Starting up an E250CDI after long absence

[YL08]

We spend part of our lives outside the UK and during that period, obviously my car is not used. It's a 2012 E250CDI, with only 4,000 miles on it, and it's been in an unheated but dry garage, since mid-December. We'll be back next week. What precautions should I take in terms of getting the car ready to drive again?

 

[mikestrivens]

Do you have power in garage?

 

[mikestrivens]

Check tyre pressures, oil level, charge battery and away you go. In that time the battery will be flat unless you have kept it charged with a CTEK (or similar) conditioner.

 

[mikestrivens]

Oh and it will probably need a wash and wax.

 

[YL08]

Care for car

Thanks for these suggestions, Mike. Unfortunately, there is no power to the garage, so the trickle-charger didn't happen. I have left an older C-Class for three months before, and the battery was fine, but although this car is newer, I suspect that the battery may be insufficient to start the car, and it might need help.

I was really thinking about issues around starting the engine and making sure the oil circulates well before the cylinders grind against the block. On petrol engines, I used to hear advice about cranking the engine for ten seconds or so to start the oil circulating without applying power to the engine. I don't know whether the different fuel composition of diesel vs petrol would result in the bores and pistons retaining more lubricant for the first few turns than in a petrol engine. And what about the glow plug?

Thanks,

Nigel

 

[brandwooddixon]

Diesel has better lubricating properties than petrol and in the initial cranking the bores will be awash with fuel.

Apart from allowing it to idle for a few minutes before attempting to drive it and of course being prepared in case the battery has died I don't think that there is much to worry about.

 

[Remenham]

I suspect it will fire up no problems. Suck it and see!

 

[Ricardo_e220]

I reckon it will be fine. If the garage is properly dry and the car wasn't washed or rained on before parking up then fine.

Why will it need a wax? I have a car which is rarely used and garages year round and if I didn't wax if it would still be beading after 2 years easily!

 

[Peter De La Mare]

Just start it and drive away.

 

[YL08]

Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread. The proof of the pudding will of course be in the eating, which will happen on Thursday afternoon, but since the general consensus is that there shouldn't be any issues, I'm now much less worried about it. Thanks to everyone - I'll let you know how it goes.