I've been in China for 5 months now and put my car in storage. This includes:

-Cracked windows
-Cleaned
-Removed Battery
-Filled gas tank and added stabilizer
-Lubed door gaskets
-Towels between wipers and glass
-On Jack stands

I'm coming back this month and was wondering about the oil. I have Mobil 1 in there now. Should I think about changing it before starting it up? Or just run it? Will synthetic oil break down?

Also, I plan on coming back here for a year after about a month. Should I remove the oil for such a long period of time?
Thanks.

 

I been through this process heck my car is in storage for 2 years.

Before storage you should change your oil and have new oil in there. I top it off. Once you are ready to drive your car again run it for a bit and change it for new oil. Remember old oils are a bit acidic and can damage internally. Also as for adding anything I don't know any of it but I don't think it is necessary. Let me know if you have more questions.

As for jack stands I hope it is not completely off the ground. It need some contact due to your bushings. You don't want your bushing to stretch overtime. I allow my disc to sit on cinder block. I removed the rims/tires because when you have it on and it sits for a long time on surface it creates a flat spot.

I think that is all I can think of @ a short moment. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

~Robert

 

If it was me, I would just fill the air to the max allowed pressure rather than lifting it off the ground. Like was said above, it was not designed to hang like that. The way tires are made these days, even if they get a flat sport, it will go away after just a few miles of driving.

I would close up the exhaust tip so creatures don't settle in there.

Also, if it was me, and depends where I was storing it, I would also buy a bar or two of Irish Springs Soap and cut it up to pieces and place them throughout the car.

I heard that mice/ rats hate the smell and would stay away.

I know people who had mice/ rats settle in everything from the engine bay to the air intake to somewhere in the exhaust. They also chewed up his brake lines and engine wire harness.

Lastly, I would buy something to prevent moths. I have no idea what I would buy for it, but I heard it can be a problem as well.

 

a bucket of damp rid and you wont need to crack your windows.

If you are storing in a location where you might have a heat wave I might not do the soap thing because it can melt on a humid day and get all over. If you do put some protection down like a plastic bag.

 

Clearly, just put the soap chunks in an open plastic container (like an empty water bottle cut in half) and you will have no issues. Thinking about it, you can even place the cut bottle in some of the 10 cup holders that we have and you know that they shall never tip over either. LOL

I also like the "damp rid" idea as I would personally never leave windows cracked open.

 

So, if I wash with Irish Spring, I'll never have mice, right?

 

Hahaha. Thanks for the advice guys!

 

A little more advice. If your brake fluid is older bleed your brake system and fill with fresh brake fluid. Brake fluid loves to absorb water and if older brake fluid is left to sit for a long time it could rust your brake components.

 

Did your car survive when you got back - is there anything you would have done differently or in addition to the steps you took before you left to store it better? Did you have any rodent or insect infestations when you got back? I am going to have to leave on a contract job for 8 months and am worried that my Fit won't survive the storage. I'm going to follow the steps mentioned here and other sites so hopefully it will be okay.

 

Interesting all the worries about storing a car. Do like my FinL and his old Dodge Caravan. For the past 4-5 years he puts it in his garage and takes the battery out so it does not drain while away for 5 months. Come home puts battery in and drives away. He does nothing else. Van is now 13 years old. Go MOPAR.

 

Cool - that would be ideal to just do that. Some people say don't stress about it all, and then you read stories about coming back to a dead car with wires chewed out from rodents...so I can't help but take some precautions. It will probably be fine, but if it's not, then I'll kick myself for not preparing the car for storage better.

 

Would also suggest putting a car cover on as well

 

If you disconnect battery it should keep a charge at worst you need a boast. No big deal.

Now mice do like our wiring so search around to see what some have done. Other than that do not worry. Hell it is only a car and how long do you plan on keeping it anyways?