Hi all got my car garaged waxed up, with dehumidifier on, wd40 as far as i can see, warm it up 1 time a week, charge battery now and again anything else anyone can suggest to keep it in prime condition for the spring regards Frank
"jfp" realised it was Wed, 31 Dec 2003
15:43:53 -0000 and decided it was time to write:
Why?
Ideally drive it if the weather allows - even once every couple of weeks & get everything warmed through, run all the fans, switch all the switches & run the heater & AC if you have it. Wait for a nice dry day & try & find a well used piece of road with little or no salt/grit on it.
The dehumidifier is great for helping to keep the rust at bay but can affect the interior & rubber seals etc so make sure you treat these as appropiate.
If you don't want to take it out then at least move it forwards or backwards a bit periodically to make sure its not sitting on the same spot on the tires all winter - they can go kinda square on you!
HTH
I.
Don't warm it up once a week as that will do more harm than good. See recent discussion in this group regarding other tips, but in brief: handbrake off, check tyre pressures, put it on blocks or rotate wheels now and then, RedEx in the pots, check anti-freeze.
Yes, don't "warm it up" weekly unless you run it for at least an hour. Otherwise you are putting a load of corrosive nasties into the exhaust system and imposing wear on the engine. Better to take the plugs out, fill the bores with oil and leave it alone until Spring.
Geoff MacK
Filling the bores with oil..... sounds like a dodgy idea to me Geoff. Can you expand on what you mean?
Doug
Yes, really just to stop corrosion. Wherever the engine stops at least some valves will be open and the dreaded outside air can get in with a good chance of rusting rings to bores unless there is some protection. I probably phrased it badly - I don't mean pouring a pint of oil into each pot, just a quick squirt of oil down the plug'oles. Then turn it over on the handle (if it's got one) every now and then. Other people have recommended Redex - may well be better - maybe even WD40 would do. The point I was trying to make is that starting and running an engine for a brief period once a week is a Bad Idea, but keeping it well lubricated and rust free with almost anything is a Good Idea. Sorry for any confusion introduced!
Geoff MacK (cuurently nursing grazed knuckles and aching bloody everywhere following engine transplant on daughter's A40 on Tuesday - see previous posts. More anon).
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