gonna be gone for about two months - how to store car

[wkim711]

gonna on a little vaction to visit my family in korea and will be gone for about two months and wondering what i should do to store the car for that period

it will be outside in my driveway and although i can have my father come and start it every once i dont want him to let off the clutch while the car is in gear and into my garage

im thinking of disconnecting the battery but do i just take out the battery or just the disconect the negative side and if i do disconect the battery will i have to reset the radio with a security code (which i dont have and will have to go to the dealer to get which means $$$)

usually i just use the handbrake when i park my car since i have a flat driveway but should i use the handbrakes, 1st gear or reverse i have heard that the handbrake can freeze to the rotors if used along period of time

and last jackstands or not i live in the northeast and it will be getting very cold very soon so should i put the car on jackstands or is it alright to just park it it will be visible in my driveway and think it would look very funny to see my car on jackstands for that period of time

thanks for all the advice in advance

[joe603]

Your best bet is to have someone drive it every 2 weeks or so. Having someone start it is the next best thing. Last is disconnecting the battery (negative terminal).

Have a safe trip!

[wkim711]

nobody i trust knows how to drive stick and that is why i am not sure what to do

my wifes car is going to be driven by her sister the whole time so no need to worry about that and my other car in the garage has a battery charger hooked up to it so no need to worry about that car either

plus g35 + all season tires + snow = big trouble so i would not like anybody to drive her while i am gone

[joe603]

Looks like you'll have to do option 2: have someone start it every 1-2 weeks.

[Kendahl]

Since there is no one to drive the car,(1) dump gasoline stabilizer (Stabil or the equivalent) in the gas tank; do this while you are still driving the car so that it will mix;(2) hook up a battery maintainer (not a charger) even though this requires running an extension cord over the ground;(3) leave the car in first gear or park, depending on your transmission; since the ground is level, do NOT set the hand brake;(4) give a key to someone you trust and a way to contact you in case of emergency.

For extended storage, you would want to put the car indoors on stands to take the pressure off the tires. Two months isn't long enough to worry. I routinely store cars over winter without taking any more precautions.

[wkim711]

ok not gonna inverst in a battery maintainer cause it will only be used once and then never again should i take out the battery and store it indoors cause of the weather or just disconnect the negative side and leave the battery in the car

and will i have to reset the radio on the g35 some cars have codes that you have to put in after the radio is taken out or battery dies for theft reasons

[smockers83]

I stored mine last winter (Thanksgiving to 3rd week of April). Here's what I did.*Put plastic down on the floor, it keeps the moisture down from the concrete*Disconnected the negative terminal, no trickle charger (battery maintainer)*Oil change, full tank of gas + stabilizer close to before putting her in*Car cover--keeps further moisture out, dust off, possible sunlight

Come April, she started right up on the first try without starting it over the winter. Just let her run for 15 minutes or so and went home. I'll be doing the same thing this winter, too. The day or day before you go to store it, get a full tank, pour the stabilizer in and have fun with it one last time and then store it. You could also look into draining the coolant.

[joe603]

Good advice guys!

[G_whizz]

Bravo boys!

[smockers83]

That'd be a negative on the radio.

[USAF_G35_Guy]

All great ideas...I'll use some of em too when I leave the country for a few months.

Just curious....what's in the garage that takes priority over the G?

Must be a nice ride...some old muscle? or a bike maybe?

[zippyslug31]

I've heard one of the WORST things you can do is just start it up and let it idle to warm. Something to do with moisture build-up with the heat.

From what I recall, the info went on to say that if you start it, you better plan on driving it around and let the water evac out of the system.My memory is devoid of any specifics, but that's what I recall.

A couple of months probably won't make a difference, but I wonder if you need to worry about flat spots on your tires since Gs have such a low profile?

Also wonder if a car cover would be of any use to you? I just bought one for my G that I toss on it when I don't drive it (maybe up to a week at a time), but this is just to keep dust and to prevent accidental bumps. When I was doing my pre-purchase research it looks like a lot of covers now offer "outdoors protection" and allow moisture to evaporate.Just a thought.

[wkim711]

e36 m3

[zozoka1212]

Have a safe trip.

zozo