To start or not to start ?
Discussion
Ok was pondering today when realised summer was on its way out . Don't have the room to lay the car up over winter and also like to take it out on the dry days . It's always plugged in to a battery conditioner. With my previous TVR'S if not been able to drive them have started every couple of weeks and let get to temperature rolled it back and fourth in reverse and first . So the question is ....
Do I carry on doing this or only start it when I'm going to drive it over winter ???
Do I carry on doing this or only start it when I'm going to drive it over winter ???
The trickle charger will keep the battery in good condition so you shouldn't have any starting issues as and when.
I would have thought (and I may well be wrong) that if you can't get it out for a drive every so often then running at idle for a while would be better than not, as at least you get some oil and fluid around the system which should help
to prevent seals and the like drying out.
I would have thought (and I may well be wrong) that if you can't get it out for a drive every so often then running at idle for a while would be better than not, as at least you get some oil and fluid around the system which should help
to prevent seals and the like drying out.
If you don't plan on driving it then I suggest not starting it 
you will do more harm than good just revving it and bringing up to temp without driving, if you don't plan on driving it leave it alone preferably with the wheels chocked and the handbrake off 
the engine won't seize or destroy itself through lack of use 
you will do more harm than good just revving it and bringing up to temp without driving, if you don't plan on driving it leave it alone preferably with the wheels chocked and the handbrake off the engine won't seize or destroy itself through lack of use Sardonicus said:
If you don't plan on driving it then I suggest not starting it you will do more harm than good just revving it and bringing up to temp without driving, if you don't plan on driving it leave it alone preferably with the wheels chocked and the handbrake off the engine won't seize or destroy itself through lack of use
This, as well as jack up the car and remove the wheels to prevent a flat spot on the tyres, disconnect the battery, and leave the fuel tank as empty as you can, then when you want to start the car put some nice new fresh stuff in, also its not as much of a fire hazard. you will do more harm than good just revving it and bringing up to temp without driving, if you don't plan on driving it leave it alone preferably with the wheels chocked and the handbrake off the engine won't seize or destroy itself through lack of use Unless you will be using it once a week or so.
My car lives outside and although I do plan on driving it on dry winter days, it will be used less than during the summer.
I don't intend on starting the car unless it is to be driven but it will be kept on a trickle charger.
I've also just bought an outdoor Carcoon (my wife has texted me to say that it has been delivered today) to fully protect it from the elements and keep that chassis in the best condition I can keep it.
Best of luck.
I don't intend on starting the car unless it is to be driven but it will be kept on a trickle charger.
I've also just bought an outdoor Carcoon (my wife has texted me to say that it has been delivered today) to fully protect it from the elements and keep that chassis in the best condition I can keep it.
Best of luck.
jamienshelly said:
This, as well as jack up the car and remove the wheels to prevent a flat spot on the tyres, disconnect the battery, and leave the fuel tank as empty as you can, then when you want to start the car put some nice new fresh stuff in, also its not as much of a fire hazard.
Unless you will be using it once a week or so.
These are not my words i have copied and pasted from a google search forum that all lead to saying the same thing..QuoteUnless you will be using it once a week or so.
Fill the fuel tank with fresh, premium fuel. Condensation in the tank is a problem in stored vehicles, and it is widely suggested that you fill the tank completely with Premium non-alcohol fuel in order to avoid any empty space where water can accumulate. However, the gasoline can become "gummy" over time, so it is useful to add a gasoline stabilizer, which is available for lawn mowers and other seasonal yard equipment. In some areas, premium gas does not contain ethanol which is corrosive and can release water when stored for long periods. Check with gasoline company distributor.
unquote,
But this is speculated if you are storing for long periods of 6-12 months
"Got my speculate and stipulates wrong" But you know what i mean i'm sure
Edited by TVRJAS on Monday 16th September 15:55
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
jamienshelly said:
jack up the car and remove the wheels to prevent a flat spot on the tyres
But bear in mind that with the weight off the suspension, the wishbones hang down low enough such that water can pool at the bottom - so perhaps best avoided if your car lives outside.Yep I over-inflate mine to 40PSI too, no flat spots. Just remember to let them down again when you take the car out of Hibernation.
I have read somewhere before to leave the tank full for two reasons, one is the condensation issue and the other is its the petrol fumes which are more flamable than the liquid, therefore with the tank full there is less fumes in the tank, which would be safer.
I have read somewhere before to leave the tank full for two reasons, one is the condensation issue and the other is its the petrol fumes which are more flamable than the liquid, therefore with the tank full there is less fumes in the tank, which would be safer.
Just as a relevant aside, my lawnmower wouldn't start in April at the start of the cutting season.
Took it to the lawnmower man, who emptied the fuel tank, put fresh fuel in and it worked.......which shows that a small amount left in the tank but exposed to the air in the tank CAN go stale in six months.
No way would the fuel have been old when I put it in the previous September - I'm not that organised! I would have had to go get some...
Took it to the lawnmower man, who emptied the fuel tank, put fresh fuel in and it worked.......which shows that a small amount left in the tank but exposed to the air in the tank CAN go stale in six months.
No way would the fuel have been old when I put it in the previous September - I'm not that organised! I would have had to go get some...
Never been convinced about the condensation issue.
It's a topic that sometimes comes up in the light aircraft flying community, where water in your fuel can become a brown-trouser moment if your engine quits just after take-off. Somebody I know once calculated how much water would condense if you took a fuel tank full of air at 25C and 100% humidity and cooled it to 10 degrees (a typical summer scenario). The result was surprising: it's only about a teaspoonful! The same thought-experiment repeated for winter temperatures yields much less water, because colder air holds less water.
