Hi,

I am after a bit of advice and/or guidance.

I am in the position when I have to leave my 57 plate Octavia TSI for 6 months over winter it will be stored in the open.

Any suggestions as to how I store it. I have previously left it for 3 months over winter. I did nothing to it and everything was fine apart from a temporary reluctance of the gear stick to self centre over the 3/4th gate.

Do I disconnect the battery?

Chock it up or not? etc

 

Bob

 

I'd change the engine oil to prevent any contaminates eating away at its insides take the battery off altogether and store it away from the frost-preferably connected to a battery monitor and chock the wheels up as you suggest. I'd also leave the handbrake off so it doesn't sieze.

Fill the fuel tank to the brim to prevent condensation in any free space.

Overfill tyres?

Fill the fuel tank to the brim to prevent condensation in any free space.

Only if somewhere secure otherwise may come back to a drilled tank.

As above

Fill fuel tank

Chock wheels and hand brake off

Pump up the tyres

Charge battery monthly. Disconnecting the battery will cause the back-up alarm battery to fire the alarm when that goes flat.

A cheapo solar panel on the dash will keep  the battery good for the small drain the alarm puts on the battery.

 

Or have a friend/family fire it up and a short drive.  Adding an additional driver to your insurance as long as they are over 25 with clean driving licence should cost little.

Edited 20 September, 201312 yr by Web Ferret

If it's outside you might want to cover the car.

Get some of those moisture absorbing bags in the car to keep the Octavia dampness problem to a minimum which affects some of them.

Sell?

We split our lives between the UK and Spain, along with several friends we regularly leave cars unused for several months at a time.

When we first started doing this the other guys and I did all the things outlined above.......over the years we have all done less and less.

Virtually to a man now all we do is disconnect the battery, don't apply the handbrake and leave it in gear.

Non of us has had any issues that five minute drive hasn't resolved.......the brakes sound dreadful and are not very effective until a few applications have been made.......the battery may need charging.

One no no is a cover for the car.......a friend bought one, not cheap, parts of his car had been "sanded" down to the primer as a result of dirt being trapped underneath and the wind making the cover move back and forth slightly.

Regards all

Juan

Sent from my iPhone using my thumbs

I wouldn't even leave my car outside for a night unless I was away from home in it and had no choice

+1 but thats a choice i dont have so will leave my car hidden in a private car park, away from drooling mouths and prying eyes..... If i was to go away and had knowledge of someone with a garage then would certainly keep it parked in one. 

One no no is a cover for the car.......a friend bought one, not cheap, parts of his car had been "sanded" down to the primer as a result of dirt being trapped underneath and the wind making the cover move back and forth slightly.

Regards all

Juan

 

Eeek! What about a good thick layer of wax not rubbed off to keep bird poo etc away from the paint?

Thank you all very much, there is a lot of good advice in the above. I will be leaving it for 6 months with nobody to mechanically keep an eye on it or start it up. I have an in law who lives 400 yards away, but I was forced to take all his tools off him ( Long story) The only thing that I am undecided about is the battery. The geek in me liked the idea of leaving it connected but getting a solar charger and leaving it in the rear window (South facing). I was planning to remove the battery but I am now a bit worried about the alarm activating and disturbing my neighbours. Is there any way to disable alarm when I remove battery? One piece of advice I like that was suggested to me was using a layer of clingfilm under the wiper blades to prevent them sticking and tearing the first time they are moved.

Would pressing the button at the bottom of the drivers B pillar that normally stops the alarm being activated work here? I would just leave it with a solar charger with the tank full and the tyres at max sidewall pressure.

Alarms are usually pretty difficult to disable by design. SWMBO did it with a car and it had to be done at the dealer. Maybe somone with vagcom could do it.

Would pressing the button at the bottom of the drivers B pillar that normally stops the alarm being activated work here? I would just leave it with a solar charger with the tank full and the tyres at max sidewall pressure.

The button would only disable the internal sensors and not the whole alarm.

I seem to recollect that it's possible to 'remap' a 'this car is going nowhere' mode with such as an STS unit.

I seem to recollect that it's possible to 'remap' a 'this car is going nowhere' mode with such as an STS unit.

yes you can mate its the immobiliser map. 

I seem to recollect that it's possible to 'remap' a 'this car is going nowhere' mode with such as an STS unit.

 

Cheaper option is just to pull a couple of key fuses or relays so it won't go,

 

ie engine control module or fuel pump fuse or relay