Re: [DML] Was Re: Question from an owner's wife- Now Storage

[Gus Schlachter <gus@xxxx>]

Drain the gas? Remove the battery??!??

While these suggstions are all fine and good, this advice is being given to the person
who is usually the passenger in the DMC, right? While women are perfectly capable of
performing automotive mechanical chores, there is an underlying social bias here. As a
kid, I played with my dad's tools while my sister played with Barbie. She never played
with the tools, and the only time I played with the dolls was when I was using the tools
on them. :-)

Soooo.....

Sounds like bad gas is the biggest worry, and any gas stabilizer sold at a major auto
parts store will slow the effect of gas storage. Easy and takes 5 minutes.

If you are really concerned about the battery, I have used a Battery Tender to charge a
dead battery and keep it stored for months:

http://batterytender.com/product_info.php?products_id=2

You don't even need access to the battery. Open the louvers, pop the engine cover, clip
red onto the positive post (right side, in the wall, big red cable) and the black onto a
clean metal part of the engine.

Periodic starting may or may not be advisable but all will agree that letting it run for
only a minute or two will do more harm than good; it must at least reach warmed-up
temperature for any benefit. Make sure the garage door is open when you do this. Air
good, carbon monoxide bad.

If the car is going to be stored for more than a few months then there are more steps
that should be taken (tire pressure, etc.). If you are uncomfortable driving it or
doing anything complicated, I'm certain that if there is someone on this list within 50
miles of you they would be glad to help.


Good luck,

Gus Schlachter
VIN #4695
Austin, TX



David Teitelbaum wrote:

> I don't like fuel stabilizers. I have seen too many times where a car
> was put into storage and 6 months turned into years. The safest thing
> is to drain the gas....