Ls400 non-use issues

[Malc]

I've just been noticing quite recently there's a plethora of owners, old and new, who are thinking to try to keep their cars cossetted for a future time

What some of us have noticed during Lockdown has been an assortment of weird and strange issues arising from little or no use of our fine cars and I'm thinking it might be useful, for those owners intent to keep their cars for " finer day " use, or indeed to just keep them as Objet's de desire ......  rather like a piece of fine porcelain or glass ............. for readers here to give their own views on what might be done to help preserve these specimens. Perhaps from their own experiences of little use or expectations of issues arising from little use

And the warning signs and things maybe to look out for to help " preserve " them

Your thoughts please ..........  Discuss .........

Malc

[steve2006]

Top priority for me is a dry but not necessarily heated garage to keep the car inside from the elements, a jet wash to remove all the salt underneath and inside the wheel arches after winter and a smart charger to ensure if I do need to use the car it is going to start.

[BigBoomer]

https://autoclassicastorage.co.uk/how-to-store-your-classic-car/

If you are a true preserver then you need to bubble it. 😁
https://autoclassicastorage.co.uk/what-is-a-car-bubble/

[Malc]

I would be amazingly concerned for the survivability of the electronics, all electric wiring and pixels surviving on the displays whilst in unused storage

Don't these things just " perish " with age and time rather than simply mileage and use ? .......  and in storage, well, it just seems to me that deterioration might just set-in a little faster than being " used " every day or thereabouts

Malc

[H3XME]

Not so relevant but, it's weird how this works, I've had some cars before I wouldn't use often at all. Prime example was my Aussie import 2000 Forester. I was driving the car for a couple of months when I first got it to get familiar with it, but once I parked it up and started using it once a month or so, it started developing gremlins. Happened with other cars too.. I feel like if you don't use a car, it starts breaking on its own 😂

[Malc]

1 hour ago, H3XME said:

I feel like if you don't use a car, it starts breaking on its own

My simple feelings too .....  deterioration slowly sleepily creeps in and starts to break-down electrics especially, gaskets dry out and seep, valves start to " stick " and maybe lots else too ...................  

 

your thoughts one and all ?

Malc

[H3XME]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

My simple feelings too .....  deterioration slowly sleepily creeps in and starts to break-down electrics especially, gaskets dry out and seep, valves start to " stick " and maybe lots else too ...................  

 

your thoughts one and all ?

Malc

Yeah I mean for the likes of the Forester, clutch pedal (spring) started playing up, Battery & alternator as well.. Then one morning ball joint was noisy so I had to change that as well.. all in it was a good car, but like i said. If it's not getting regular enough use, it starts to break down because it's crying for attention 😂

[BigBoomer]

Well made electronics should not be affected by being stored, so long as you store it somewhere dry and temperature controlled.
Damp and temperature changes are what damages electronic circuits, especially since they stopped using solder with lead in it.

Rubber parts deteriorate whether you use the vehicle or not and if you store the vehicle in a VERY dry environment, they decay faster.

If you are storing for a few weeks then in a garage with the Battery connected to a Battery tender is good enough.
If storing for a year or 2, then prep the vehicle as mentioned in the article I linked to above.
If storing indefinitely, then take the weight off the tyres (axle stands?) and consider a car bubble as well as draining the fuel tank.

Cars are designed to be used, not stored. If it's not being driven, then it's just garage art.

[steve2006]

Or even a cosseted 1994 LS400 Celsior spending more time in the garage than on the road that decides to throw it’s idler pulley bearing 2 hours after I sold it leaving the new owner stranded on the M25!

 

[Malc]

certainly reducing the normal annual mileage of mine from 12/15k down to 4k or less these past 2 years has definitely brought it's share of the " inexplicable "

OK the exceptional heat at times might have had some bearing on it all overall .......  BUT the time when, on the M2,  the wipers just packed-up mid flow then a couple of hours later when the RAC guy had ( some seconds later ) arrived, they miraculously began to work ..  and touch wood, have done ever since ......  no cause found or known 

Then when it, the Header Tank, inexplicably needed topping-up with 1.5 gallons of water 😭 .....  my indy could only think some of the myriad gaskets had dried out sufficiently to weep ( a lot ) over the months .........  he checked the resultant diluted coolant strength and that was still fine btw .....  everything else just back to " normal " 

I'm thinking these were issues associated with a lack of " normal " use over the months and as I mentioned all prior in another post sometime back

There's sure some weird and unexpected issues arising from time-to-time with these oldies of ours 

Beautiful tho' they are 

Malc

[Tulpen]

If Greta and her gang get their way, we won't be allowed to drive big-engined cars for much longer. Get out there and drive the wonderful beasts!

[Malc]

just hearing that Antiques are the greenest of green for furniture etc and not replacing with new stuff is the very best carbon reducing footprint way to go

so let's hear it from Greta and gang that to scrap our cars and replace with HUGE carbon footprint new vehicles is the way to go then if she dare !

Greta to confirm to us / the world, please,  that the complete build, from mining product, transporting it to factory etc , future running, then finally scrapping of EVs is actually of more benefit to the planet Carbonwise and future generations  than keeping our delightful Lss' alive and well ..............  please clarify and confirm ....... whomsoever you Carbonsavvy savers might be 

OR is it simply that the car has to " GO " 

Malc

[Herbie]

On 11/11/2021 at 1:49 PM, BigBoomer said:

Cars are designed to be used, not stored. If it's not being driven, then it's just garage art.

