Thread: Storage advice

well i would empty it of diesel as that can go off and also cause condesation and there fore water.
But apart from that i personally think it wouold be better with the oils topped up and left in it.
The longest i have a left a car is 3 months and that was when our 90 came over here. But we did nothing with it . Left the battery attc and a tank of diesel in it. Started as useual when we came to move it

i thought it may have been best filling the fuel all the way to the top

where do you live, maybe somebody could take it for a run every month or so as i would be worried about all the seals drying out and causing leaks, well more leaks than normal

if you're in brissy i could take her for a spin

Originally Posted by weeds

if you're in brissy i could take her for a spin

bugger beat me to it , i was going to offer that

But the only problem with filling the fuel right up is it will be off when you get back so you will have to drain it

Originally Posted by Reads90

bugger beat me to it , i was going to offer that

But the only problem with filling the fuel right up is it will be off when you get back so you will have to drain it

good point, either way there is a good chance the tank will need cleaning/flushing

i regular drive would propably be the best

Two years is a long time for it to sit around.

I would certainly drain the fuel, and run to dry, drain the cooling system, but leave the lubrication fluids in. When you get back the lubrication fluids would have to be drained - the bits flushed, then re-filled with new fluids.

When I left the UK my very old car was to be stored, the company that stored it actually filled the cooling system with a product similar to fish oil available here - called duck oil, ran the engine for 5 mins then drained it.

The wheels were removed and put on a roller trolly stand

The battery was removed, and the whole car was put in a bloody big plastic bag - and the air was sucked out.

When I finally got round to picking it up 4 years later - it was still pristine, bar having to buy a new battery.

tyres need to removed or jacke dup off ground or will go and form a permanent flat spot

oils should be topped up

fuel tank drained

l would do a radiator flush and fill with new fluid before l left it standing

remove battery

if sitting in storage a car cover or tarp would be good to keep out dust crap from vermanin spoiling paintwork

inside l would leave some mouse rat bait for unwanted house guests

Originally Posted by cartm58

tyres need to removed or jacke dup off ground or will go and form a permanent flat spot

The vehicles weight can also have an effect on stationary wheel bearings, etc. Jack her up and put blocks under the suspension, to relieve weight on the wheel bearings.

The old military way was to drain engine oil, gear box oil, etc, and refill with a "preserving oil". Dave (blacknght) might be able to shed more light on this. My experience has mainly been returning to service after lay apart storage.

2 years is a long time, but, many machines have been stored much longer than that, with no major drama's. At that length of time, the battery will die anyway.
your main worry will be corrosion, big tub of fish oil? Probably not!

Shorty.

1. Call a car storage place and see what they do.
2. Loan it to me, I'll take really good care of it. Promise.
3. Sell it. In two years the new Defender will be run in and TD5s will lose value like a rocket.

Cheers
Simon