Car unused for a number of weeks

[SLinKyjoe]

As I am temporarily unable to use the SLK I am wondering what precautions I should take with it.

It is sat in the garage with 3/4full tank of petrol. hasnt been driven since 27th May and will not be driven until at the earliest, the 30th June.

Bear in mind I cannot get my legs in the car.

 

[SLIGOGOLFER]

Just make sure you keep the battery charged up, as your passive electronic systems are a constant drain. Other than that no problems

 

[shrekky]

dont park it with the hand brake on...........it might seize on !......chock the wheels

 

[Myros]

for God's sake

don't be tempted to run it, even for a minute, in the garage w/o the door wide open. Other wise they'll have to break your legs again to get the coffin lid on.

 

[paulcallender]

If its just a month then just charging the battery should be okay.

If its longer, then there are a number of other things you can do to preserve it. Obviously the best thing to do is to take if for a 10 mile drive every week...but given your situation, then rolling it 1/4 a wheel forwards every week, would be a good thing (can your nurse help out here?) This would save the tyres' sidewalls from distorting over time. Also, running the motor once a week will prevent areas which are normally oily, from becoming dry and corroding.

You may as well take the tax disc off it and cash in on a month's tax???

 

[Myros]

you can also

pump the tyres up to 50 psi or so, that will also stop them taking on a "set", if the rolling thing isn't a possibility.I wouldn't use a foot pump though. You might crack the windows a bit, just to let the air around, but not enough to let the bats in.

 

[996jimbo]

Or just leave it alone and don't worry about it - nothing's going to go wrong in only a month.

 

[tom7035]

And make sure the cat's not shut in it!

 

[mlc]

Uncle Slinky,

Two options - Lend the car to your favourite nephew I can be around tonight to collect it.

Or in the real world dont worry it will be fine. Six weeks is not going to do any harm, people park up for longer than that at the Airport whilst on holiday, and just think how long those wonderful Rover cars are going to stand before being sold as "New".

Sorry to hear about the legs, get well soon.

mark.

 

[The Editor]

Slinky,

Rotate the tyres every 3 - 4 hours and make sure you drain and replace all the brake fluid every other day (it's hydroscopic you know !!). Wire the battery straight up to the mains and put a 6" nail in your fusebox to cope with'the extra current" - That will keep it topped up.

Put a 50 watt bulb in your garage. If it helps - Play music (sedate stuff/classical etc) to your car so as it still feels loved.

Hang your keys up on separate hooks and make sure the MB logo is facing OUTWARDS at all times.

DON'T under any circumstances turn your central heating on. Cancel the milk and make sure the cat has fresh water............. :-D :-D :-D

Seriously..... I wouldn't worry too much mate. Not for the length of time you are talking about. I've been away for six weeks at a time before and come back to a car that starts first time and didn't clatter like a machine gun when it fired up (admittedly it was a Saab so they are used to standing about in minus 600 degrees :roll: )

It sounds as though you garage your car so it should be fine. Get some rest and stop fretting !!

Cheers

Mark

edited - DOH...mlc's just beaten me to it !!

 

[paulcallender]

Cars CAN and DO go bad, from being left. You can hit unexpected problems that you'd not normally come across at a young age, on a car thats been left idle. For example, suspension components can deteriorate rapidly and parts of the engine which are normally covered by a thin film of oil, can dry out and soon corrode. So slinkyjoe is right to ask.....

 

[The Editor]

Totally agree with you Paul... but not if the thing is garaged for A SIX WEEK PERIOD !!...People go on holiday for longer.. If my suspension deteriorated in six weeks my lawyer would be asking questions !!

If your car is going to be unused for a few months then yes I would consider precautions necessary.

 

[paulcallender]

Let me just clarify the situation: I'm not saying the car will be significantly affected in terms of safety or outward appearance. I am speaking from experience, that the rate of wear & tear on components which are designed to be used for a particular purpose, don't necessarily stop wearing if the car is unused.

For example, steel is an alloy of iron, and iron's natural state is to oxidise into rust. The only defence against this is to completely isolate the steel from any oxidising agent. Typically, galvanising, or painting, is used to try and achieve this. But for engine components, this is done by a thin film of oil. If this film is lost, then internal corrosion will occur.

Mercedes' last a long time but they don't last for ever. If you want yours to last for as long as possible, you're going to have to take care of it!

 

[The Editor]

Accepted !!... That's why I don't let the wife drive it !!! :lol: :lol:

 

[paulcallender]

LOL. I always giggle when I read adverts in the paper for small cars, typically described as "very low mileage, lady owner". Hmmm, town driving, clutch will be f***ed.

 

[The Editor]

Don't forget the bit about how she was a Vicars wife - Meaning "It's never been driven over 20mph or made it out of third !!"

 

[996jimbo]

For example, steel is an alloy of iron, and iron's natural state is to oxidise into rust. The only defence against this is to completely isolate the steel from any oxidising agent. Typically, galvanising, or painting, is used to try and achieve this.

Actually corrosion occurs due to presence of an electrolyte (eg water moisture / vapour) and a differential in exposure to oxygen, or something along those lines. Paint works by preventing migration from cathode to anode (or was it the other way around?) and by ensuring an even contact surface with the atmosphere (ie paint doesn't necessarily isolate the substrate from the oxidising agent but ensures no differential in exposure to oxygen). Irons' natural state is iron but if you introduce an eloctolyte it will then oxidise. Galvanising works because zinc corrodes in a particular way but I can't remember what that is - aluminium corrodes but in so doing seals its surface (goes dull) and then can't corrode further.

My brain aches from trying to remember materials science lessons of so long ago. May have got that wrong.

 

[pascal]

The only defence against this is to completely isolate the steel from any oxidising agent. Typically, galvanising, or painting, is used to try and achieve this.

I suppose the quality of the steel also has a bearing on corosion.

regarding Aluminuim sealing itself and not coroding any further. Never heard that. I remember when the catheral in Liverpool was being built, a large proportion of the roof was made from aluminium, and had coroded before the building was actually finished.

 

[shrekky]

oxidization takes place with everything,just at different rates ,using different elements................you dont want it to corrode................vacuum seal it in a massive plastic bag :lol::lol:

 

[tom7035]

After reading all this Slinky, if it were me I'd cut a hole in the bulkhead to accommodate my legs, and fit hand controls!
Get well soon.