hey /o/, /k/ommando here
im leaving my car in a parking lot for 9 months while I deploy, its a ford fucking Taurus and i love it.
Im in el Paso, so im not worried about rain, but I am worried about my batteries and tires. I just got my oil changed today because I figured it would be better to have fresh oil sit in it.
Couple of questions
Should I put a cover on it? I have a car cover. I think a cover would help protect my leather from the sun
Should I wash it first?
should I fill it up? like with shell V-power or something?
anything else I can do? i turn it in tomorrow morning
thanks /o/
The tires may loose some air pressure, I don't store my cars with their proper tires on them I always toss on a set of bald winter tires for 6 month stints during the winter.
Oil is good, you made the right call there. For your gas, fill it with a high octane and put a fuel stabilizer in it, one designed for cars in storage. Should be able to find it at any auto parts retailer. You can put a battery tender on your car, but I disconnect mine and store them in my garage nice and warm. Cold will zap em of their juice and make them go flat.
A car cover would be invaluable. Pick a shady spot away from where snow may get plowed too. DO NOT SET YOUR PARKING BRAKE. It could seize on and THAT would suck.
When you get back your brake pads me have fuzed a bit to your rotors, just be gentle when moving it, and if they don't come unstuck wack them really hard with a good rubber mallet. Start your car and don't drive it until it reaches idle temp, keeping an eye on it just in case your thermostat gets stuck a little.
Good luck on your deployment served in the Canadian Forces for 4 years, I know your feel.
>>15278074
You don't have family that would let you garage it?
I'd just go ahead and call that a year and who knows? It could turn into more.
Ideally, I think you'd want to take the wheels off the car and have it sitting on jacks or cinderblocks. Those tires will probably go flat just sitting there. Tires should be still good when you get back, but you'd want to inflate them back up first. Better to do that when they're off the car.
In general, you want to drain all the fluids. Drain the oil, drain the coolant. Not sure about the brake or tranny fluid. Show up with new fluid to put in it.
Pull the spark plugs, stuff clean rags down the holes. Something about moisture and rust prevention with this. And it also prevents anyone from cranking it without fluids in it. Put the spark plugs somewhere in the car. Handle them gently, don't disturb the gap.
Oh, the gasoline in the tank! Put some sort of stabilizer in it! Gas goes bad when it sits that long - not good to leave it in the tank like that. If you want to siphon it out instead, probably not a bad idea. Tape something over the starter, so you don't crank it without putting new gas in the tank first, or you'll damage the fuel pump. Get a gascan and some fresh gas when you get back to put in the car.
Disconnect the battery, so it doesn't go bad either.
I'm probably forgetting stuff here, but that's what I'd do.
Do you have *anyone* at all that's willing to carsit for you? All they need to do is just start it up once a week and run it to the grocery store and back. It'll do better than if it just sits.
>>15278074
>ford fucking Taurus
Why not sell it and get another when you get back?
I know a guy who moved to New York where he knew that he didn't want to drive so he had his fucking Toyota Corolla sent to his parents house across the country. A check in the main costs a lot less.
>>15278124
thanks man, I appreciate the advice
>>15278140
I don't have anyone who will take it. Im torn between putting fuel stabilizer and a full tank of high octane and leaving it with almost no gas and then filling it when I get back.
>>15278146
I like this car, I dont want to sell it
Thanks guys, I really needed the advice
>>15278074
Sup 3BCT faggot
Don't leave your car on good tires, not only will they be flat when you get back but they'll also have permanent flats spots and roll like shit. Can't believe that there's folks that actually store their cars in the lots there but I guess at the end of the day it's just a Taurus.
>>15278963
>>>15278146 (You)
>I like this car, I dont want to sell it
I didn't ask if you liked the car. I asked why the fuck wouldn't you just sell it rather than spend good money to shelve it for 9 months?
>>15279087
shelving it for 9 months is free
>>15279058
ya, 3 BCT worst BCT
>>15279087
He's not paying anything, it's a free service. Trust me if you saw the lots where they store these cars you wouldn't pay a thing.
>>15279095
>>>15279087 (You)
>shelving it for 9 months is free
>>15279100
>>>15279087 (You)
>He's not paying anything, it's a free service. ...
It's a parking lot, but even if it was free, the cost of the oil change, covers, other fluids, brakes that were mentioned, etc.... isn't free. I'm not feeling convinced here, fellas.
>>15278074
It really should be covered since the sun will do a number on both the paint and the interior. At the same time a cover blowing in the wind can abrade the paint and I doubt the thing would stay in place for a year so I don't know what to do here.
>>15278074
Oh and forgot, fill it up and use Sta-Bil.
>>15279130
I'm not saying it's a good idea I'm telling you that parking your car in a dirt lot at Fort Bliss while you deploy is literally free. Whatever you spend filling the gas tank with silly putty or covering the car in butter to keep it from looking like Joe Dirt's Dodge Daytona after you get back is up to you.
