igcitng Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Not too long ago there was a thread about how someone parked their Edge for a few days and the battery died and were not sure why. My Edge will be parked for an extended period of time, and I am wondering if I need to worry about the same thing, and is there anything else I need to be concerned about? It will be late October/early November into December. Unattached garage kept. It will be cold here. Yesterday I had it serviced; oil change, tires rotated and filled. No problems found. My iPod will be unplugged and I will make sure no interior lites are on. Would starting it and letting it run a bit be enough to keep it from having problems getting back on the road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlazedUp Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 I would start it once a week and drive forward and back just a little bit to keep the tires from flat spotting since it will be cold. Or you could just do nothing and it will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSUFetch Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 When I store my motorcycle for the winter, do the following: 1. Add fuel stabilizer and drive it for a few minutes to allow the stabilizer to circulate 2. Change the oil and filter 3. Hook up a battery charger to keep the battery fully charged. Make sure that you get one that monitors the battery charge level and keeps it topped off. They are called a "floating" charger. For a month, you should be ok without the stabilizer, but it's really cheap. You'll have to decide if a charger is worth it. They are about $30. If your battery dies, you'll be able to jump them car to get it started and then take it for a ride on the highway to charge the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 When I store my motorcycle for the winter, do the following: 1. Add fuel stabilizer and drive it for a few minutes to allow the stabilizer to circulate 2. Change the oil and filter 3. Hook up a battery charger to keep the battery fully charged. Make sure that you get one that monitors the battery charge level and keeps it topped off. They are called a "floating" charger. For a month, you should be ok without the stabilizer, but it's really cheap. You'll have to decide if a charger is worth it. They are about $30. If your battery dies, you'll be able to jump them car to get it started and then take it for a ride on the highway to charge the battery. Be careful on the stabilizer if you have ethanol in your gas (E-10). You need to get an alcohol compatible stabilizer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKX2007 Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 You shouldn't need any fuel stabilizer if its going to be less thrn 6 months unused. You may want to start it evry few weeks to keep the battery active. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 You shouldn't need any fuel stabilizer if its going to be less thrn 6 months unused. You may want to start it evry few weeks to keep the battery active. And top off the fuel tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igcitng Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 And top off the fuel tank. Good advice, I will be sure to fill up. And I did not think about the tires, so I will be sure to move it when I can. Thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Good advice, I will be sure to fill up. And I did not think about the tires, so I will be sure to move it when I can. Thanks guys. Pump up the tire pressure really high - 40-42 psi should be good but check the max pressure on the sidewall and don't exceed that. That will help prevent flatspotting also - just remember to reduce it before you get it back on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Talionis Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 really.. "late October/early November into December" is not that long in my opinion. 30-40 days it seems at the max. Ah, I sometimes go that long in between driving my FJ40 and do nothing about it. I would start getting concerned at 3+ months, maybe. but just generally speaking, I think people have hit the advice well. as for tires, I have friends that put the car up on blocks rather than let sit or worry about moving the car. Harbor Freight has pretty cheap blocks. You can see them - I have my car up on all 4 - in my red caliper paint thread. also, not only could you just undo the battery if you did not want to get a charger, I think one time I saw a device you can put into your lighter and attach a home battery - not car battery - and it leaves just enough current to keep memory settings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEW2EDGE Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Pump up the tire pressure really high - 40-42 psi should be good but check the max pressure on the sidewall and don't exceed that. That will help prevent flatspotting also - just remember to reduce it before you get it back on the road. I store my T-bird every winter in a unheated garage and find the following proceedure has worked great. - Clean the car inside and out, take all paper, cleaning supplies everything out. (Paper goes rancid and other things freeze/burst) - I put a couple of containers of baking soda in the car to absorb any smells - Close the windows (keep mice and other unwanted things out) - Fill the gas tank and add fuel stabilizer - Change oil & filter - lube all linkages on motor - lube all hinges - I lightly fog the cylinders to prevent corrosion and pull the distributor to run the oil pump before start up, but if parking for 3 months this should not be a problem - I raise the car about 4 inches and set on blocks to take the weight off the tires and the load off the shocks and springs - I take the battery out and store indoors, remember to keep off concrete floors, I trickle charge every couple months and right before reinstalling. - I cover the car with something clean and dry (no plastic) got to be breathable (keeps crap off the car that either critters or just time seems to accumulate. It takes me about an afternoon to prep the car for storage and couple of hours to get back on the road. I realize that this is over kill for 3 month storage, but more or less can be used to store your Edge. Keep in mind even after a couple of weeks the rotors start to rust and makes stopping a little harder till the stuff wears off. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igcitng Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Good to know 30-40 days is not a terribly long time, I was not sure. To me it is an eternity to not use your every day car, especially in cold weather. The blocks in my situation are prob not a good idea though. If it snows and I need to get somewhere at some point my mom may have to drive it. She has a Camaro, not the best in the snow. Need to have it at the ready. I will put a extra air in the tires. I usually do in the winter anyway for adjust for the cold air. Thanks. :shades: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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