Got my RB5 SORN'd at the moment. Tucked away in the garage so nice and dry, have a maintenance charger for the battery and can start it and roll it out onto the drive and warm it up now and then. Just wondered if there are any problems to look out for when leaving a car standing for weeks at a time?

 

I would put one of those little dehumidifiers inside to prevent any condensation, I suggest weighting the clutch pedal so it doesn't get stuck on ( don't know how long it take to stick on)

 

Leave the handbrake off when stood still and move it every few days to rotate the tyres so the car is not sat on one spot of the tyres the entire time, give it a good clean and get a decent car cover if funds permit, wouldn't leave the tank full of fuel either for a long period of time, just top it up with a jerry can when required.

 

I am working on getting a group buy on a Airchamber if anyone reading this is interested?

AS above handbrake off, move it a little and start it up and let it get warm once in a while.

 

leave the drivers side window open a little this will stop condensation on the inside of your car

 

Our motorhome instructions advise over inflation of tyres to prevent flatspotting and brimming the fuel to prevent corrosion formed by condensation in the tank.

 

Cheers for the tips guys, feels like just moving it regularly and running the engine up to temp is the way forward. Hopefully will be getting some use soonish but 55mpg in a Fiesta Zetec S diesel is kind of hard to ignore!

 

Would think it is not a good idea to run the engine in this way as most wear occurs during start up and cold running, also the build up of corrosive moisture in the exhaust won't do that any good.

 

I know what you mean my Audi diesel 65mpg is great and comfortable to drive but the scoobys puts a smile on your face but now more of a weekend car now

 

i had a concourse escort rs turbo series 1 custom and it was dry stored for 9 years and some of the methods i used to store it were a bit obsessive but were a necessity for the type of car and its worth,. but the methods were as follows:- i had it stored zipped inside a CARCOON go on their website and it came with a trickle charger,. the bonnet were fully open for any vapours that might escape from a battery they can escape,. i had it on axle stands with cardboard folded on top so not to mark the underside, the wheels were removed and air pressure in the tyres let down so where the car stood it wouldnt get flat spots on the tyres, the fuel tank was filled to the brim so no condensation would be present, with a fuel additive. handbrake left off and an air purifier within the carcoon dehumidifier,. like i said a bit excessive but hope you can get from this what might be right for you,. hope it helps.
ps a pic for your pleasure of said car


and one of my 2003 sti v-limited

 

Nice RS!!!!!

 

thanks palim driving a chelsea tractor now lol range rover sport hse and it has no frills like anything ive owned before,. maybe im just getting old and want comfort and a nice heated seat lol. fuel costs are as bad as my old subaru though so no change there, nor insurance for that matter.
and yes i am very temted to get another subaru as i still consider it as the best car ive ever driven

 

Probably OK for diesel, but petrol turns to varnish, and depending on how long you're going to store it, a full tank of sh*tty old petrol would be a right pain to dispose of, let alone being a waste of money at today's prices!

 

True but the least amount of fuel or even brimmed but in a small receptacle will go off faster than a large filled tank. Its the fuel in the fueling system thats likely to go off and varnish than the fuel in the tank. That the good side of running the engine up at least every 2 weeks . The bad side of this as pointed out by another poster is cold start wear and condensation.

 

Interesting views. The car condom things are not really an option as the garage is integral to the house so not vey big and I need to get in to get the mountain bike out plus fettling at times. Thoughts of maybe selling it in the back of my mind but it wouldn't go for much and I have spent lots over the years. Also owned from new so part of the family in a way so would be a shame to see it go. Think I'll just keep it SORN'd for a while and see how it goes.
The dream is to win the lottery and then take it to RCM with an open cheque book and create the ultimate RB5 :-). Now, where would that start?

 

alot of good ideas here and a good read as i have just stored my blob sti and sorned it at a friends unit, as above where the plan was to fettle it and keep it running of sorts, so if you dont run it from time to time there could be various problems but if you do start it regularly say every week or second week in theory you are damaging the engine with constant cold starts? surely this is what happens every morning in the winter though to everyone that uses theirs as a daily driver

 

Good point above, everyday use in winter is a cold start daily - I reckon a weekly-ish start is fine so long as it gets nice and warm. Also just rolling it out will work the brake pistons a bit so stop them seizing etc, does steering pump, clutch etc too. Could even run the a/c as well I guess.

 

Biggest problem I find Is my brakes seem to stick if I don't move my Greenwagon every week then have to try it in reverse then forward and build up the revs to release them
I also trickle charge my battery every month to keep it charged up
I leave a back window slightly open to keep the damp moist smell away from the interior

 

To help with the brakes, I leave mine in gear but with the handbrake off whenever it's garaged, so they never seize on.

Stale fuel is the main reason you see so many people struggling to start their petrol mowers after the winter. You really need some fuel from a newly filled can to get them going. I believe the aromatics evaporate off in storage and it's those, rather than the liquid fuel, that ignite to get the engine started.

 

Airchamber group buy sounds good I'm after one.

 

PM sent (looking at 20% -30% off so it could be a great deal)

 

Strangely, something I'm very interested in.

I've always done much of the above but have also heard that if you're starting the car and letting the engine get up to temperature you create a lot of water that then sits and corrodes the exhaust.
If you are going to start it, make sure the exhaust gets hot so that it evaporates the water in the exhaust system.
This obviously doesn't apply to stainless systems!


And obviously a damn good clean, underside and all, before it goes into storage!

 

https://www.scoobynet.com/group-buys...l#post10894161

 

I have a sierra cosworth that is only used about a dozen times a year. I leave this in a dehumidified garage and disconnect the battery. When its left over the winter I remove plugs and disconnect coil then turn it over until oil light out then refit plugs and coil wire and start it up then run it until fans cut in then back out. Had car 20 years and never had any issues with fuel nor brakes. I always leave handbrake off and in gear. Main thing is keeping it dry and having some air movement in the garage.