Dear all,

 

I've been unwell. I'm recovering but my car's not been driven since mid January. I'll probably get behind the wheel near the start of April.

 

It's on a driveway, so I could start it and idle it for a while, but obviously that's not ideal.

 

I'm thinking about getting a trickle charger, overinflating the tyres/moving the car by a few inches to stop wear on the same but of tyres.

 

1) Does anyone recommend a trickle charger for a MK3 Octavia vRS petrol (220)? I'd prefer to charge through the cigarette lighter if I can but that's not essential.

 

2) Is there anything I've not considered after a car's been laid up for a bit?

 

3) Normally idling on the driveway isn't great but if the car starts, is that preferable to leaving it without running for another month?

 

Pragmatically (long story), there's no one who could give it a run for me.

 

Thanks for any help people can offer.

Personally i think your car will be fine ,lots of choice with smart charges ive got a ring one that works fine the odd time ive needed it ,ive got a 220 vrs ,jan to mid aprill not a long time they spend longer on dealers forcourts it will be ok .

Best thing to do is not start the car. Idling it doesn't move the oil around the engine like driving it does.

 

You're going to need something like a battery conditioner. I trickle charge does exactly that; carries on charging it whether it needs to or not. When my car was laid up because of my ill health, I just used my optimate I use for my motorbike. That was plugged in between my dad being able to give the car a razz around the block. I don't know whether the cigarette lighter will allow for charging with it being a Canbus system.

 

Also, if you are able to, use a Jerry can and keep the fuel topped up to the brim. This just prevents any water collecting in the fuel tank from condensation.

 

When you do take it out of storage, at any reasonable opportunity you get, add fresh fuel. Petrol starts to go bad after around 6 months.

 

If you can, try and cover the car. If you can't, wash it and look after it as you would if it was on the road. Just to protect the paintwork. I kept mine under a tarp, but still washed and waxed it. Also, lubricate any joint (hinges, locks etc) to keep them free moving.

Why are you worrying about this now? Another 2 weeks and it will be April.

On 19/03/2022 at 12:22, ords said:

Why are you worrying about this now? Another 2 weeks and it will be April.

 

Because I wasn't well enough to do anything before.

 

Thanks all. Really helpful.