Vehicle Storage for Extended Periods / will my brand new car be okay? I could not find an existing thread on the above topic and hence thought I can share my experiences on the same. I am right now in the USA on a long term assignment and do not expect to be back in good old motherland before 2008.
I own a Maruti Esteem 2003 and a Honda Unicorn 2005. When my onsite assignment was confirmed the first and most mind boggling question I asked myself was "How do I take care of my car and bike in my absence ?" Let me reiterate that I have always been smitten by my cars and bikes (just like anyone of our TBHPians) and I have enjoyed their company more than that of any human being. The most common response I was hearing from my friends and folks at home was to sell them off and buy new ones when I returned. Sacrilege ! How dare they say that ! That broke my heart and in fact whetted my appetite to have my faithful companions safe and sound till I came back. I ruled out the selling option (as if I had before !!) and decided to plan for their extended storage.
I was prepared for the bike while I knew it would be quite a difficult task to put my beloved Esteem into cold storage. Finally there was light at the end of the tunnel. Help came in the form of my uncle's trusted and faithful driver who agreed to take care of the car in my absence. His job was to start the engine every alternate day and take her for a brief drive every sunday with my uncle which was also the day earmarked for fuel top-ups and checking tyre pressure. I ensured that I removed both the HUs of my Kenwood Casette Player and the new Kenwood MP3 I had fixed just below the original Cassette player. I ensured I noted down the odometer reading and also filled the tank up to the brim the day I left India. As I have mentioned in a few of my earlier posts, CARS, the authorised service centre for Maruti in Chennai has taken very good care of my car since the day I bought it and so I put in a word with the Service Advisor and he assured me of prompt service of my car during my absence. Needless to say, he has kept his word and I personally scheduled the last service for my car in India sitting here in the USA. I had also left a checklist with my uncle with a list of do's and dont's and took care to write down everything to minutest detail. The list was pretty long and covered little things like the brand of fuel that needed to be filled in and how to just stop filling after the first auto cut-off happens (I have observed quite a number of people overfill their tanks even after one or two auto cut-offs not knowing the danger in doing so). After I ensured I had the list comprehensive in itself, I called the driver one Sunday and along with my uncle spent an hour with him explaining various things on the car and on the list. I still remember the grin my uncle had on his face which I interpreted as "Come on Man, this is too much" and the driver who stood like a statue most of the times. This guy is an experienced driver and I have personally seen him drive and maintain my uncle's Tavera. Yet I did not give up and the lecture went on for an hour with me asking him intermittently, "Any Questions ?" For an external observer it would have appeared foolish and stupid on my part to do this but I was hell bent on this ritual.
Now with the car being taken care of, I sat down to think of the bike which had hardly done 4000kms in about 18 months since I had bought it and there it was the gleaming red beauty which I had to put on cold storage. I decided that I do this myself without allowing a soul to interfere with my work. I stuck religiously to the section on the owner’s manual that dealt with extended storage. The bike had just been serviced a week before and hence I didn’t need to take care of too many things. But of course, it was difficult in its own way but my admiration and passion for my bike kept me going more than anything else. I started off with disconnecting the battery. Then came the most important thing to be attended which also took most of the time. It was draining the fuel from the tank and from the carburetor. I unlocked the seat and then unscrewed the bolts that firmly held the tank in its place. Now, with the tank in my hand, I drained all the fuel from the tank and yet I could see that there was fuel remaining. So I had to keep shaking the up and down for about 15 – 20 minutes till I could hear no signs of fuel moving around. Phew ! I was sweating like a pig already. I opened the can of 20W40 oil I had bought and poured it all into the fuel tank. I kept rolling the tank so that the oil would spread across to all corners of the tank. This am sure would keep the interiors of the tank from rusting. Once I was convinced that the tank had its treatment I proceeded to empty the fuel from the carburetor. Now it was the turn to remove the spark plug from its place and allow a few drops of engine oil on the piston and then put the plug back in place. I also made sure that I oiled the parts like the drive chain, foot pegs, kick starter, etc. Now with most things being taken care of, I was keen on finding a parking place (a temporary-permanent one !) which could shield my bike from everything under the sun. After a great deal of thought, I finally decided that my bike will occupy a corner of my bed room (much against the wishes of my wife and parents !) I parked the bike on the main stand after placing a rubber mat under it. Most importantly, I made sure that both the tyres were inflated to the required level and that they didn’t touch the ground. I had placed a wooden stool (tailor made to suit my requirements !) under the bike and made the chassis rest on it. I removed the mirrors and kept them safely in my cupboard so that they could show all that they want after I come back. Last but not least, I covered the bike with a tarpaulin cover so that dust doesn’t get in. And now my red beauty sleeps in peace for the last six months, waiting for its master to come and bring it back to life !!
Last edited by Rehaan : 4th December 2007 at 20:21.
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