My S2000 will have been sotred for about 3.5 months once I get it out mid-March. I have 2 questions: 1. I only have 1700 miles on the clock since the last oil change but that oil change was in mid august so the engine has gone 7 months with the current oil, 3.5 months of which there has been no engine activity. Should I just jack it up before I start it up and change the oil? 2. Is there any thing else I need to do before start up? I didn't store it last winter b/c where I live the winter was really mild last year. After being stored I did disconnect the battery but thats all since it's being stored in an attached garage.

 

3.5 months isn't all that long really. I can also suggest to get the car up on jack stands to get the weight off the wheels. Try and use up all the gas you have in there, or pump most of it out. After 3.5 months, the gas will still be gas, but just fill it up with good gas again when you get back.

Disconnecting the battery is a good idea. Assuming you don't have rodent problems where you live, then everything else should be ok. Again, 3.5 months isn't that long. If you do have rodent problems, fabric softener sheets have been working well for me...like take 'em and stick 'em around the engine bay to prevent them from eating wires.

 

I would charge the battery, fire it up, take a short drive to warm the oil, then change the oil. Should be good to go!

In the future, top off the gas, change the oil, and hook up a battery tender when you store it.

 

You want to keep the tank full to prevent condensation from rusting the tank. Gas should hold up fine for 6 months. If it will be longer than that, you can add stabilizer to it. (Besides that, the gas I bought last fall was cheaper than now! )

 

I change the oil before I put it away and follow the manual recommendation of starting it and running to operating temp once a month. I do not change the oil in the spring, but the first time I take it out I take it for a spirited half hour drive to burn off any moisture that may have accumulated in the oil.

I get flat spots on the tires but they usually are gone after 5 minutes of driving. And mine is stored 5 months per year.

If I was storing it over a year or so without starting, you have to do some more drastic things. Like remove the plugs and dribble a little oil in the chambers, and perhaps pull the ecu fuse and run the starter for several cranks to lube things up a bit. But for three months or so , just let it run for several seconds before you do any revving.

 

Thanks for all the insight, im planning on getting it out the week after spring break March 17th. Ya, I put a full tank of fuel in it when I stored it I forgot to add that info. You all think it still might be a good idea to add some fuel stabilizer anyway?

 

There are some older threads that discuss storage procedures. Opinion varies about unloading the suspension, and when to do the oil changes. I usually start the car to get it out of the garage, and drive it to warm it up (Rather than idling, see below), then park it and change the oil right after that.

The consensus is that starting the car during the storage phase without driving it is not good, since it increases the number of "dry" starts, and various components (like the oil pump in the transmission) don't get a workout / lubrication / warmed-up unless the car is driven. In the case of the transmission, it is literally not circulating any oil unless the car is moving.

I don't disconnect the battery (some do to avoid corrosion), and I always set rat traps and place rags in exhaust, intake. I bought a charge minder and haven't had a problem so far.

I also park the car on a tarp and carpet remnants to avoid condensation on the bottom of the car and rubber rot. Some seasons, if I feel like it, I will roll the car by hand a foot or two, but haven't bothered most of the time - the tires are so soft that the flats work out in a few minutes of driving.

Other thing is to make sure the parking brake is disengaged (assuming the car is on level ground) - this avoids strongly rusting the rear pads to the rotors.

I put the car in reverse, crack the windows a bit and unlatch the top to unload the gaskets, then throw a cover over it. When you take it out, you may wish to get some Shin-etsu or other high-quality silicone grease and dress up the gaskets if they're dry.

Best, -int212

 

Too late now. It won't restore gas, only prevent it from breaking down. Like I said before, stabilizer is not necessary for storage periods less than 6 months.

 

With all due respect, it your statement about not needing stabilizer for periosds less than 6 months based on opinion or research?
I always use stabilizer in my S2000 to keep the fuel at the freshness level it is when I buy it--worth it to me for the piece of mind---but if you have research saying it's not needed, that'd save me some $$
thanks

 

[QUOTE=jetboater,Feb 22 2008, 05:51 PM] With all due respect, it your statement about not needing stabilizer for periosds less than 6 months based on opinion or research?