Short Term Storage

[mhknapp]

For various reasons (mostly one car too many). My Boxster is spending most of it's time in the garage under a cover . Work permitting, I get a chance to drive it every other weekend, and run it for a hour or so at least. Is there anything special, other than checking tire pressure, fluids etc. that I should be doing while it is sitting in the garage?

Thanks

Mike

[lrayner]

Our Boxster mostly sits too. On the recomendation of Hoehn Porsche after they saw how few miles we were putting on it, I bought the Porsche trickle charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter (are they still called that?) and automatically keeps the battery topped up. I don't always use it but when I know the car will be sitting a while, I'll plug it in.

[Dan Chambers]

From past experience of buying vehicles that sat for a while:

Try to run the vehicle on the street at least once a month, if possible. All the seals, including drive train, bearings, case(s), etc. tend to go "dry" if not exposed to regular splashings of liquids like oil/lubricant/coolant/antifreeze, etc. Wheel bearing lubricant can slowly migrate to the bottom of the race/bearings and leave the top of the bearing seal dry to rot. (My old hand-operated locking hubs on my truck required me to lock the front axle once a month to keep the internals well lubricated. The maker recommended running the front hubs locked for 10 miles every 30 days.)The best thing for a car is to be run/driven. They really weren't made to be built and then sit.

One very important thing to remember: coolant is also designed to be a metal protectant. It helps reduce corrosion, even in aluminum engines/radiators. HOWEVER: Coolant pH changes over time, and aged coolant can become caustic to aluminum and seals like head gaskets. So, be sure your coolant is fresh, and the ratio is at least 50/50 mixed with DISTILLLED water before you "park" the thing. (After sitting for 2 years, the radiator on my Dodge truck catistrophically failed after I bought it. Cause: rust throughout and in the radiator.)

Another thing: motor oil breaks down under the influence of air, over time. Oxidation occurs even in synthetic oils, although I understand not as much since the oxidation and the microbial consumption affect on synthetic oil is reduced. If the car sits for a long time, and the oil breaks down, when the engine does get started, the oil may not be working at top levels, and there could be "issues". So, fresh oil when parked, and a fresh oil change when you "wake it up."

Gasoline loses the most important elements when a car sits; highly volatile compounds (benzene, and other VOC's). These VOC's are what make a car run smooth and strong. Coupled with the incidence of water vapor condensing on the inside walls of a gas tank and mixing with the gas when temperatures fluctuate from hot to cold, your gas in the tank starts to "go bad" over time, and can cause some real difficulties when you're ready to "start her up". One thing you can do to minimize condensation is store the car with the tank fairly full. Less surface area exposed to air (and water vapor) the less condensation over time you could experience. Of course, you may have to drain all the gas from the tank if the car really sits for a long time, but that's another issue.

Your tires will not like storage either. Tires often crack, and many can flat spot if the car's weight is sitting on them for long periods of time. In the "old days" guys used to store their car on blocks or stands to keep the springs from sagging. I'd consider putting my car on stands or blocks for the sake of the springs and the tires if it were going to be a long period of storage.

Finally, any and all rubber oxidizes over time. Frequently, rubber gets "treatment" when regularly washed and used (as in: daily drivers), but stored cars often experience rubber drying and cracking due to a lack of periodic inspection and treatment. Consider giving the rubber seals around doors, windows, etc., a little dash of silicon or even a very light coating of petroleum jelly to keep them from the ravages of dry storage.

If it's a cab, get some info from someone like OB upholstry on how to properly condition and cover your "ragtop." Even covered convertable tops can suffer from storage.

Again, my personal philosphy is: a car is meant to be driven. So if possible, drive it once a week to work, the market, or just for fun.

These are just my views. Others may differ.

[mhknapp]

Thanks guys - hopefully this is only a short term thing - anybody want a Grand Cheorkee ;-].

I plan on driving a least every other weekend (if not every). But I will take all your recommendations to heart, I certainly agree Porsches were mentto be driven and enjoyed

Mike