Nwa Teacher: I park my Ml 320 SUV for 3years now since i'm not in d country to use it. Although i romove all the four tyres and hang it with a stone in my car garage. But i didn't remove the battery and the car hasn't start to warm since dat last 3 years. I want to know how bad is it to the car

exxell: Please, how is this suppossed to make front page? Oga Siena, there are other useful threads in the car section worthy of the front page. When the guy bought the car, did he contact Nairalanders? Nay! When he was parking the car, did he contact Nairalanders? Nay! Why then will he contact us after three years to know if it is proper or not? I dont see any logic in that. Your answer to the guy should have been the main topic. I know most people will come here to insult me now... But am already with my magic wand in front of my laptop. Am watching comments closely....

paix: If you had sold the car and invested the money for 3 years you should be thinking of buying a newer version of the car by now.

mistiff007: You need to spray the engine bay with pesticides..Rats/Rodents love chewing electrical wires over time. ;

Siena: A car can be laid up unused for even 10 years, as long as correct procedures are followed.

01) Disconnect battery.
02) Do an oil and filter change.
03) Have the ATF and filter changed (automatics only).
04) Remove the spark plugs, and squirt clean engine oil down the bores, then replace the plugs loosely. You'll need to remove the plugs and crank the engine for at least 10 seconds, before refitting the plugs when you're ready to use the car again.
05) Take the weight off the wheels, by supporting the frame on axle stands. Tyres can remain fitted.
06) Make sure the gas tank is full. This prevents tank from rusting from the inside out.
07) Put a good fuel additive in the tank, and run it through the system. This prevents the fuel pump seizing.
08) Make sure the cooling system is charged with a fresh water / coolant mix to minimise internal corrosion.
09) Carry out a brake fluid change before laying the car up.
10) Carry out a clutch fluid change before laying up (hydraulic clutch only).
11) Make sure the car is in a place where it can breathe. Car covers are a bad idea long term, as condensation and mould will form inside the car, and the paintwork will suffer from abrasion (windy periods).
12) Park the car in an open garage / carport. This ensures the car is adequately ventilated. If possible, vent the interior by leaving a window or two partially open, at least once every two weeks.
13) Grease door, boot and bonnet hinges, as well as sunroof tracks (as applicable).
14) If practical, spray the entire exterior with a film of WD-40 or other light oil. This will reduce the chances of external corrosion.
15) Wash the wheel arches thoroughly, to remove dried earth. Once clean and dry, smear a gererous layer of multi-purpose grease in these arches, paying particular attention to the arch lips.
16) Leave some bags of silica gel inside the car. This will absorb moisture, and prevent your interior - leather, fabric, carpets, steering wheel, roof lining etc from going mouldy.

This might seem a lot, but this is the best way to keep your car in good shape during long periods of inactivity. All the above will need to be reversed, and depending on how long you leave the car, the gas would have gone off, and will need draining, and refilling with fresh gas. It might run on the old gas, but it'll be difficult to start, and have zero knock resistance.

Good luck!

Siena: A car can be laid up unused for even 10 years, as long as correct procedures are followed.

01) Disconnect battery.
02) Do an oil and filter change.
03) Have the ATF and filter changed (automatics only).
04) Remove the spark plugs, and squirt clean engine oil down the bores, then replace the plugs loosely. You'll need to remove the plugs and crank the engine for at least 10 seconds, before refitting the plugs when you're ready to use the car again.
05) Take the weight off the wheels, by supporting the frame on axle stands. Tyres can remain fitted.
06) Make sure the gas tank is full. This prevents tank from rusting from the inside out.
07) Put a good fuel additive in the tank, and run it through the system. This prevents the fuel pump seizing.
08) Make sure the cooling system is charged with a fresh water / coolant mix to minimise internal corrosion.
09) Carry out a brake fluid change before laying the car up.
10) Carry out a clutch fluid change before laying up (hydraulic clutch only).
11) Make sure the car is in a place where it can breathe. Car covers are a bad idea long term, as condensation and mould will form inside the car, and the paintwork will suffer from abrasion (windy periods).
12) Park the car in an open garage / carport. This ensures the car is adequately ventilated. If possible, vent the interior by leaving a window or two partially open, at least once every two weeks.
13) Grease door, boot and bonnet hinges, as well as sunroof tracks (as applicable).
14) If practical, spray the entire exterior with a film of WD-40 or other light oil. This will reduce the chances of external corrosion.
15) Wash the wheel arches thoroughly, to remove dried earth. Once clean and dry, smear a gererous layer of multi-purpose grease in these arches, paying particular attention to the arch lips.
16) Leave some bags of silica gel inside the car. This will absorb moisture, and prevent your interior - leather, fabric, carpets, steering wheel, roof lining etc from going mouldy.

This might seem a lot, but this is the best way to keep your car in good shape during long periods of inactivity. All the above will need to be reversed, and depending on how long you leave the car, the gas would have gone off, and will need draining, and refilling with fresh gas. It might run on the old gas, but it'll be difficult to start, and have zero knock resistance.

Good luck!

Opera Mini: My own car, an EOD would be parked for only a week, and the back tyre would no longer roll. This had happened thrice this year, thus my mechanic has to come and loose the pads and fix it back for it to come back to life. What would be the cause of this?

Opera Mini: My own car, an EOD would be parked for only a week, and the back tyre would no longer roll. This had happened thrice this year, thus my mechanic has to come and loose the pads and fix it back for it to come back to life. What would be the cause of this?

Siena:

That's something I forgot to address earlier. When a car is laid up for an extended period of time, it's wise to leace the handbrake off. Otherwise it can seize up, and be a pain to free off.

Simply engage P on automatics, or 1st on manuals.

9jadelta: invest it in what exactly?