Starting after 3 month lay up
Discussion
Heading back from 3 months away, excited to get the V8V back out from the garage and drive myself rather than scared by crazy Asian drivers in Korean saloons.
When I left I filled the tank, pumped the tyres, left the handbrake off and put on the CTEK battery conditioner.
When I come to start it, should I do anything else, especially to get some oil flowing in the engine before it fires up?
It will be in for a service in the next week or so, and just a quick spin or two before then.
Just want to make sure I don't cause any unnecessary issues
When I left I filled the tank, pumped the tyres, left the handbrake off and put on the CTEK battery conditioner.
When I come to start it, should I do anything else, especially to get some oil flowing in the engine before it fires up?
It will be in for a service in the next week or so, and just a quick spin or two before then.
Just want to make sure I don't cause any unnecessary issues
Wayne95 said:
When I come to start it, should I do anything else
Light candle, offering a sacrificial chicken and get down on your knees and pray.....that should do it 
Joking aside, should be fine I'd have thought, it's not like it's been idle for years. Some cars don't move from dealers forecourts for three months so I reckon you'll be good as gold
After a layup, I always press the accelerator to the floor and press the starter button (no fuel is injected) until the oil pressure light goes out. After this I start it normally not touching the accelerator. This ensures all moving parts in the engine are protected with a film of oil before the combustion impulses start.
mjk1 said:
After a layup, I always press the accelerator to the floor and press the starter button (no fuel is injected) until the oil pressure light goes out. After this I start it normally not touching the accelerator. This ensures all moving parts in the engine are protected with a film of oil before the combustion impulses start.
This ...mjk1 said:
After a layup, I always press the accelerator to the floor and press the starter button (no fuel is injected) until the oil pressure light goes out. After this I start it normally not touching the accelerator. This ensures all moving parts in the engine are protected with a film of oil before the combustion impulses start.
Thanks, I'm hoping it starts up fine, but will do the accelerator process first.After such a long time away, and not driving at all, its a bit like new car day all over again without the wallet pain!
I always use the accelerator trick too. It gets the oil around the engine after a lay-up, and Yes I agree - it always feels like a new car again, without wallet angst.
What always strikes me (apart from the sound) is the smell of that gorgeous leather, which never seems to weaken as the car ages.
Big thumbs up!
What always strikes me (apart from the sound) is the smell of that gorgeous leather, which never seems to weaken as the car ages.
Big thumbs up!
Just a thought for future.
I read that you should leave car with full fuel tank before winter lay up. A low or empty tank means a decent volume of air can get pumped in and out over the cycle of a days temps rising and falling, expanding and contracting the volume of air in your tank. This will suck in moist air which then condensates on tank wall and starts to slowly increase the water volume in your tank. Not sure what harm can come from a lot of water in your fuel, can't be good for the engine though.
So the advice apparently is to top off your tank so their is only a little air that can be pumped in and out.
Just re-read and noted you did fill tank before lay up
so this message is somewhat redundant for you.
I read that you should leave car with full fuel tank before winter lay up. A low or empty tank means a decent volume of air can get pumped in and out over the cycle of a days temps rising and falling, expanding and contracting the volume of air in your tank. This will suck in moist air which then condensates on tank wall and starts to slowly increase the water volume in your tank. Not sure what harm can come from a lot of water in your fuel, can't be good for the engine though.
So the advice apparently is to top off your tank so their is only a little air that can be pumped in and out.
Just re-read and noted you did fill tank before lay up
so this message is somewhat redundant for you.Edited by CraigV12V on Wednesday 5th April 14:38
Blimey.
My 360 does get used over winter but fairly rarely. It's probably often sitting in the garage with hardly any petrol in it since - if it does get low - there seems to be no rush filling it up when I've no idea when it will next get used. And when I do use it, I simply get in and turn the key until it starts - no special starting process.
I'm surprised it still runs!
My 360 does get used over winter but fairly rarely. It's probably often sitting in the garage with hardly any petrol in it since - if it does get low - there seems to be no rush filling it up when I've no idea when it will next get used. And when I do use it, I simply get in and turn the key until it starts - no special starting process.
I'm surprised it still runs!
CraigV12V said:
Just a thought for future.
I read that you should leave car with full fuel tank before winter lay up. A low or empty tank means a decent volume of air can get pumped in and out over the cycle of a days temps rising and falling, expanding and contracting the volume of air in your tank. This will suck in moist air which then condensates on tank wall and starts to slowly increase the water volume in your tank. Not sure what harm can come from a lot of water in your fuel, can't be good for the engine though.
