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How long between startups/drives can it sit?

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Old 12-08-2011, 04:16 PM
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Default How long between startups/drives can it sit?

Hey all, with the snow about to fall for the next 3 months, I dont plan to DD my S2000, but I also dont plan to put it away. I do have winter tires on it and plan to drive it when the roads are clear, as I do not have that far of a drive to work. I was wondering how long can the S2K sit in the garage between startups and drives? Also, is there anything special I should be doing to it if it will only be started once every 2 weeks or so?
Old 12-08-2011, 07:21 PM
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For such a short down time and because you'll have it in a garage during that stretch, my suggestion based on what I've read in Road & Track and other places is hook up a Battery Tender (or something similar) in between drives and the car will be just fine (maybe check tire pressure too, just to be sure); nothing else to worry about that I can think of. Since it'll be inside, there's no need to worry about starting and idling the car to burn off condensation in the exhaust or oil -- there won't be any, and you'd just be adding cold starts. Our s2k is the toy car (not a DD), so it sits for 3-4 months over the winter and sometimes for as long as 2-3 weeks in the summer, and this advice has worked well for us. And to be honest, I don't do a whole lot more than that mechanically when I store it over the winter, and it starts up just fine in the spring.

IMO, two weeks really isn't that long for a modern car like the s2k to sit, especially when it's in a garage. Hope this helps
Old 12-09-2011, 01:49 AM
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My S can sit for 3 weeks before i get concerned about the battery becoming weak, under that no problems.
Old 12-09-2011, 04:49 AM
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I would think a lot depends on how old the battery is.
Old 12-09-2011, 05:36 AM
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2-3 weeks of sit time is no big deal as long as the temperatures don't dip drastically. Anything over 4 weeks of sit time would require some proactive maintenance which can be found here: https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/247...-storage-tips/

If nothing else, a battery tender (especially if the battery is still stock) and some fresh fluids will do you ok.
Old 12-09-2011, 08:04 AM
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You might push the car forward/backward a few inches now and then to help distribute the weight on the tire/avoid flatspotting. For just 2-3 weeks even that is probably overkill though.
Old 12-09-2011, 09:03 AM
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Originally Posted by xoz
My S can sit for 3 weeks before i get concerned about the battery becoming weak, under that no problems.
I think you're right, as I never had a problem with the car starting prior to using the Battery Tender. Now that I have one, I keep it hooked up just about all the time after reading some reviews by other BT owners who say they get much longer battery life by always using it Guess I'll see what happens with my current battery
Old 12-09-2011, 10:28 AM
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I think the longest mine sat was 3 weeks without being driven or started. Finaally got around to getting out to the garage to start her up, and it was as if she was driven yesterday. So fo rme, three weeks is the longest I've gone on it.
Old 12-09-2011, 09:27 PM
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Thanks for the replies!
Old 12-12-2011, 11:45 AM
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Summer tires flatspot pretty easily in cold weather. They seems to sort themselves out once they get warm again, though.
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