Garaging My Lexus For A Year

[BillNick]

Hi all,

Due to unforeseen financial circumstances I have decided to put my IS in the garage for a year to save a bit of cash up.

I have a massive double garage so it will be well housed etc - for those of that are concerned haha

I was wondering what kinda TLC I should be showing it during its time in the garage? Are there things I should make sure I do/dont do, now or over the course of the 12 months to prevent any problems developing when I get it back out onto the road again?

Things like alarm? Battery connection? Immob? Handbrake/Brakes ceasing? Should I start it and run from time to time? Leave a window open?

Your thoughts and advice would be much appreciated. I would like to as far as possible have the IS in the tip top condition it is in now, when I take it out again next year.

Thanks

Bill

[LOcKY]

i think you should give it a good wash/claybar/polish/wax and then put a cover over it so that dust cant settle etc etc :) good plan?

[Parthiban]

Are you not going to use it at all for a year? Might be wise to lift it off the ground then to preserve the tyres.

[Tango]

Found this on the www. and there's lots of other advice:

The first thing you want to do is clean the vehicle. Wait for a dry warm day and give your car a complete wash and wax. Be sure to get the underbody as clean as possible too- particularly wheel well areas. Any dirt will hold moisture and combine with air, causing rust propagation.

A thorough cleaning is in order for the interior, also. Use a shop vacuum or household vacuum cleaner, getting into all the little nooks and crannies. All crumbs, pizza crusts, French fries etc. must go. Otherwise small creatures will be drawn to it and make their home inside your vehicle. To go the extra mile, a good carpet will help discourage them. Do all this early in the day to allow time to dry before putting the car in storage.

Take the spark plugs out and put some oil into the cylinders. This prevents cylinder walls, pistons and valves from rusting. Regular motor oil is fine or get a spray can of fogging oil from a marine supply store. Turn over the engine by hand half a dozen times to ensure the oil coats everything. Next apply a little anti-seize compound on the spark plugs and reinstall them. Make sure the petrol tank is full. This will decrease the amount of water available to be absorbed by the petrol (It's hygroscopic).

For the electrical system, remove the Battery cables (negative cable first) and lift out the Battery. Wipe the Battery with Battery cleaner to take away any moisture-holding dirt or grease. Place the Battery on a clean, dry surface, like a block of wood or a stack of bricks. Now hook up a trickle charger. These are designed to preserve the battery's charge over a long period of time. While the Battery is out, inspect the Battery rack for rust or corrosion. Clean and repair any damage as necessary.

Lubricate hood latches, hinges and door hinges white lithium grease to keep air and moisture out. Have a look at the brake fluid. Brake fluid will soak up moisture from the air, causing your brake system to rust and corrode. Get it flushed and filled with clean, fresh fluid if it hasn't been done in two years or more. Check the coolant level- ensure it is topped off to the proper level. Also check the coolant's protection level. It should be low enough to protect the cooling system from winter temperatures.

Because rodents and other small animals like to chew ignition wires and wiring harnesses, stuff clean rags into the engine air intake, fresh air intake under the windshield and tail pipe. A neat trick is to get a big box of mothballs and spread them out around and under the car- for some reason the smell works wonders at keeping undesirable creatures away.

Tyres are prone to developing flat spots if the vehicle will be sitting for longer than five or six months. To prevent this you should get a set of four jack stands. jack up the vehicle and place the jack stands under the lift points of the vehicle (usually the lower control arms or under the frame).

Remove the wiper blades from the wiper arms to prevent them from becoming glued to the windshield and leaving marks. That's it. Lock up and enjoy knowing your car is in suspended animation, awaiting your return.

Out of Storage

When it's time to get the car out of storage, take your time to make sure all of the preparations you made to store it are reversed. Remove the plastic bags from the air intake and exhaust tip. Remove the moth balls from under the hood, inside the car and the trunk.

Lower the car down to the ground and replace the Battery into the Battery tray. Check under the car to make sure there are no puddles of fluids or oil.

[lexynik]

dont forget to declare it as sorn to save paying roadtax for the year too

[kenfoxy]

I had no idea it was such a complicated business.

[lexynik]

tbh i always thought it was best to "dry store" a car although im not sure on the exact process or the length of time of storage it applies to ie could be for 3 years upwards maybe but i think it involves draining all the fluids from the car on storage ie fuel,antifreeze oil etc - not sure why or if its a modern method - on a slightly more relevant note you will probably have to replace most water hoses when you start using it again as they tend to go brittle and pop leaks after about a year of storage in my own experience

[BillNick]

Jesus...didnt know so much was involved.

Would you say its less trouble to get someone to take it a few miles round the block once in a while?

What about disconnecting the Battery? Will prolonged disconnection reset any memories? ECU, radio, Alarm?

[lexynik]

lol,just declare it sorn and start it and let it idle for ten minutes once a week-should be ok

[BillNick]

lol,just declare it sorn and start it and let it idle for ten minutes once a week-should be ok

That was my plan....prob put it up on stilts save the tyres to....and wash it in the sun this weekend so its clean, and all moisture is evaporated.

Cheers all :-)