Advice for long term storage?

[Paling]

I am unlucky enough to go and work on some remote island near the tip of South America and need to leave my car in a garage for about 7 months. 

Are there any good tips I need to follow?  Like for example, disconnecting the battery, etc.  Unfortunately, I cannot give the keys to someone for the duration to start the engine up.  It will be locked away for the 7 months until I return.

Any advice will be helpful.

[simonpolly]

Handbrake off,used to be in the navy when we came back after being at sea for a while,it was quite amuzing watching people dragging their back wheels around because the handbrake had stuck on.

[Schuey]

I am unlucky enough to go and work on some remote island near the tip of South America and need to leave my car in a garage for about 7 months. 

Are there any good tips I need to follow?  Like for example, disconnecting the battery, etc.  Unfortunately, I cannot give the keys to someone for the duration to start the engine up.  It will be locked away for the 7 months until I return.

Any advice will be helpful.

Sell it back to a dealer & buy another when you return, so much less hassle 

[Jkctr]

Thats a long time!

Will need things like oil removing i think (dont quote me on that though) best of getting a low battery charger than removing it?

I remember reading a thread on another forum and theres a lot involved!

[Khare]

Yeah lots involved. Probably best off selling it and buying another one when you are back.

However, if you are adamant you want to store it, then get one of the breathable car covers to keep it under, I'd give it a full body wax to protect it also.

I'd also leave the car up on bricks so the tires don't get flat spots, and I'd be tempted to deflate the tires too, so they don't get stretched.

engine wise I'd leave the oil in there, and I'd leave a few drops of oil in the cylinder bores. I'd disconnect the battery also, purely because it will get discharged in those 7 months anyway, so you might as well remove it so it's still got charge in it when you are back.

[mac7]

Sorry, but I hear some utter rubbish sometimes. - 7 months isn't long to lay up a car. Drain oil??!. Deflate tyres so they don't stretch... huh??!

Advice to sell in and then buy a new one is just plain stupid - there'd be enough lost in depreciation alone to pay for new tyres, oil, valet, someone to cuddle it every night  etc, etc.

What do you think happens to brand new unsold cars stored on runways for months and months??

All you have to do is park it, handbrake off and disconnect the battery. You might want to inflate the tyres to 46-48psi. I've left cars parked for up to 11 months with no adverse effects. My Dad's Mk4 is parked up for 6-7 months at a time every year with no problems at all.

[Paling]

I should have mentioned that I was lucky enough to have bought the car tax free, so I have one year restriction on selling it.

[Schuey]

Sorry, but I hear some utter rubbish sometimes. - 7 months isn't long to lay up a car. Drain oil??!. Deflate tyres so they don't stretch... huh??!

Advice to sell in and then buy a new one is just plain stupid - there'd be enough lost in depreciation alone to pay for new tyres, oil, valet, someone to cuddle it every night  etc, etc.

What do you think happens to brand new unsold cars stored on runways for months and months??

All you have to do is park it, handbrake off and disconnect the battery. You might want to inflate the tyres to 46-48psi. I've left cars parked for up to 11 months with no adverse effects. My Dad's Mk4 is parked up for 6-7 months at a time every year with no problems at all.

Why take the hit from 7 months of depreciation when you're not using it???! Probably get good money for it now, before MKV prices fall & pull the MKVI down with it.........7 Months is a long time in depreciation terms & more so in the current market where prices will start to fall just as quick as they went up.  Anyway irrelevant cos the car was bought tax free & has a restriction on selling it.

Also regarding 'brand new unsold cars laid up on runways' why do you think the manufacturers leave all of the protective covers on them? Why do you think they go through PDI's??

quote author=JulesV6 link=topic=131650.msg1177924#msg1177924 date=1255110889]
Thats a long time!

Will need things like oil removing i think (dont quote me on that though) best of getting a low battery charger than removing it?

I remember reading a thread on another forum and theres a lot involved!
[/quote]

Not sure I'd leave any kind of battery charger unattended, especially for 7 months.

Whichever way you decide to store it, let your insurers know.

[mac7]

Why take the hit from 7 months of depreciation when you're not using it???!

Err, he already bought it, so it's already depreciating. If he sold it now, then bought a new one in 7 months time, is that going to be cheaper than just keeping it in the garage? Sounds like more hassle to me.

Really, if it's in a garage there's no need to do anything except what I've said and common sense like making sure it's clean and the windows are closed.

Whichever way you decide to store it, let your insurers know.

Why? An insured car in a locked garage is hardly a risk. If it's uninsured during that time, there's no insurance company to tell.

[Paling]

Ok, guys, I have the problem that I'm a South African in the British Army based in Germany.  For me to sell the car I must deregister it from the Military net and then register it in the UK where they will ask me proof of address which I don't have.  If it was possible to sell the car now I will do so, as I will make money on it as I only paid £22 100 for it. (See specs in signature.)
One of the rules for buying tax-free vehicles is that it must be registered on the Military net for 12 months, if I do want to sell the car before this I must pay the outstanding tax, which I do not want to do. (Couple of other clauses that I will not bore you with.)

The easiest for me will be to put it in a garage for 7 months and just drop my insurance from fully comp to 3rd party, fire and theft and raise it again up to fully comp when I'm back.

Thanks for those who posted helpful advice.