I have to admit that I've never been able to afford a 'weekend toy' so there is perhaps a touch of the green-eyed monster at play here, but I've just never understood people who just buy cars to store them.

"Oh I never take it out in winter. I don't even take it out in summer if it's raining."

"Oh I never do more than 2000 miles a year in it."

And so on.

I just feel they need a good shaking and telling that this life is not a rehearsal for the next one and that they won't be able to take their pristine car with them 

[royoftherovers]

28 minutes ago, Herbie said:

I have to admit that I've never been able to afford a 'weekend toy' so there is perhaps a touch of the green-eyed monster at play here, but I've just never understood people who just buy cars to store them.

"Oh I never take it out in winter. I don't even take it out in summer if it's raining."

"Oh I never do more than 2000 miles a year in it."

And so on.

I just feel they need a good shaking and telling that this life is not a rehearsal for the next one and that they won't be able to take their pristine car with them 

And I`ve never been able to afford to do that either old pal.

Let`s just be content with what we have rather than what we don`t have,

Remember, they didn`t ask to be born either, but they never ever experienced the pleasure of securing something that was INITIALLY beyond their reach. LIKE WOT WE AVE !👍👍👍

They will never be able to experience the pleasure of drinking or dining with true friends.

A sad lot really aren`t they ?🤣🤣🤣

[runsgrateasanut]

Just early today we returned from France in the GS300 having driven 600 miles door to door.

Had the first chance to view the LS400 after more than a year (August 2020) and its being parked in our Garage which only has Mesh Security Doors. 

This is what the engine bay looked like which is a result of the open air.  This said, I removed the Negative terminal on the Battery before I left it last year and when checking for voltage it was 12.3V which for a Battery which experienced a total drain a few years back when the Altrnator stopped charging I was able to put it on “Repair Mode” charge and it rose to 13,6V.   Yuasa are the best!

The Car started on the Button and as less revs than the GS at start up I was not concenred about lack of oil in the engine parts.  Left it running for fifteen minutes after moving the Car up and down the Drive to establish that the Brakes weren’t locked on. Surface rust did make the Discs look unpleasant but she moved freely.

Couldn’t replace the Strut Bar as not enough room on jack stands to get leverage and no room for an Impact Driver. Did cobble the Bar to the Rubber Bush with Jubillee clips to stop it dragging. Hoping to arrange its collection in coming fortnight.

As to the GS300 I took a chance with the Car which had its last Cam belt change in 2008 at 69k. Now on 140k but the genuine Toyota Belt looked sound to me though I have all parts for a complete overhaul. Not something I will do, but pass it on.

Strange happenings with the GS which still doesn’t endow me with confidence. Having (unnecessarily) changed the Steering Ball rods, I still get a strange feeling when driving this Car.  May have an issue with the front ABS sensors though light not on.  Definate noise when v. Slow movement. This may be the reason for jerkiness in cornering. New Tyres and wheels balanced/aligned.

The Radio control knob doesn’t usually make any change in volume. Playing with it, it decided to get louder whichever way it got turned and we had to push the button or be deafened.  Whats that all about??

The Temperature on the display disappeared on the journey home after 200 miles.. Only the image of the vent positions and the outside temp was showing.  Same this Morning when I checked. Air con does not work and no idea as to if the Temp will still change.

Final strange happening, the Wireless Reversing Display has on two occasions shown the Road behind as we are travelling along. !!!?    Assuming its picking up a signal from someone else’s Wireless ??

[royoftherovers]

Welcome home Stu. Amazing that the LS sprang into life after such a time stranded.  She`ll be home soon and WBAC will take it off your hands for much more than you think its worth. But you wont sell will you ?

[runsgrateasanut]

Thanks John,  Le Shuttle was a nighmare and the M20, M25 and A12 are in appalling condition. Nearly shook the GS to bits.  So different in France!!.

Not sure who/what WBAC is? but its a dilemma as to which Car to keep once I've parted with a Thou to bring it home.  Prefer the LS but may be open to offers for either and who knows may decide Lexus is no longer for me and return to Mercedes which I found did not occupy my every waking hour!    

[runsgrateasanut]

PS We actually were overtaken by a GS450H on our return journey.  Rarely see Lexus Cars.

 

[Herbie]

WBAC = We Buy Any Car 

[royoftherovers]

59 minutes ago, runsgrateasanut said:

PS We actually were overtaken by a GS450H on our return journey.  Rarely see Lexus Cars.

 

2 and a bit weeks ago, that 450h might have been me !

Mercedes are not what they used to be Stu. Be careful. And their Dealers do not get good press.

[Malc]

Stuart ...........  110% effort there then, well done AND of course you'll be keeping the Ls 

Malc

[runsgrateasanut]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

Stuart ...........  110% effort there then, well done AND of course you'll be keeping the Ls 

Malc

Both Cars have issues to resolve. The LS despite my ownership for seven years is perhaps my preferred vehicle but the GS surprised me how zippy it was, especially as it was well loaded with stuff owing to not being able to bring it back August 2020,  and included 20 litres of Wine !

[Mikaelse]

I have parked LS400 for several years about 6 months per year both summer and winter.
Dry garage with +7C to 25C or so. Always with 55% humidity or less. Average probably 45% 
Driving out of garage 5 meters and running varm and braking and running stuff about every 1-2 months.  
No issues at all so far. Hope these cars will last forever.