Winter storage tips

[VAG-Slag]

******** to this, it’s getting far too cold for my liking so I’m pissin awwwf to **** for the winter... Just wanted to get some storage tips. I’ve just bought a car cover, i’m going to leave a bowl of silica gel or similar on the dash and leave the hand break off with the wheels chocked instead. Do you think it’d be best to completely remove the battery and charge up when I get back?

I’m gonna be away for a good 6 months or so, anyone got any other tips to help preserve the S3 for my return or anything i should be weary of when I do come back?

Any advice or shared experiences would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[jcs356]

Hmm, I wouldn't leave a car under a cover for 6 months unless it is precisely tailored fit for the car. Any slack in it and once the wind gets up and it flaps around it will take any specks of dirt on your car and grind them into the paintwork. Cheapo covers can also stick to the paint when wet - you really need a fully breathable tailored cover which is going to cost you several hundred quid - and then only put it onto a completely clean car.

I'd disconnect the battery completely but make sure you've got your radio code, and remember the central locking won't work once you've done it, so lock the passenger door and boot first. Try to leave as little fuel as possible in the tank as that will go off over 6 months. You're right not to leave the handbrake on - just leave it in gear and chock it as you say. You could also over-inflate the tyres to prevent them flat spotting.

 

[jcs356]

Alternative - do you have any mates who you'd trust to look after the car for you - i.e. take it for a spin once a fortnight. That might be better than leaving it parked up?

 

[VAG-Slag]

Alternative - do you have any mates who you'd trust to look after the car for you - i.e. take it for a spin once a fortnight. That might be better than leaving it parked up?

i did think about this but that'd mean I'd have to keep it taxed, MOT'd and insured which just isn't going to be cost effective.

yea, it's a super cheap cover as I'm a super cheap bloke, Lidle special ;-) I was thinking of putting a couple blocks of polystyrene (or similar) in-between the cover and the car to try and limit contact of the cover on the body and also help air circulation to try prevent it getting to mouldy underneath. Do you think this might help?

 

[jcs356]

TBH, I wouldn't put a cover like that on my car.

 

[leeds_182]

I think cheap covers are worse then no cover from what ive heard.

 

[VAG-Slag]

mmmmmmmmmmm. . . Bit o' food for thought there. By the sounds of things i'd be better off giving it a dam good clean before I go and then getting the old man to run a hose over it once a fortnight for me. And in all fairness, it's not as if she's in concourse condition, i was thinking of getting a blow over or vinyl wrap when I get back anyway.

Thanks for your input guys!

 

[jojo]

Definitely pump your tyres up, 40psi is what I pumped mine upto parked up for almost 12 months, but I parked it in my garage. Didn't disconnect my car batt, so had to get a new one, it was dead as a dodo! I had a full tank of V-Power aswell, but it was still good 12 months later,and my car had a great track outing last week also, so all is good!

 

[beanoir]

No!! Don't pump the tyres up, thats the worst thing you can do! Crikey. Sorry JoJo I have to disagree (politley of course )

You should stick the car on axel stands and take the wheels off, store in-doors or in shed/garage and deflate them! Tyres decay quicker (i'm not talking about tyre wear more rubber decay) and more likely to become mishapen if you don't use them and leave them sitting in the same spot for a length of time, and so the advice for storing tyres is to take the air out of them.

Don't use a cheap non-breathable car cover as it'll just hold condensation agains the car bodywork, you're better off not using a car cover than using a cheap one.

The AA provide some good tips for laying up a car Laying up your car : Not using your car for a long time - how to prepare your car for storage - The AA

 

[jojo]

No!! Don't pump the tyres up, thats the worst thing you can do! Crikey. Sorry JoJo I have to disagree (politley of course )

You should stick the car on axel stands and take the wheels off, store in-doors or in shed/garage and deflate them! Tyres decay quicker (i'm not talking about tyre wear more rubber decay) and more likely to become mishapen if you don't use them and leave them sitting in the same spot for a length of time, and so the advice for storing tyres is to take the air out of them.

That is the correct way for the long term in all honesty. I didn't plan to store my car for 11months, it was suppose to be 2 months!. lol The extra air in the tyres is to keep them as round as possible, not sure if it's to do with rubber decaying(guess you will put me right somewhere), but the metal wires inside the tyres deforming when parked up for so long?, and you get wobbly wheels afterwoods, but my car seemed to be fine.

 

[S3quatt]

True on the tyre count Jojo, ramp them up to 40-45 psi if there being left on.
I do this a lot BTW.
Get one of those moisture traps & leave it in the foot well.
Handbrake off
Pop the bonnet, lock the car (To lock the boot & passenger door) then disconnect the battery. Put it on charge afterwards.
I also spray WD40 on the brake disks too. but if you are leaving it outside I'd get one of those sprays which dries as a sort of wax afterwards. Maybe GT90? Cant remember if it does or no.

Again if its outside, as much as it pains me, I'd leave it uncovered & let the air round it as covers only hold moisture...

 

[rezulteo]

Hello everyone,

There is no need to pump tyres up above their recommended pressure for storing a car over any length of time...

The best thing to do would be to life the car up using a jack. Failing that, I would recommend just moving the car slightly so that it's not always the same part of the tyre that is touching the ground... so getting a friend to just move it half a wheel turn forward would do.

Hope this all helps!