I am about to store my hatch in a garage for 6 months. Is there anything I should specifically do to prevent unnecessary problems when I come back to start it up. Should I leave it on jack stands to prevent the tires from developing flat spots, or is that not a real concern?
I will also be unhooking the battery, because I will be out of country for this entire time without the possibility of someone being able to start the car up periodically.

Thanks for any input!

 

Yes, leave it on jack stands if the floor is level.

Full tank of good quality gas. Use some stabil if you want.

Change the oil

Battery removed and placed in a climate controlled area if you can.

Oil-prime the car when you start it up again.

Shin Ehtsu grease on door seals....and other small things like that can be done as well.

Storage instructions can be found in the owners manual.

 

Can you explain how this is done on these older civics? It's not something I've ever noticed being discussed and could be some good info to have floating in my noggin'.

OP make sure you don't store the battery on the ground or concrete. Make sure it's on wood blocks if there is any kind of cement flooring where you wish to store it.

 

Oil priming can be done by pulling the PGM-FI 15A fuse. Its the 15A fuse in the very left rear corner of the fuse box (looking from the FRONT of the car). This prevents fuel and spark. Crank the car for 10 seconds. Let it rest for 5. Repeat till the oil light turns off. Then plug the fuse in and start it.

I use a battery tender for my batteries. I put them in a plastic tupperware box with the lid off. My gf is always yelling at me about missing tupperware :'(

 

Right, pull the ecu fuse, so you won't start the engine, remove the valve cover, and start cranking the car unti you see oil coming through the top of the head. Caution: it might come skeeting out at you or all over your car so leave the valve cover loose. That way you can lift it to inspect and if theres oil you're good to go.

 

Idk. Then you'd have to replace the gasket. The oil light method works pretty well to let you know that all bearing surfaces are lubed.

You could always look thru the oil fill hole if you need visual confirmation, no?

 

Good idea. I"ll make a note of that.

 

Oil priming sounds like a good idea.

I am actually not going to store the car on jackstands. I have read that this is not the way to go because suspension was not meant to be in that position for too long. I think I will just over pressure my tires a tad bit and leave it parked. I doubt that my tires will develop true flat spots in 6 months. They have a decent sidewall (195/50 rear and 225/50 front).

I was thinking of just unhooking the battery but leaving it in the engine bay. I am already planning on having someone jump start the car when I come back after 6 months because the battery will probably still not be able to crank. Do you think if I put the battery inside the car then I would be able to start the car after storage without having to get a jump start?

 

Why would the battery be better off inside the car rather than the engine bay?

 

You said to try to keep it climate controlled, and this would be a bit better than leaving it in the engine bay. I believe the inside of the car will stay a tad warmer in the winter month (February) and a bit cooler during the hotter summer months until August.

 

No...the inside of the car would be just as cold as the engine bay if they're both in the same environment. Climate controlled as inside a heated building.

 

What he said.

 

I would still recommend the jackstands, even if its just lifting the tires barely. I had a sentra that sat 8 weeks in the winter in Alabama when I went for training and all 4 tires which were in perfect shape and properly inflated developed slight flatspotting.

 

You might want to get at least some of the weight off, 6 months is plenty of time for a tire or all 4 to develop flat spots. Ask me how I know-_-

 

If the car is kept in a climate control facility, that means its a well insulated storage that keeps the temp at a certain degree constantly. This does not include garages btw, unless the garage has a ac and furnace of its own.

 

I had my car standing still in a garage for about 18 months but didn't develop flat spots. But I do agree that it would benefit lifting it onto stands just in case. Fuel stabilizer. I used a battery tender instead of taking the battery out of the car. But then again my climate where I am in doesn't really have winter. Its mostly sunny and warmish down here. Coldest it gets is maybe 40's for only a few days. Was 75 just the other day here and it's December.

 

Good info. I'll need to abandon my car for up to a year in the spring, this will come in useful.

Another suggestion: steel wool in tailpipe and in front of air filter ... to prevent unwanted guests.

 

I would get some chicken fence, wrap it around the pipe and ziptie it.

 

10 Inch Flatstoppers

I wonder if those are worth the price.

It is going to be a pain in the *** to jack up my car and put 4 jack stands under, hours before I will be leaving the country.

It is funny how many different opinions I am getting. Some people tell me that you shouldn't worry too much about flat spotting in just 6 months.

 

 

The best of both worlds would be if you had 4 chunks of 4x6 or 6x8 pieces of wood. You could drill out a hole/divit in two of them for the castle nut for the front LCA's. Then you could rest your LCA's both front and rear on the wood, keeping the tires off the ground and the suspension fully loaded with zero damage and solid support.

 

My actual procedure for storing my S2000 every year:

Plan to take steps to store it properly "this year".

Put in garage. Do nothing. Use a battery tender.

Sometimes, my S2000 and ITR would end up in a heated, gorgeously equipped shop. In which case, I would also do absolutely nothing to prep them.



I think I brought my wheels and tires in the basement one year because they miraculously had tread left on them after 5 months (5 whole fu#&ing months!!!) of use.

 

ITR's are a rare breed......keep them maintain dude.

 

I sold it. The guy came out from Italy (the country) and took it back with him. I fully regret my decision. Both cars spent (spend) their lives covered in brake dust up to the door windows, pieces of broken off race tires smeared all over the hood and fenders, and fuel/oil soot over the back bumper. Which is the best possible thing that could happen to an ITR....or S2000.

I do maintain my cars absolutely meticulously. But when it came to storage prep....sometimes....you just want to go inside and watch Batman.

Anyway. Despite all that, I would definitely use a $30 battery tender at the very least.

 

LOL....