Tips for Taking a Car Out of Storage
• Drain and properly dispose of any gas in the tank, in the carburetor float bowls and also flush the fuel lines. If for some reason the car doesn't start, the more potential causes you have eliminated ahead of time, the faster you'll be able to find the problem and get on the road!• Drain, flush and replace the coolant. I know you only put it in three months ago, but many of the newer 'coolants' have corrosion inhibitors to help protect your cooling system. These corrosion inhibitors have been eating away at the rust inside your cooling system for the past 90 days, so flushing things through could prevent a blockage and subsequent overheating the next time the mercury soars. Replace with fresh coolant. A 50/50 anti-freeze/water mix is fine.• Change the engine oil. Oil that has been sitting in an engine for three months is likely to be contaminated with water and possibly acids that can cause premature bearing failure and rust inside the engine. While you are at it, now is a good time to change the oil filter too.• Charge the battery, and keep it warm until you are ready to use it.• If the car has been left for a very long period of time unattended (more than 90 days), remove the sparkplugs and squirt some form of 'upper-cylinder lubricant' into the cylinders. This will help free any piston rings that may have become stuck.• Bleed the brakes and check the operation at the wheel cylinders. Make sure the Brake and Clutch master cylinders are full of brake fluid. Brake fluid can absorb water very quickly so make absolutely sure your brakes are working before tearing off down the street! If the car has sat a long time, it is recommended that you purge the system of
Intro
Site
Page 1
Page 4
Page 5
