How to recommission a car after storage?
Discussion
Hi,
My sister went away to Australia for 9 months and is due back next month. She wants to get her car back on the road but unfortunately I think it’s just been left whilst she’s been away so it won’t be in the best shape. It’s a Hyundai Coupe, 2.0L if that makes a difference. I plan to replace the battery, replace the oil filter and oil, replace the brake fluid (as I don’t think she’s ever had that done anyway) and lubricate everything up. Anything else I really need to be doing before it’s put back on the road? My brother used it for a couple of months and after that it was started up and run for half an hour or so every now and then for a while but my brother then moved out and has been away with the Navy so I don’t think my mum has done anything with it since. Therefore it's not been stood for 9 months, but maybe 5 or 6.
I’m going to be staying round there for a few days so thought I’d get it back up together for her.
Any help or advice appreciated.
Thanks,
Dan
My sister went away to Australia for 9 months and is due back next month. She wants to get her car back on the road but unfortunately I think it’s just been left whilst she’s been away so it won’t be in the best shape. It’s a Hyundai Coupe, 2.0L if that makes a difference. I plan to replace the battery, replace the oil filter and oil, replace the brake fluid (as I don’t think she’s ever had that done anyway) and lubricate everything up. Anything else I really need to be doing before it’s put back on the road? My brother used it for a couple of months and after that it was started up and run for half an hour or so every now and then for a while but my brother then moved out and has been away with the Navy so I don’t think my mum has done anything with it since. Therefore it's not been stood for 9 months, but maybe 5 or 6.
I’m going to be staying round there for a few days so thought I’d get it back up together for her.
Any help or advice appreciated.
Thanks,
Dan
You must inspect the braking system carefully. Check for any damaged or perished brake lines, check the condition of the disks, if you can't get the surface corrision off with brake cleaner might be safer to replace. Also look very closely at the calipers, make sure they they are not sized and the piston moves freely. If they are floating calipers make sure it moves over the pins easily.
Obvously check the condition of the tires and check they are inflated.
Inspect the cooling system for any hoses that have perished and replace accordingly. Might be worth changing the coolant.
I guess the MOT has either expired or is close to. Probably worth putting it through that before she uses it.
Obvously check the condition of the tires and check they are inflated.
Inspect the cooling system for any hoses that have perished and replace accordingly. Might be worth changing the coolant.
I guess the MOT has either expired or is close to. Probably worth putting it through that before she uses it.
Will also change the coolant and brake fluid I think. 944fan said:
You must inspect the braking system carefully. Check for any damaged or perished brake lines, check the condition of the disks, if you can't get the surface corrision off with brake cleaner might be safer to replace. Also look very closely at the calipers, make sure they they are not sized and the piston moves freely. If they are floating calipers make sure it moves over the pins easily.
Obvously check the condition of the tires and check they are inflated.
Inspect the cooling system for any hoses that have perished and replace accordingly. Might be worth changing the coolant.
I guess the MOT has either expired or is close to. Probably worth putting it through that before she uses it.
Thanks. Will take the wheels off then when it's jacked up and clean up the discs. Obvously check the condition of the tires and check they are inflated.
Inspect the cooling system for any hoses that have perished and replace accordingly. Might be worth changing the coolant.
I guess the MOT has either expired or is close to. Probably worth putting it through that before she uses it.
R11ysf said:
New fuel, charge battery, drive away. It'll be absolutely fine. I've left older cars for much longer periods and nothing has ever been a major issue other than windscreen wipers perishing!!
+1It is a modern white good type car.
They are designed to be used & not used for months on end.
Many cars (especially Korean cars) seem to spend a year or two sat at the docks.
Just drive it and if any problems fix them.
tim2100 said:
R11ysf said:
New fuel, charge battery, drive away. It'll be absolutely fine. I've left older cars for much longer periods and nothing has ever been a major issue other than windscreen wipers perishing!!
+1It is a modern white good type car.
They are designed to be used & not used for months on end.
Many cars (especially Korean cars) seem to spend a year or two sat at the docks.
Just drive it and if any problems fix them.
I know it hasn't been serviced for a while so I'll do that anyway, but appreciate what you're saying and gives me a little more confidence!
Clean up the brakes, change oil and filters, clean the accumulated crap out of the vents etc, and it'll be fine.
When I got one of my company cars, it was 4 years old and hadn't moved out of the parking space since the day it was delivered. Booster pack start, drove to the dealers who changed the oil and filter, and away I went. 65k a year for 2 years and I'm pretty sure nothing that went wrong was anything to do with the 4 years it sat idle. It was a diesel Laguna, too.
When I got one of my company cars, it was 4 years old and hadn't moved out of the parking space since the day it was delivered. Booster pack start, drove to the dealers who changed the oil and filter, and away I went. 65k a year for 2 years and I'm pretty sure nothing that went wrong was anything to do with the 4 years it sat idle. It was a diesel Laguna, too.
Edited by HellDiver on Tuesday 9th November 15:02
it might need new tyres- I remember we had a caravan that used to go into storage over winter and we always used to keep it on axel stands, but one winter we forgot. The next time it went out on the motorway we got a blow out. IT WAS PRETTY SCARY! We were overtaking a lorry at the time then BOOM! Not cool. We have always assumed that it was due to the pressure on the same part of the tyre over the long wet cold winter months that did it.
Just start it up (if the battery is fine).
Fuel will be fine, there will be a bit of surface rust on the discs but that will soon get rubbed off.
Take it round the block slowly and test the brakes. If there is plenty of feel they should be ok.
Its only a few months.
Modern cars are ok to be left for long periods.
Fuel will be fine, there will be a bit of surface rust on the discs but that will soon get rubbed off.
Take it round the block slowly and test the brakes. If there is plenty of feel they should be ok.
Its only a few months.
Modern cars are ok to be left for long periods.
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