(IMHO, water in an aircraft's fuel is nearly always due to perished rubber seals on the fuel caps allowing rain to get in.)
You could argue that warm fuel being returned from the engine could result in the air in the fuel tank being warmer than ambient just after you've finished driving it, but that effect isn't relevant to a car that's been laid-up for the winter.
Personally, I try to drive my car at least every fortnight during the winter. I avoid times when the roads are salty and wet, but if they're completely dry and caked with salt then I'll take it out and perhaps give the outriggers a rinse down afterwards. I tend to refuel to only half a tank as well, so that I'm replacing the fuel more frequently.
If I were laying it up for the winter, I wouldn't keep starting it up. I'd seriously look into whether you can get a preservative oil suitable for car engines (like you can for aircraft engines that are going to be stored). At the very least I'd do an oil change before the lay-up, so that the engine has totally clean oil in it with no corrosive impurities. I'd leave the fuel tank as empty as possible, so that when I fill with fresh fuel in the spring there's very little stale stuff there. Leaving it full could result in a tankful of stale fuel, which is more difficult to get rid of.
It's a topic that sometimes comes up in the light aircraft flying community, where water in your fuel can become a brown-trouser moment if your engine quits just after take-off. Somebody I know once calculated how much water would condense if you took a fuel tank full of air at 25C and 100% humidity and cooled it to 10 degrees (a typical summer scenario). The result was surprising: it's only about a teaspoonful! The same thought-experiment repeated for winter temperatures yields much less water, because colder air holds less water.
(IMHO, water in an aircraft's fuel is nearly always due to perished rubber seals on the fuel caps allowing rain to get in.)
You could argue that warm fuel being returned from the engine could result in the air in the fuel tank being warmer than ambient just after you've finished driving it, but that effect isn't relevant to a car that's been laid-up for the winter.
Personally, I try to drive my car at least every fortnight during the winter. I avoid times when the roads are salty and wet, but if they're completely dry and caked with salt then I'll take it out and perhaps give the outriggers a rinse down afterwards. I tend to refuel to only half a tank as well, so that I'm replacing the fuel more frequently.
If I were laying it up for the winter, I wouldn't keep starting it up. I'd seriously look into whether you can get a preservative oil suitable for car engines (like you can for aircraft engines that are going to be stored). At the very least I'd do an oil change before the lay-up, so that the engine has totally clean oil in it with no corrosive impurities. I'd leave the fuel tank as empty as possible, so that when I fill with fresh fuel in the spring there's very little stale stuff there. Leaving it full could result in a tankful of stale fuel, which is more difficult to get rid of.
I drive mine at least once a week, twice if i can, all winter, and just try to keep to the roads that our wonderful council regularly fail to salt and grit. But I have the pleasure of living in the country, so don't have to start out on salted and gritted town roads, and my outriggers have already been replaced recently. But I will do what Dr Mike recommends this winter and wash my outriggers regularly.
IMHO the best thing you can do is drive it. But it will always be a trade off between that being good for the engine and bad for the chassis. But the third factor is my feeling of well-being, which is improved immeasurably by being out in my Chim on a crisp, sunny, winter's morning. You don't HAVE to boot it......but it would be rude not to
. I draw the line at snow - that's what 4x4s are for.
IMHO the best thing you can do is drive it. But it will always be a trade off between that being good for the engine and bad for the chassis. But the third factor is my feeling of well-being, which is improved immeasurably by being out in my Chim on a crisp, sunny, winter's morning. You don't HAVE to boot it......but it would be rude not to
. I draw the line at snow - that's what 4x4s are for.QBee said:
But the third factor is my feeling of well-being, which is improved immeasurably by being out in my Chim on a crisp, sunny, winter's morning.
That is a very good point indeed, and easily forgotten. Ultimately outriggers can be replaced - and a TVR is a good form of antidepressant during the long dark winter months! [Makes mental note to drive it a bit more this year.](BTW, whenever I rinse down my outriggers I always have a moment of self-doubt, and wonder if I'm actually doing more harm than good! Who knows?)
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Tuesday 17th September 10:23
ads said:
Yep I over-inflate mine to 40PSI too, no flat spots. Just remember to let them down again when you take the car out of Hibernation.
I have read somewhere before to leave the tank full for two reasons, one is the condensation issue and the other is its the petrol fumes which are more flamable than the liquid, therefore with the tank full there is less fumes in the tank, which would be safer.
When I said about the fuel, I would not want a full tank of fuel venting into my garage for months on end as fuel cap seals are more than likely the same age as the car, and also even being stored outside there is the probability of the infamous "mouses" and the problems they can cause.I have read somewhere before to leave the tank full for two reasons, one is the condensation issue and the other is its the petrol fumes which are more flamable than the liquid, therefore with the tank full there is less fumes in the tank, which would be safer.
"That is a very good point indeed, and easily forgotten. Ultimately outriggers can be replaced - and a TVR is a good form of antidepressant during the long dark winter months! [Makes mental note to drive it a bit more this year"
I renamed the Chimaera the TVR Nurofen, doesn't matter how crap u feel. Fire it up, give it the beans , roof down.... Never fails to make u feel better!
I renamed the Chimaera the TVR Nurofen, doesn't matter how crap u feel. Fire it up, give it the beans , roof down.... Never fails to make u feel better!
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