill (assuming you use Ford-approved coolant with properly distilled water and in the correct proportions) should do likewise? The manual doesn't specifically cover a long-term mothballing situation, though it does mention it in passing in the sections on other procedures. I'm inclined to drain the coolant anyhow, in case the active ingredient sinks to the bottom of the radiator over time, leaving water at the top which then freezes. Points taken about the advantages of a regular drive - but I am reluctant to do that because of the cost of taxing and insuring the car compared to mothballing it for the duration. Plus also, in a mothballed state and stored in a locked garage, it stands almost zero charge of getting nicked, because any thief would not only have to defeat the immobiliser, but also do several hours of work to the car in order to make it driveable. Thanks again for the advice.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-10-2004 01:51 AM                        FWIW, my Ford Thunderbird SC gets stored for about 6-8 months of the year depending on how long winter lasts. I've never drained the coolant and have never had so much as a hint of a problem. I wouldn't drain it.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-21-2004 01:03 PM                        Well, the deed is now done. I did drain the coolant in the end. When I got the car up on axle stands and the bonnet open I found the coolant level almost at the minimum mark. A rusted jubilee clip where the feed hose is fixed to the bottom of the radiator and heavy, tell-tale white deposits all over the vicinity indicated where the leak was. Given that more coolant would probably leak while the car is laid up anyway, I drained the coolant, flushed the cooling system and will refill it with a new mixture when the time comes. I also left a sheet in the car itself saying exactly what I'd done and what needs to be done to recommission it, in the (unlikely) event that it's someone other than me who does the recommissioning. Found a plastic tarpaulin for a very reasonable £5 in a nearby car parts discount shop and cut a hole in it where the open crack in the window is, to prevent condensation building up within the cabin. The prognosis for Serena is now a bit better than it was: it seems that with good luck, she might be driving again by July/August-ish. According to the physiotherapist a car with an automatic gearbox might end up being the best option, but we don't need to take any decisions on that just yet. Thanks again for all the advice.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-22-2004 01:35 AM                        quote: MACBETH: I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? LADY MACBETH: I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Which reminds me, moths & varmints like squirrels, mice, racoons, birds, etc. getting in, setting up residence, & eating upholstery & wiring both in the cabin & under the hood are a major problem with cars in storage. In the antiquue auto freak sub-world, the universally acclaimed as unbettered varmint-repeller for stored cars is leaving bars of Irish Spring bath soap under the seats, in the footwells, under the hood, etc. I suppose over there it may be called Nova Scotian Autumn, or if there is no equivalent at all, you may need to just use mothballs & mice baits. They eat the spark plug wires. Folks are amazed when they discover this, but there must be something mighty tasty in those spark plug wires.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-22-2004 09:45 AM                        quote: MACBETH: I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? LADY MACBETH: I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. She only asked me to sort out her car, not murder someone! quote: Which reminds me, moths & varmints like squirrels, mice, racoons, birds, etc. getting in, setting up residence, & eating upholstery & wiring both in the cabin & under the hood are a major problem with cars in storage. Many thanks - good point, especially as her garage is right next to a railway embankment, where the rodent population is likely to be quite high. There again, most of the households in that vicinity have cats, so it might not be too much of a problem. I'll certainly keep a look out when I pop in and check the flat and garage over every fortnight or so.  |  IP: Logged Paul Turner Expert Film Handler Posts: 115 From: Corvallis, OR, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 03-22-2004 11:36 PM                     Drain the oil then refill with clean oil and run the engine a short while. Diesel engine oil contaminated with combustion gasses can form acids. Now, as new as this car is (as opposed to my 21 year old MB diesel), that may not be an issue. I'd not leave the oil drained. Top the tank. If any part of your diesel mix is bio-diesel (it's around in the states), put in a half gallon of gasoline (for each ten gallons of diesel)to kill algae that might form. Put a moisture absorbing unit in the car to cut down on interior mildew. Cover with a SOFT tarp that breaths. Leave hood unlatched --if that cable freezes you'll spend hours getting the hood open. Remove battery but keep close by in case, for what ever reason, you have to move the car. A $20 Battery Tender and a few cents in electricity will keep the batt topped off and working.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 01-29-2005 01:06 PM                        Off came the plastic tarpaulin this morning and the recommissioning went without a hitch. Oil, filter, air filter, cabin air filter, fuel filter, gearbox oil, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid and glowplugs all replaced; tyres reinflated to rated pressure and car lowered off axle stands; battery recharged and reconnected; belt tensions checked; engine turned over three times manually; and then the moment of truth. The engine caught on the second or third turn of the starter motor. I let it idle in neutral for 10 minutes or so and we then took it for a 20 mile drive up the A19. For the first few minutes the acceleration was erratic: the car would suddenly put on a spurt of power (especially in low gears) or drop back a lot. I guess this must have been the engine management computer 'learning' the chraracteristics of the engine again. The temperature remained rock steady throughout the drive and at the end of it all the fluid levels looked normal. The only problem was a very trivial one - the radio/CD thinggy had locked itself out when the battery power went and there was a minor panic locating the bit of paper with the unlock code on it, but that was all. But at the end of it all Serena has more-or-less decided to sell it and go for an automatic. Her left leg took the brunt of the accident and, although she's now off crutches, operating the clutch is painful. But at least the car seems to have survived 10 months in mothballs in reasonable shape. Thanks to all for your advice last spring.  |  IP: Logged Thomas King Expert Film Handler Posts: 119 From: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England Registered: Oct 2004 posted 01-29-2005 10:29 PM                        I can't believe no-one's suggested carbonite. There is a marginal problem with bounty hunters though.  |  IP: Logged Scott Balko Expert Film Handler Posts: 136 From: Redwood Falls, Minnesota, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 02-02-2005 08:20 PM                     The surges you felt were more than likely caused by air in the injection lines since you had disconnected them to remove the injectors. On the subject of fresh oil before storage, if a natural mineral based oil is used, there's always a certain amount of moisture in the oil. Since the normal operating temperature of engine oil is approx. 225-240 F, it is recommended that the engine be opperated for roughly one hour before it's stored away to boil off the naturally occuring moisture. There does exist the possibility that some rust damage could occur on long storage if an engine is stored immediately after a fresh oil change. I'm glad to hear all went well.  |  IP: Logged

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