I have to store the car NOW. No time to change oil....advice please
 

Okay so I waited a week longer thinking I had the time. Didn't work out. We already have 20 centimetres up here. I will be storing the car ASAP. This means driving to my folks house to put in their garage. I live on my own here near the University and don't have a garage. I drove the car last winter but, stored it the winter before that. I just don't drive the thing much now, I even walk to school I live so close so I haven't been driving the car much for months.

I can't get an appointment for an oil change at the one dealer here and I'm too busy to be screwing around changing the oil and coolant. I did flush the coolant in the spring though.

Will I be able to get by if I take out the plugs....pour oil into each cylinder and then put the plugs back in?

I'm thinking of just drowning the engine by filling it right up will synthetic for the winter months. I could do a proper round of fluid flushing in the spring, obviously before even starting it.

Tips advice very much appreciated....have I missed anything? I'm doing the usual routine, I've waxed the car and have done a clay bar treatment. One more wash before the garage. I will take out the entire interior like I did 2 years ago.

Please...no a55holes talking about how great the weather is in FL or AZ and the like....

-Mike

would it be hard for maybe your parents to turn the engine over once a week and let it idle for 10 mins then shut it down?

Western, eh? I went there...decades ago.

I think you're worrying too much about this. As long as you have a dry garage to store the car, it's not going to be that much of an issue. Just make sure the car is put up immediately after a good long run (hot engine). And be sure to change the oil pretty soon after taking it out of storage in the spring.

Yes sir I'm at the University of Western Ontario. (Science).

Have you been back lately?

I've parked quite a few cars for over a year and some for over two years without doing any preliminary work. I never had any trouble getting them back on the road afterwards and they had no ill effects either. You should remove the battery and take it inside to prevent it from freezing and check the tires every month to make sure they don't go flat.

I have let my 89' Pontiac Grand Safari wagon set for over a year before with the same oil, battery, etc. and have started it back up with no problems. This has been over a course of 5 years too. I think it should be OK, unless you are going to let it set for 3 years or more without being started.

No offense but whatever you do don't do that. All that will do is fill the oil and engine with moisture. Pulling the spark plugs out and putting some light weight oil in the cylinders is a great idea.

You really should change the oil before storing the car. Old oil sitting in the crank can pit the bearings.

I 'store' my vehicles by turning off the key. ;)

I 'winterize' them by removing the key. :D

They have never failed to start in the spring.

I carry on with regularly scheduled maintenance when I put them back in service.

Each continues to run, or has been sold or was taken out of service by a crash with no engine damage resulting from this treatment.

If you can change the fluids before storage, fine. Othewise, don't sweat it! :P

As others have already mentioned, just park it.

Here's the best way from what I've heard (and done myself)

When storing:
-Wash the car first, and park it uncovered (or covered with a bed sheet). Do NOT use a tarp as it will hold in moisture
-Disconnect the battery and keep it from freezing (take it in the house, etc.)
-Stick a rag in the exhaust to prevent bugs/critters from entering
-Make sure all the windows are shut tightly
-Overinflate the tires a little bit
-Tape a note to the steering wheel saying DO NOT DRIVE and a few reminders of what to do before running the car (install battery, pull out rag, etc, etc.) You WILL forget by spring!

Don't start or drive the car over the winter. That 10 minutes of running it will screw it up.. remember to consider the oil & fluids as "bad" after about a month.. so you don't want to start it with bad oil.

When spring comes:
-Reinstall battery
-Necessary: change the oil & filter
-Optional: trans fluid & filter, brake fluid flush, coolant. Why start a new year with old fluids?? Just change them now and you're good for 2 years!
-Pull rag out of exhaust
-Disconnect ignition wire (or pull fuse) and crank for 10 seconds to get oil through engine. Reconnect wire/fuse and start car. Let it warm up properly, then check ALL fluid levels before driving. Check tire pressures and ENJOY!

If you end up not having a place to store the car and want to sell, I'm right nearby in Oakville :)

I don't have a place to store it either, but can't resist buying a 3rd MB :)

Neal

I'm just up the 401 from you in Mississauga. The weather has sucked this week, but its gonna change for the better on Sunday and will be 12 on Monday. Crawl under the car and pull out the drain plug, it will be a lot less work than pulling out the spark plugs and squrting oil in the cylinders, although that is a good idea for storage. I don't know how you feel about adding a little fuel stabilizer, but that might not be a bad idea either, if you're going to leave the car sitting for a few months.

im not the only one huh?

Ya im in Toronto and havent driven my car all week due to the snow.

:rolleyes:

The battery can be damaged if it discharges itself, so I would either disconnect it or put a trickle charger on it. But that is about all I would worry about.

Mike

Hey, if anyone gives you trouble for living in a snowy/cold area like Toronto, let me know.

Those of you in the GTA may have seen my wife driving the red R129 SL in yesterday's storm. She has 4 good snow tires on it and a hardtop. She was supposed to go drive to London today (in her SL!) just as she did the last 2 winters in her 560SL.

If anyone thinks making fun of those of us in Toronto is funny, I'll have to take a pic of the SL covered in snow and send it out :) :)

Oh yeah, we have better healthcare too :) <--- just thought I could throw that stab in as a freebee...

Neal

:rolleyes: