Spring start up

[Mike Brennan]

Leave We'd. For the summer house in the Upper Peninsula. I go up in May to start the old wagon and open up the house. Still very cold up there. I will go back at the end of June for 3 months. My other 01 is in a bag in Wisconsin in a barn that we use to get to the cabin in june. They always are put away right and start right up

[photousa]

Mike, Nice photos. How do you deal with the battery, do you take it out and put it on a trickle charger? Do you use a gasoline stabilizer when storing for long periods? Any other tips you can share regarding letting the car sit for long periods?

[Mike Brennan]

I put the battery on a maintain trickle charger. Before starting I pull the fuel pump fuse and crank it for several minutes, on and off after 2 long bursts to get the oil up to the cam. I put fabric softener sheets everywhere a mouse might get in and in the tail pipe and put 45 lbs in the tires. I also take the wipers off. My brothers pole building barn is quite damp so I put the Aero in a storage bag. Some guys put the car up on blocks but I do not do that.

[photousa]

Thanks Mike, always interesting to get tips like this so we're ready for the next time we need to be away from our cars for a while.

[Mike Brennan]

I also forgot to mention I put sheets up in the foot wells behind the center and one down below the coin box. I also put a can of sea foam in the tank on the last fill up and make sure I put a few miles on it. I turn the car off by pulling the fuel pump fuse. Sea Foam is very good and way better than Sta-Bil. Fresh Mobil 1 also and I change it again the next summer before putting it away. I don't change it I the spring as you really don't need to with Mobil I. 0-40 always.

[photousa]

I didn't know that sea foam was better than StaBil, that's interesting. Are you putting sheets on the inside of the cabin to absorb moisture? I have a pretty nice fitted car cover for my wagon. Is your "bag" a regular cover? I change the oil & filter once a year as well, even though I may only put 5000 miles on my car. I also run an engine flush while I'm at it. I find that with my '03 wagon, I have some of that old car "stink", probably the old carpet and too many winters. Nothing seems to work at getting rid if the old car smell. I would think that field mice would be a real issue, I've seen city rats chew wiring harnesses here in Chicago causing big damage on a friends VW Jetta

[Mike Brennan]

Sheets do not absorb moisture. I put a bag of charcoal in the car for that. Your stink is likely from the carpets and pads. The only real way to get rid of it is to take the seats out so you can remove the carpets and pads to clean them. Also remove the air filter and turn the system on high fan and spray Lysol or something like that into the heater core. My bag is a drive on and zip up air tight cover. 10 months later the rotors are still shinning.

[photousa]

Good idea on pulling the seats and removing the carpet to clean, if that doesn't do the job, nothing will, plus, I'm due for a drivers side seat, bottom cushion rebuild / replacement. I think the car must have been previously owned by someone really heavy, because it feels like I'm sitting on the floor, with no support left in the seat bottom cushion. I'm definitely trying the Lyson in the ventilation system. Cool idea with the drive-on and zip up cover, I would think it would be difficult for critters to get through that type of cover.

[Mike Brennan]

Yeah, it's in a barn in Kenosha.