Hello,
I am storing my Mazda 3 2004(2.0 L Engine-- 87,000 km Odometer ) for Winter(Dec 2022 - April 2023) and planning to take the battery out and put it in my room(Room temperature)for 4-5 months.
Last time my battery died because neither did i take the battery out nor started the car for many months so i learnt the lesson :). Few qs :
1/Shall i put grease anywhere on battery after removing it and putting in ?
2/How about the gas? Shall the tank be full if stored for 4-5 months or half is ok as well?
3/ Shall i fill up the tank with regular gas or premium 91 octance when the car is stored in my indoor garage for 4-5 months?
If there are any other things to consider, please let me know.
Thanks,
planning to take the battery out and put it in my room
don't store car batteries in your house. It'll self discharge anyway.
Leave it in the car, and put a trickle charger on it. At least you won't lose your settings that way
1/Shall i put grease anywhere on battery after removing it and putting in ?
The idea behind dielectric grease is to seal the battery posts and cable terminals against corrosion (from the battery gasses), so... you can put some on there if yours is prone to corrosion under the hood
Posted by: @shan
2/How about the gas? Shall the tank be full if stored for 4-5 months or half is ok as well?
I wouldn't worry about it
Posted by: @shan
3/ Shall i fill up the tank with regular gas or premium 91 octance when the car is stored in my indoor garage for 4-5 months?
premium fuel doesn't last any longer than regular. It's a waste of money
If there are any other things to consider, please let me know.
The best thing you can do for the car, is take it out for a proper drive as often as possible. Make sure it gets up to operating temperature. This will also reduce tire flat spots.
Or at least start it up every couple of weeks.
Okay so I have a FJ Cruiser that is usually parked in the garage during the rainy winter months. I never take the battery out; I attach a trickle charger to it and it has always worked. I will up the gas tank with the regular gasoline I always use for the car.
In general I change the oil on that car every 5k or once a year whichever comes first and it has nothing to do with storing it or not.
I turn it on once a month and let it run for a while until it reaches operating temperature. I take it out the garage and then back in making sure the next time it's sitting on a different spot of the tires.
I've had the car since 2014 and have always done this with zero issues.
Remote Starter Devices....Michael Weise, can you please share any link where to find such devices?? In this case, i will not remove the battery.
I would suggest you do not do this because usually devices like this if not installed properly will interfere with the car electronics and that is not a good idea.
In nutshell:
1/Need to put grease or Vaseline on battery posts as well as cable Terminals
Again ... only if you suffer from corrosion. I never get any. I don't need any grease.
start the car every week for 20 mins OR drive the car every 2 weeks for 20 mins or so.
never mind the time. Watch the temperature gauge. It needs to reach full operating temperature. 198F or whatever it normally runs at. Once it reaches this temperature, it should stay there a while. At least 10 minutes.
2/Seems like filling the gas tank to full would be a good idea
but then you're stuck with a full tank of old gas. Just leave whatever is left in there.
3/ Oil change i am not sure about as some says to get an oil change before storing it and some say to change it after taking the
Just carry on with your normal schedule. There's no point putting fresh oil in an engine then letting it sit
Now, i am double minded either to start the car every week or drive for 20 mins every 2 weeks
drive it
Posted by: @shan
take the battery out, get an oil change and fill up the tank to fill and put fuel stablizer :):)
you're overthinking it. it's only 5 months.
I parked my car in an open field for a year. Aside from the mouse nest in the air box it was fine.
Just enjoy your holidays.
You hung out with ET for a year?!
In addition to the above:
- increase tire pressure to 3 bar or so, to avoid flat spots.
- to minimize temperature flutuations-related stresses on hoses, some also locker the radiator cap just very slightly for it to become untight. Just dont forget to tighten it afterwards.
- for a healthy disconnected fully loaded car battery, 4-5 months is a duration it can live without any trickle charge (provided that you charge it afterwards).
- if your car is left stored due to your absence, you might not be able to drive it regularily. In such cases fanatics like myself install remote starter devices, which would allow you to start your engine and let it run for some time even while you are away. Such electronic devices are not that expensive.
Get the car up in the air too, put her on jack stands or something
Thanks to all for your valuable.
How about the Oil change before storing the Vehicle?
So filling up the tank with premium gas and store it OR regular gas with fuel stablizer?
Please let me know. Thanks
Neither.
As I said above, premium fuel is a waste of money.
It's only 5 months!
If anything an oil change after you take it out of storage, and if you fill it with whatever gas it calls for you'll be fine. The less air in the tank the better, fill it up. Fill it with whatever octane you normally do.
In nutshell:
1/Need to put grease or Vaseline on battery posts as well as cable Terminals and put the battery in car OR---- if not taking the battery out then the best thing is to start the car every week for 20 mins OR drive the car every 2 weeks for 20 mins or so.
2/Seems like filling the gas tank to full would be a good idea with regular gas without using the fuel stablizer if the car is to be started every week for 20 mins Or driven every 2 weeks for 20 mins?
3/ Oil change i am not sure about as some says to get an oil change before storing it and some say to change it after taking the car back from storage 🙂
4/ Remote Starter Devices....Michael Weise, can you please share any link where to find such devices?? In this case, i will not remove the battery.
Now, i am double minded either to start the car every week or drive for 20 mins every 2 weeks OR go other way around(Storing the car in Winter)and take the battery out, get an oil change and fill up the tank to fill and put fuel stablizer :):)