Page 1 of Leaving car in garage for 8 weeks...

I`m going to be leaving my car in the drive way for 8-10 weeks and was just wondering if there are a few things I should do to it first before I leave like remove the battery/spark plugs! I`m clueless when it comes to technical stuff on cars. There will be someone to run the engine over every week for me if need be. Would this be better then disconnecting the battery or removing it? The cars only a couple of years old.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Ross.

Take the wheels off and prop it up on bricks :-)

Id just take the battery off and be done with it. Leave you spark plugs in, no need to take them out!

how old is the car and what type of car is it?

Newer cars are alright to leave, especially in a garage.

Nick

Agree with Nick, most modern cars can be left for months (ever seen a poole car paddock, those poor buggers lay dormant for months on end - then still start first time!).
One thing you may want to do is cyphon the fuel out from the tank and leave enough to get you to the nearest garage. This may sound extremely daft, but its not! Me and my girls Clio Sport was in the garage after a nice hol because the fuel in the tank had corroded the lining! They say fuel is super clean, but it can do harm if it just sits there without being used. Perhaps not on all cars, but ours is a V`(2000) reg and it happened!
Something to bear in mind perhaps.
Otherwise, safe as houses.

Westy

The cars an Astra Sport, T(1999) reg. It won`t be in the garage like the heading states but outside on the drive way.

I wouldn`t take the battery out, apart from loosing your clock and radio settings there is a slim chance you might upset the ECU when you re-connect, best not to take the chance, as for contaminating the fuel tank, most cars have a plastic tank now to stop corrosion but make sure there isn`t a lot of fuel in there as it can expand in the heat, if your worried about the car being stolen, remove the fuel pump fuse as without this the car isn`t going anywhere, unless it`s towed!!!
try putting your message on http://www.clickmotors.co.uk they have a discussion forum on there like this, I recently had a problem with my car, went in to every local garage and they didn`t have a clue, put my problem on there and within 2 days got a reply of their resident genius muppetmark and problem was solved.

I`d just leave it in gear and make sure the handbrake is off as long as the drive isn`t too steep it should be okay.If the drive is steep just block the two rear wheels with a brick or something like that and leave the steering on full lock left or right which will add resistance to the car rolling.Point the steering towards the nearest edging stones/kerb on your drive as a further saftey measure. It is always advisable(not on highway) to leave the hand brake off and block the wheels/in gear etc as this prevents the shoes binding to the drums.

This item was edited on Thursday, 30th May 2002, 20:23

Do absolutely no harm to park it up as normal, and just leave it. Certainly wouldnt recommend disconnecting battery. As for getting someone to start it every week - likely to do more harm than good if they are just going to start it and leave it idling for a bit.

Used to be a salesman at local Vauxhall garage - trust me when I say that I used to sell `new` motors that had been sitting for a damned bit longer than 8 weeks in the compound!

Give it to me, Give it to me!!!!!!!!!!!!
;-)