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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> Precautions
        
(Message started by: Waglet on Oct 7^th, 2006, 7:21am)

Title: Precautions
Post by Waglet on Oct 7^th, 2006, 7:21am

G`daye Maytes. I`m off to Oz and NZ in a couple of weeks and the Scorp 24V Black `S` 1998 (the one that costs a lot to keep on the road) will be parked on the drive for 6 weeks. The weather will be getting progressivly colder (but I don`t need to tell you that do I?).....is there anything I need to do before I go or do you think she will start `no wurriez` on my return?
Wag

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by Paul B on Oct 7^th, 2006, 7:48am

To be honest, my money's on it not starting.

I know,if it were mine, that after 1 week it would be as dead as a... dead thing :-/ ::)

I would get someone you trust to A) Keep an eye on it, to watch it doesn't get pinched, and B) Come round and start & run it for a while, say every couple of days.

Yours might be fine, but thats what I'd do.

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by mazzy_j on Oct 7^th, 2006, 9:19am

Usually i can leave mine for a couple of weeks (or more) and it will still start first time, albeit a bit more tappy than usual though.

As Paul says i usually do A) and get my mate to check up on it as he drives past daily. You could always remove some of the fuses/relays (what i do aswell), just remember where they all went!

Maybe pump the tyres up a bit more to stop any flats spots starting to form?

Matt

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by howiedintheplace on Oct 7^th, 2006, 9:48am

No worrries mate ;D

Try & put it some where undercover.
If not cover the fuse boxes with something water tight & polish the car.

Take the battery off, leave the hand brake off (just park) & make sure the tyre pressures are o.k.
Oh & lock it up. ;)

Now stop worring about it & enjoy your holiday.

Went to Oz & Newzealand myself in April. Very nice 8)

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by - Mike - on Oct 7^th, 2006, 11:52am

Crikey 6 weeks upside down that'll make your head spin. LOL }{

Have a good'un ;)

Mike

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by TiberiuS on Oct 7^th, 2006, 3:45pm

Don't know why you're worried mate :)

Mine gets parked up for weeks at times and always starts (except for the time the original battery died ;)). If there's a chance you may be gone for longer, then give it a good run to charge the battery, get it jacked up and on axle stands, remove the plugs and spray some oil into the bores, disconnect the battery, deadlock it and keep it covered if possible, opening the windows an inch or so if it's in a dry place to keep the interior aired. Thats how I've had the Capri laid up for the last 10 years :D.

My car's parked offroad and hasn't been used since last Saturday, when I was rough a few months ago it stood there for weeks on end unused and never let me down. It does mainly fast runs, normally over 30 miles a time, not sure if that means much though nowadays...

Regards, Bruce.

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by Waglet on Oct 7^th, 2006, 4:41pm

Many thanks Gents. Something to work on. I guess I`ll get someone to start it regularly.
Cheers.

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by taliban on Oct 7^th, 2006, 5:25pm

you could remove the battery and leave it on a trickle charger, the only thing with that is where? you dont want to leave a battery in a house on charge even if it is just a trickle charge.....

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by mr._floppy on Oct 7^th, 2006, 5:49pm

Can't see a fully charged battery needing a trickle charge once it's removed from the car and kept indoors for 7 weeks.

When you buy a new one from Halfords how long have they been on the shelf ?

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by howiedintheplace on Oct 8^th, 2006, 9:09am

Yeah once a battery is fully charged & nothing is draining it no need for a trickle charge.
New batteries are fully charged @ the factory & then sit of the shelves for years.
If a battery does loose charge it's starting to fail.

Also everyone says get some one to start the car while your away ;D

but it is the worst thing you can do.

Over 50% of engine wear is caused by starting it & running it for short periods of time.
Short startups introduces condensation into your exhaust + rust.
Drains your battery etc etc

It would be the worst thing you could do fact ;)

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by mr._floppy on Oct 8^th, 2006, 9:45am

Over 50% of engine wear is caused by starting it & running it for short periods of time.
Short startups introduces condensation into your exhaust + rust.
Drains your battery etc etc []

Indeed, Idling is generally unrecorded as a factor in engine wear.

