Hi Guys,
I live in Australia most of the time but need to keep a car at my place in the outer suburbs of Tokyo for up to a year but usually for about six months as I visit there on and off. I am thinking of a Honda Fit. Does anyone have some advice on whether this a good vehicle for parking up for long periods of time?
I am aware of how to store the car but any recommendations specific to a Fit would also be appreciated.
Thanks Everyone!

 

I have 2 Hondas as summer cars that are stored 6 months/year, every year. Never had a problem to start them back in the summer... (of course, you'll need a trickle charger to keep the battery charged).

 

You mean a battery tender or float charger.

 

Yep, float charger, my bad!

 

cant comment on storage, but I can say the fit is amazing in the tiny streets of Tokyo

I'm jealous, I wish I had a car there just waiting around for me for everytime I'd visit Japan!

 

what a cool problem

I'd suggest covering/protecting the intake duct for the blower fan since we've seen plenty of evidence of rodents taking up residence on the cabin air filter.

besides that.. some dielectric grease/silicone paste on the chassis grounds/battery terminals. I dont think this vehicle will require special care besides that.

Hey though, the serpentine belt tensioner is likely strong enough to take a misdirected finger from you. has anyone had issues regarding squeeks, squeels, wobbles in the serp drive system after 6 months storage?.

 

If your parking is not close to the ocean or bay, no salty air to worry about. The Fit does not have fantastic rust protection given price point.

Tokyo is brutally hot and humid in the summer and very damp in rainy seasons so you might think of mold mitigation strategies. I don't know how to avoid that. Maybe try to keep it shielded from rain and sun. Maybe some small fan slowly ventilating. It gets very windy so I don't know if a tarp will hold.

You also have to worry about under the car. If you park on dirt, then the moisture from the ground will tend to rot out the undercarrage and plants will somehow grow quikly up into the floorboards. Not sure if the plants can cause much damage in 6 months but you can see photos of cars parked for a couple of years in fields just completely destroyed.

My buddy kept his fancy BMW outside but under a car tarp in a very wet part of the country. I think there were some leaves on the car and it was dirty when he put the tarp on in the fall. In the spring the hood paint was wrecked from mouldy leaves and maybe moisture. I suppose the tarp might be better with a dry and clean car.

 

Thanks for your help. Very much appreciated.

 

Thanks. I like the Fit's nimbleness too. They all seem to 1300cc but I'm trying to find a 1500cc.

 

Thanks for all your help.
I take the point about protecting the underbody. It will be parked on concrete but the moisture could be an issue. I will spray the undercarriage with fish-oil, let that dry and then use some self-priming kill-rust paint over the top. That should do the trick.