Currently I have my car in storage. I go to start the thing up once a week or every two weeks. Just to let the car idle in nuetral. I am just wondering does this hurt the engine because the oil probably runs off the stuff inside it and it'll be a pretty dry start. Should I just pull the battery like the years before and start it up when I'm ready to drive it in the summer? Thanks alot, and Wayne it was nice of what you did. Peace Out.

 

If it is a fouth gen no because then you will have to re program the computers or whatever but if its a older car then you can do that. I just run mine once a week or every two weeks
David

 

Sure.
Disconnect the battery, also.
If your have to reprogram the radio etc, big deal. You'll be doing that anyway, after your battery runs dead.
Honest, it takes a bit to fully recharge a battery.
All you're doing (battery) now is slowly discharging it. Unless you run a trickle charger.
The engine is quite ok.
Fill the gas tank.
Upon restart (after sleep), drive the car for along time (highway), then fresh oil!
Modern cars are not flaky, weak.

 

Thanks alot guys.

 

Thanx man ...I wish I could put mine in storage and get me another car .I don't want to put it in a storage building though (rental kind) b/c it seems they catch on fire down here to often . I have no room at my house to store .Reason for storage : To many people dont know how to drive in Louisiana ...My car died today in traffic , I cranked it right back up .But I hear errrr and the lady behind me almost didn't stop in her 4runner

 

When you first start it after a while I have heard of people pulling the coil wire off and cranking it to start pumping oil around the motor without the load of combustion on the moving parts. I think the ecm should prevent it from flooding the motor.

 

Wayne, does it even snow in Louisiana? We dont have that fire problem here yet. We have alot of garages at our cottage. So thats alright with me I can see it whenever I want. Later.

 

make sure you keep running it- my car was in storage for 2 years before i drove it an i had to replace the rear main seal behind the crank cause of a major oil leak- keep it running!

 

I have only seen snow twice here in my whole life .I have been living here sence I was born .The week after new years it started snowing at night , snowed aff and on all night , covered the ground white , but when I woke up the next morning , IT WAS SO BEAUTIFULL , EVERYTHING WHITE .We have real wierd weather down here in Louisiana .In the winter , it can be 75-80 one day , overnight we can have a cold front come through , and the next day the high will be 40 . I have even gone to school when it was 70 in the morning , wearing short sleeves and while Im at school a cold front come through and drop the temp down to 45-50 NO EXAGERATION ! And the snow we had , the last time it snowed , they had some New Yorkers down here snapping pictures of it , and the morning advocate (newspaper) intervied them and they said " we're from New York , and we have never seen flakes this big before ! " ..Pretty crazy it hardy ever snows down here , then when it does , we have these BIG flakes ! In the summer we can go forever without rain , but then when it does rain we can get anywhere from 1-5 inches , its real wierd ! I guess its cool in away it hardly ever snows b/c cus we dont have to worry about salt on the road down here .

 

Or you could push the gas pedal ALL the way down and crank it. This puts the PCM in "clear flood mode" and it will not deliver fuel.

 

Like a lot of things regarding cars, this topic is debated by professionals. Cars were designed to be driven and certain parts (mostly seals, etc) are going to dry out if you store it. Unfortunately, just starting the engine once a week or two won't really solve this. in the 90's I had a job that kept me travelling (by plane) from Sun - Fri. Had seal leakage probs in my FieroGT after only 3-4 yrs because it sat all week and only ran on the weekends.

If you do put it into storage, either drain the gas tank or add a can of fuel stabilizer. Most articles I've read also say:

pull the plugs and squirt a little oil in the cylinders (it will smoke when you start it up, but not to worry) put the plugs back in loosely

put it on jackstands to take the weight off the suspension and tires

toss some moth ***** in the interior if there's a chance rodents and bugs might make it a home

When you pull it out of storage, pull the plugs and crank it over to get the oil flowing. Then fire it up and do as KED said...run it then change the fluids

 

FUnny how ya mentioned lift car off ground....
That detail kills seals on the shocks.
My 1967 RS/SS Camaro COnvertible 4-speed has sat for about 10 years.
here's what I did.
I had engine out & tranny too.
Sold the JUNK 350 (NOT original), tranny to storage.
I had new tires on the car, anyway.
They never went flat and the tires are Michelin GTV's.
Car sat on ground the whole time.
The coils were "extended" due to no engine. They go to my Wife's 1968 w/6 cylinder
The rear springs are new and the rear tires never went flat eithere.
I recently removed the wheels & tires, put them on my Wife's 1968 Camaro for a show.
No Lumpy run flat spots, no troubles at all.
I was told, because I keep tires inflated, they turned out ok. This is from a 10 year no movement period, again.
Plus tires were not bias belted tires.
I also stuffed newspaper into the tail exhaust pipes, headers (in engine bay hooked up to the pipe system) and stuffed paper into the in-out of the radiator. Interior turned out ok, but some bleach cleaning will take care of the mold, along with leaving outside and letting sun into car, top down.
I also had the car protected by
cardboard on the convertible top (replaced after each winter rains), blue tarps & then a quality car cover. The quality car cover is the big secret. Not the thin bed sheets one!
I can't wait to start work on it, after I secure my Wife's 1968 Camaro (subframe bushings & the disc brakes).
Make sure if you use the blue tarps, be aware of the brass rings, they rust!! That's why cardboard base, then tarps then cover.

 

If you don't start it up for a long time, you could always prime the oil pump before you start it... if you're worried.

You need to remove the distributor. Hook a 10mm socket (I think!) to a long extension, and somehow hook that to your power drill. Put the 10mm socket & extension into the hole from the distributor to engage the oil pump drive. Now, spin the oil pump clockwise. That'll send oil thru the engine. If you have a mechanical gauge (or maybe even an electrical gauge, with the battery in the car, and the key turned to "on"), you can see the needle move.

 

I have the car sitting on carpet with a carcover I have been doing this for 6 years. And the people before me stored it the same way. This year I didn't put any fuel stabilizer in it because I start it up every one or two weeks and let it idle in nuetral for 10 minutes. I had the car in storage since the middle of September I will take it out in May. I lived in Florida for a year after High School to go to school. I took my other car (winter car) down there and the Firebird sat for about a year and a half. So far there has been no problems, but one time I had to get the coolant sensor fixed. This year I plan to drive it all Summer when I get my cam fixed and my headers and all my other performance stuff installed. Thanks alot for the suggestions Everybody I really appreciate it.

 

If you're concerned about flat tires, put jack stands under the axles instead of jack points... it will keep suspension compressed and the tires off the floor... personally I drive (NY SALTED ROADS!) my car all winter... people would kill me if they saw how dirty the 'bird gets... it was a two tone white/dark grey earlier this week literally... IT'S A BLACK CAR!

I do take spray-on anti-rust precautions though. And of course wash wash wash.

-Chill