So the advice apparently is to top off your tank so their is only a little air that can be pumped in and out.
I read that you should leave car with full fuel tank before winter lay up. A low or empty tank means a decent volume of air can get pumped in and out over the cycle of a days temps rising and falling, expanding and contracting the volume of air in your tank. This will suck in moist air which then condensates on tank wall and starts to slowly increase the water volume in your tank. Not sure what harm can come from a lot of water in your fuel, can't be good for the engine though.
So the advice apparently is to top off your tank so their is only a little air that can be pumped in and out.
Thank you for that tip. All very logical, but I had not even thought about it.
Might have been day dreaming , when my science master was explaining those principles.
Ref fuel in the tank. It is indeed better to leave it filled up. Void in the tank allows increased vapours to be given off which in turn allows the "light ends" to go. This amongst other thing ages the fuel. 3 months though wont make much difference. Gum deposits are your biggest enemy in the petrol engine as well as water.
Water in any amounts is not good for fuel and being heavier than fuel, will sit in the bottom of your tank. Now to be honest, temperate climates like the UK we tend not to have massive differences in night and day temps. Certainly not in the garage.
Condensation though can form on the walls of the tank and then falls to the bottom, hence keep your tank filled up.
Water in any amounts is not good for fuel and being heavier than fuel, will sit in the bottom of your tank. Now to be honest, temperate climates like the UK we tend not to have massive differences in night and day temps. Certainly not in the garage.
Condensation though can form on the walls of the tank and then falls to the bottom, hence keep your tank filled up.
Wayne95 said:
When I left I filled the tank, pumped the tyres, left the handbrake off and put on the CTEK battery conditioner.
During winter I don't drive my DB9 and leave it just like you did with full tank, raised pressure in tyres, handbrake off and CTEK connected. Start it like others in this thread. But before leaving the garage I check fluids are OK and lower tyre pressure to recommeded driving values. (Have about 3.0 bar during storage.)
mioh said:
uring winter I don't drive my DB9 and leave it just like you did with full tank, raised pressure in tyres, handbrake off and CTEK connected.
Start it like others in this thread. But before leaving the garage I check fluids are OK and lower tyre pressure to recommeded driving values. (Have about 3.0 bar during storage.)
I guess many Aston's spend the winter asleep, so I'm hopeful. Interestingly my daughter got back last week, jumped in her VW Up! that's sat outside, no charger, for the same time and it started straight away. Start it like others in this thread. But before leaving the garage I check fluids are OK and lower tyre pressure to recommeded driving values. (Have about 3.0 bar during storage.)
Wayne95 said:
I guess many Aston's spend the winter asleep, so I'm hopeful. Interestingly my daughter got back last week, jumped in her VW Up! that's sat outside, no charger, for the same time and it started straight away.
You can do exactly the same with your car, battery health notwithstanding. Lots do like to crank the engine for ages until the light goes out, but there's no real need to these days. Just start the car, it's not exactly an F1 engine.Wayne95 said:
mioh said:
uring winter I don't drive my DB9 and leave it just like you did with full tank, raised pressure in tyres, handbrake off and CTEK connected.
Start it like others in this thread. But before leaving the garage I check fluids are OK and lower tyre pressure to recommeded driving values. (Have about 3.0 bar during storage.)
I guess many Aston's spend the winter asleep, so I'm hopeful. Interestingly my daughter got back last week, jumped in her VW Up! that's sat outside, no charger, for the same time and it started straight away. Start it like others in this thread. But before leaving the garage I check fluids are OK and lower tyre pressure to recommeded driving values. (Have about 3.0 bar during storage.)
On one occasion after about two months of not being used, I experience tyre flat spots for several miles.
When everything was hot, I was able to safely drive quickly through a couple of hairpin corners and that cured the problem.
Perhaps it might not have occurred if I had increased tyre pressures as suggested, but I had not expected the period of disuse.
I now push the car a little, so the weight is on a different low point of the tyres.
Back home today, into the garage, do the accelerator down and turn engine over to circulate oil then - V8 music :-)
Started fine and sounded so good.
Brakes were a little stuck which surprised me, but a gentle drive down the road seemed to sort it out.
Tyre pressures now reset to normal.
Looking forward to a good drive tomorrow once the jet lag has gone a bit and a full nights sleep
Started fine and sounded so good.
Brakes were a little stuck which surprised me, but a gentle drive down the road seemed to sort it out.
Tyre pressures now reset to normal.
Looking forward to a good drive tomorrow once the jet lag has gone a bit and a full nights sleep
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