Preping the ST to sit for a month... Advice?

[Chris Turner]

Going away for a bit and have to leave my baby behind. I want to get her properly prepared to wait for me, so that she doesn't have any issues when I get back.



I know to make sure the tank is full, but is there anything else I should do? Should I top off the tires, change the oil, disconnect the battery, etc.?



Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Steve McKellop]

A month........ nothing. The fuel top off is a good idea though. No telling what fuel will cost in another month ! !

 

[Wes Davis]

No need to do anything for a month but if you just happen to have one of those battery tender charges I would hook that up. Not a charger, a tender.

 

[Brad Schultz 2]

Don't set the parking brake. Might want to run fuel stabilizer thru it for ten minutes if you have ethanol in your fuel.

 

[Robert Caffyn]

Please send me your address and I will personally look after her for the month. He He He....Where is New Mexico anyway? I need a vacation, could stay at the house also! Bob :grin::grin:

 

[TrainTrac]

If your ST is going to be sitting outside, pickup a solar battery maintainer from Camping World.com for ~$25, plug it into your 12VDC port, and stick it up on the dash.



I use one in my RV during winter storage and it works great!:banana:

 

[Bill Koonce]

Technically you shouldn't need to keep a full tank, with sealed fuel systems, hygroscopic (ie. ethanol) fuel additives etc. Still, I'd add plenty of Sta-Bil and run the engine a while to let the additive permeate the fuel system.



Lead-acid cells don't discharge rapidly. If it's only for a month, you can let the battery alone. Automotive lead-acid batteries can't stand to be discharged fully and should be maintained by a battery charger made for that purpose.



How to store the rest of your car? That's a whole 'nother story...

 

[Chris Turner]

Any recommendations on fuel stabilizers? I don't tend to trust Sta-Bil, as it was always bad news bears for any small engines (chain saws, blowers, weed eaters, etc) that I worked on about a decade ago.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Park it and be done with it. I never use any type of fuel stabilizer and have never had any issues.



Cars will sit on lots for months of a time and they never do any of that crap.





Tom

 

[Steve McKellop]

Park it and be done with it. I never use any type of fuel stabilizer and have never had any issues.

Cars will sit on lots for months of a time and they never do any of that crap.

Tom

X2



OMG, I've agreed with Tom twice now ............ I'm calling a shrink! :bwahaha:

 

[David Ponder]

Steve, In the holiday spirit of "non conflict" I see.. :haveabeer:



Actually, I agree also. Fill the tank, and let it sit. (Be sure that any accessory chargers, GPS, etc are all unplugged as these will put a small drain on your battery.) Fine for a few nights, but over a month it can pull it down.

 

[Bill Koonce]

I don't know about chain saws, but Sta-Bil has kept my cars in great shape. If you don't want to use it, try one of the several Sta-Bil work-alike products that I see more and more of popping up on the parts store shelves. Can't vouch for any of the others, 'cause I haven't tried 'em.



I have seen the cumulative effects of letting gas grow old while your car sits. When I lived downtown I rarely drove my Mustang, and one day my fuel pump failed. I found a nasty-looking gas tank for a car with only 12,000 miles on it. After that, Sta-Bil all the way.

 

[Steve McKellop]

Just picking on Tom........all in fun!