Kyle2218

Shortly, I will be deploying and storing my 2003 A6 2.7T. Is there anything specifically anyone recommends doing to prepare the car for sitting for 12 months without running? I was already planning on disconnecting the battery and having a fresh oil change, but aside from that, what else needs to be done? I would ask a dealership for advice but inevitably they would charge $100+ for their time and recommend 2k plus in service. The car will be stored at FT Hood, TX. The car has approximately 100k miles and all scheduled maintenance has been completed (and a laundry list of other things that just happened to break and were repaired).

I appreciate any advice or recommendations.

audifirst

when I was deployed years back, I put my car on jacks, knowing that nobody will be moving at time, it prevented my tires getting flat , I did disconnect battery and did the oil change however I purposely didn't fill up all oil I left some room, when I returned I filled the rest to correct level, someone told me that if you do that you will prevent oil starvation at the start and filled with low viscosity for quick lubrication

Kyle2218

Sounds good. I'll pick up a set of jack stands then. I appreciate the help.

4Driver4

Skip. The sixties are over. Unless you are running bias ply tires, just park it. No stands. Fill with gas (real gas if you can find it) and add stabilizer. Fresh oil change, battery tender (not trickle charger) or remove battery. May want to consider moth ***** under the hood and/or fabric softener sheets.

Whatever you do, do not have someone start the car and let it run for 15 minutes every few weeks. I hear of people doing this all the time and it is the worst thing you can do.

Kyle2218

This may sound stupid, but where and how do you mothball under the hood? I plan on using a car cover, but my car will be outdoors exposed to the elements (and rodents) for a year so I know mothballs would be good.

Bradw

I broke my leg and my aux water pump broke a week later so my 2003 A6 2.7T was parked in the drive way for 4 months and the tires flat spotted. I had to blow them up to max press 51psi and ride around for a few hundred miles to get them almost right again. like the last guy said fill it up with gas, and leave a few quarts low on oil, and battery out.

4Driver4

Just put a few ***** in a mesh bag and tie it under the hood somewhere.

If you store outside, make sure it is on pavement, not gravel or dirt.
Consider skipping the cover as it will trap moisture.

Kyle2218

All that sounds good. I appreciate all the help. I haven't seen the area where they store the cars, but hopefully its paved. I don't really have a choice otherwise though, short of paying to put it in a storage unit.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

Google is your friend.

One source:
http://www.wikihow.com/Store-a-Car

Everyone has their own experience once they've stored a car; there are dozens of PROFESSIONAL tips on how to store it.

audifirst

If you live on base check with your command if they assist with storage facilities , I had to clean up my personal items and they stored for me during my deployment, with a car my base had a contract with storage facility near by for small fee I stored car there inside big warehouse with 24/7 security
if they don't check out storage facilities near by and check couple to see their prices + I am sure they offer military discounts