Im leaving for Iraq at the end of the month and am putting my car in storage for a year. What are some things i should do to ensure she runs as good as she runs now when i come back. someone told me that i should unplug my fuel line and run my engine out of fuel so the fuel in the injectors dousnt get bad. any thoughts.
Thing i plan on doing.
put on jack stands
add fuel stabilizer
change oil before i leave and as soon as i get back

mabey change the m/t tranny fliud....

All those things are good, but it's going to be most important that you prime the engine when you come back.

what do you mean by prime it.

Theres a standard procedure, probably documented somewhere in the FAQs on this site (or any site on how to properly start a car after a year+ of downtime or a rebuild) that involves turning the engine with no fuel for enough time to build sufficient oil pressure for a clean, non-dry start.

I would put the car on blocks, and preferably on your front lawn. :)

would be good to disconnect the battery too and/or put it on a "battery tender" if the car will be near a plug

what do you mean by prime it.

...pull the 'IGN' fuse and crank the engine to let oil pressure build a bit.....put the fuse back in and start the car.

I'd buy some REGULAR....NON-instant lighting charcoal....2 x 20 pound bags and put those in the car to absorb odors and moisture...dump it in a cheap plastic container and put one in the trunk and one up front on the floorboard.
Maybe have someone change it out at the 1/2 way point.

cap the intake and exhaust to keep critters out.

a couple coats of wax on the outside.

do NOT set the parking brake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!11

cover it

remove the battery and put it on a 'tender'

fuel stabilizer and a FULL TANK of gas!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

good idea with the charcoal to help keep the interior from getting mildew... didn't think of that

the dude at the storage place said to crack the window too. also wont my car smell like a freakin bbq with the charcoal

disconnect battery, have fresh oil and tranny fluid in, full tank of gas with additive to remove moisture... leave it up on blocks if possible and take some of the air pressure out of the tires. Also have someone connect the battery and start the car once a month or so, let it run a 20 mins or so... just to keep things working.

Another option is a product called "damp-rid" It doesn't smell at all and works very well. I use it here in FL to keep the humidity down in my closets... just have to change out the pellets every so often when it fills up

In FL you can get this stuff in Home Depot and most grocery stores have it too.. refills come in a 1/2 gallon milk container. Here's their website

http://www.damprid.dsiwebbuilder.com/index.asp?cat=173068

the dude at the storage place said to crack the window too. also wont my car smell like a freakin bbq with the charcoal

....NO!!!!!

plain charcoal has NO smell of any sort

A dehumidifier would be a good idea if you had someone to empty the thing every few days or hours

Another option is a product called "damp-rid" It doesn't smell at all and works very well. I use it here in FL to keep the humidity down in my closets... just have to change out the pellets every so often when it fills up

In FL you can get this stuff in Home Depot and most grocery stores have it too.. refills come in a 1/2 gallon milk container. Here's their website

http://www.damprid.dsiwebbuilder.com/index.asp?cat=173068

The damp rid MAY be OK....but may need to be changed out more often than the charcoal.

I stored a car for ~8 months and the charcoal did the trick---along wit all the rest of it ;)

Also

The gas stabilizer MUST be run through the gas so that it actually gets into the engine and all the injectors so it can work...do NOT just dump it in the tank and let it sit!!!!

You're looking for a desiccant to remove the humidity from the inside of your car. Silica is a common one.

Here you go

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=183876

thanks to everyone. all these ideas are great

Also have someone connect the battery and start the car once a month or so, let it run a 20 mins or so... just to keep things working.

It is better to let the car just sit than to start it and let it idle for 20 mins. It is not good for the engine to be run if it does not get up to full operating temperature.

Maybe you can get a friend to take it out once in a while so you don't have to do all this. Or lease it to someone. lol

how much are you paying to have it stored?

I think you should sell it. Buy a new car when you get back.

Put the money in stocks, mutual funds, or savings account so it grows. Cars depreciate like crazy and one year of it doesn't help any.

Im leaving for Iraq at the end of the month and am putting my car in storage for a year. What are some things i should do to ensure she runs as good as she runs now when i come back. someone told me that i should unplug my fuel line and run my engine out of fuel so the fuel in the injectors dousnt get bad. any thoughts.
Thing i plan on doing.
put on jack stands
add fuel stabilizer
change oil before i leave and as soon as i get back




If you do intend to leave the car unused through the period, I would spray all interior of engine with fogging oil to help with rust prevention.

More drastic is to totally flood the engine with oil and drain all before you start it. We did that with Porsche engines in storage in Asia where humidity induced corrosion is a real issue.

And before you restart it, spray some (not pour) oil through all sparkplug holes, dry crank the engine a few turns before you fire it up.

I am also concerned about insects & pests building homes in your car and eating into stuffs. I cannot offer help here. May be put some moth balls in ladies' stocking in locations under the bonnet and inside the interior.

Clean the car really well before you store it so there is no food to attract ants/mouse etc.

A car cover is useful but put some small styrofoam blocks on roof so the top of car is ventilated to help ventilation & to prevent condensation forming on the roof.

No matter, take care and come back.

BTW, this link provides some good reading on storage of used Porsche:
http://www.type2.com/library/misc/storage.htm

dont forget to make a video of you saying bye to the car and another of you seeing her again and starting it.

Good stuff right there. haha