How to keep SORN car in good condition

n217970

Richard53 wrote: »

Is there a reason not to leave it in gear? I'm not aware of a reason, but always open to ideas.

Supposedly it doesn't do the DMF any good if one is fitted. Presumably this would only be the case if you were holding it on a hill.

Re fuel - I have only had some go off once recently - it was in a mower I forgot I owned and had not started in 2 or 3 years.

Ebe_Scrooge

Richard53 wrote: »

Is there a reason not to leave it in gear? I'm not aware of a reason, but always open to ideas.

I'm probably just being over-cautious, but I'd be worried about something "sticking".


It was a couple of years ago, I'd parked my car on my drive, and I always leave it in gear as it's on quite a reasonable slope - belt & braces. Anyhow, it was the middle of winter, thick snow lying all around, and overnight the temperature was getting down to about minus 15 or something daft like that. A couple of days later, needed to use the car - the bloomin' thing was jammed in first gear. Ended up driving off very slowly, after about quarter of a mile or so I was able to change gear normally - and I've never had a spot of trouble since. I can only assume it was the extreme cold ( though surely gearbox oil wouldn't freeze ??? ). Whatever, that would be my only logic behind not leaving it in gear for several weeks. Probably totally flawed logic, but there you go :rotfl:

Strider590

DigForVictory wrote: »

To discourage anyone thinking "ah ah - handy getaway/joyride vehicle", I commend removing the glass from the wing mirrors - the Ford ones clip back in pretty easily in my experience, but are a raucous MOT Fail at a 200 yard distance.
All the best with babysitting the vehicle!

I don't get that, if your worried about theft, just replace the fuel pump fuse with a blown fuse, they won't have a clue and they won't have time to go digging around a fuse box trying to figure it out.

Richard53

n217970 wrote: »

Supposedly it doesn't do the DMF any good if one is fitted. Presumably this would only be the case if you were holding it on a hill.

A pretty minor risk, I would have thought, but yes, makes sense.

n217970 wrote: »

Re fuel - I have only had some go off once recently - it was in a mower I forgot I owned and had not started in 2 or 3 years.

Heh. I left a mower in the shed for 3-4 years with half a tank of unleaded. Needed it one day and it started fourth pull. It's a Honda engine, and I was impressed.

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

I'm probably just being over-cautious, but I'd be worried about something "sticking".


It was a couple of years ago, I'd parked my car on my drive, and I always leave it in gear as it's on quite a reasonable slope - belt & braces. Anyhow, it was the middle of winter, thick snow lying all around, and overnight the temperature was getting down to about minus 15 or something daft like that. A couple of days later, needed to use the car - the bloomin' thing was jammed in first gear. Ended up driving off very slowly, after about quarter of a mile or so I was able to change gear normally - and I've never had a spot of trouble since. I can only assume it was the extreme cold ( though surely gearbox oil wouldn't freeze ??? ). Whatever, that would be my only logic behind not leaving it in gear for several weeks. Probably totally flawed logic, but there you go :rotfl:

To be fair, that is more likely to be the clutch sticking (a known fault on cars that are left standing) than gear oil sticking, which is unheard of outside Arctic conditions, as far as I know.

Strider590

^^ Damp in an old style clutch cable, tends to freeze and jam the clutch in winter.

knightstyle

For 3 months, do nothing except leave the handbrake off.
I have left cars for a few years without problems, for these long lay offs I had a routine, splash of engine oilin spark plug holes, wheels off the floor, lubricate door locks etc. remove fuel, water and battery.
Never had a car not start, longest was 5 years, that was a Jowet Jupiter with rotten wood that I was going to do up. almost gave it away in the end but it still drove off.