That's why I would always avoid buying an ex-police car, the pristine Jag may have only 87K on the clock but at the scene of countless road accidents it may have be idling with all electrics on for up to 8 hours at a time.

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by taliban on Oct 8^th, 2006, 7:31pm

'When you buy a new one from Halfords how long have they been on the shelf ?'

thats the point though, i take it this isnt a new battery, i.e. couple of years old, addmittedly trickle chargers are meant to be used with the battery in the vehicle, where there is a small alarm drain etc but i dont think waglet has a garage that it could be connected in...

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by TiberiuS on Oct 8^th, 2006, 7:59pm

on 10/08/06 at 09:45:21, mr._floppy wrote:

That's why I would always avoid buying an ex-police car, the pristine Jag may have only 87K on the clock but at the scene of countless road accidents it may have be idling with all electrics on for up to 8 hours at a time.

Yes, most XJ40's for sale in white are sold as 'ex wedding cars' but were the ones as used by the police, base XJ6 2.9 or 3.2, cloth interior and wheeltrims. A check through the history would reveal the real history, though ;)

Bargain priced cars but they have more than their fair share of problems...

Bruce.

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by Dave on Oct 8^th, 2006, 8:37pm

Do you have anyone you trust who could give the car a run? In an ideal world a car should not be started unless it is being driven for at least 5 miles. If anyone could use the car for say a 15 mile run every other week that would keep things free.

If not then give it a good run before you go, lock it up, then go enjoy your holiday and sort out any problems when you get back, assuming there are any of course :)

If your battery is flat/low, charge it when you get back. Don't leave it on trickle unattended for that long.

If you can get it in a garage then all should be well.

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by Snoopy on Oct 9^th, 2006, 7:25am

Cars sit for weeks even months in storage out in the feilds and on the docks and never get looked at .
IMHO if your car is OK now then leaving it for 6 weeks will not harm it. It should start OK and run ok when you return.
Under cover is best but really I do think we can all be over cautious . I have left mine for two weeks in the past and never had any problems .

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by Dave on Oct 9^th, 2006, 10:12am

Very true. Should have pointed out that mine was stood for 14 weeks right from October 05 to January 06 due to an electrical fault. When it started up when the fault was fixed it ran absolutely great :)

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by Waglet on Dec 12^th, 2006, 10:22pm

I`m back from the land(s) down under. Cossie started 1st turn! Rattled a bit but hey that stopped real quick. Only thing wrong is the radio display has disappeared and the gear lever was really stiff from park into reverse, but that has now fixed it self.
Never saw one Scorpio just hundreds of various Ford Falcons in varying degrees of power. The Ford Fairmont is a nice car....

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by LiverpaulH on Dec 14^th, 2006, 12:40pm

Good news, I'm sure you enjoyed yourself too. Such a change from the hassle and problems of this place, refreshing to be welcomed all the time. Hoping to go back for the fourth time next year.

When we went to NZ for three months a couple of years back I parked the mondeo we had at the time in the garage and it started 1st turn when we got back.

I personally love the BA Falcon XR6's and XR8's as you can tell by my signature!

Paul 8)

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by Waglet on Dec 14^th, 2006, 9:47pm

Funny you mention the XR`s. My cousin has an XR6 Turbo...guite nippy and my other cousin`s hubby has an XR8.....Muust run in the family!! ;D

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by ferretmobile on Dec 15^th, 2006, 2:10pm

I use a solar powered trickle charger that I got from maplins. Works a treat through the ciggy socket doobry.
Charger sits on the dash top ....and thats it!
I also have one on the caravan battery witch sits in France all year round, no probs cobber. :D

Title: Re: Precautions
Post by Tony_Bradley on Dec 15^th, 2006, 5:30pm

Hi Waglet

Well I just had to have a 95 Cossie estate with a blown Head Gasket and several other problems taken to the great car park in the sky. It had been standing for 12 months and the guy who came to collect it used a high power starter pack and it started second go. That poor old cossie should give you confidenece in yours ability to star after only 6 weeks !

Hva a good holiday

Tony