Well, I'm back in china this week and was wondering what I should have done with my MINI since it will sit for the next 1-2 months without being driven. I washed, waxed and cleaned the car. I filled up the gas and parked it in the garage. Should I have done anything more with it??

The car has about 1800 miles, so when I get back I will do the first oil change, but other then that not sure what else?

 

Probably should have attached a trickle charger to the battery.

 

get one that turns off when fully charged. You can overcharge a battery and ruin it. Mini dlrs sell one that has a protection circuit.

 

With only 1800 miles on the car, a trickle charger like Coffeeman said is about it. You could make a case for changing the oil, as contaminants can corrode the inside out your motor. With only 1800 miles, the oil is probably OK. As the car gets older, you will want to have someone start the car and let it warm up every week or two if possible. Also, turbo and SC engines tend to contaminate the oil faster due to blow by, so if you have an S, it is even more important to change the oil before storing. For longer periods of storage good idea to change coolant and brake fluid also.

 

2 months isn't too long.

As stated a trickle charges with an internal shut down would be perfect. Check www.batterytender.com for some great ones from DelTran (have used 'em on the motorcycles for years).

If you were away much longer than 2-3 months, some Gold Eagle "Saybil" gas stabilizer wouldn't hurt. http://www.goldeagle.com/sta-bil/

I would recommend a good quality fitted car cover.

I would also recommend changing the oil before you leave.

Don't worry about "flat spots" or anything like that with the tires. Todays manufactured ruber doesn't really need it. If you were storing for a couple years, maybe jack the car up unto blocks, but 2-months... don't sweat it.

Have a nice trip. You MINI will be waiting.

 

This is really a very short time, only 1-2 months for a new car. I'd simply disconnect the battery. No trickle charger needed.

 

Oil needs to be changed BEFORE a car is stored, not after. I'd be very careful about putting a car cover on a car for extended periods, some of them are not of good quality and can damage the paint if the car is in sunlight or gets wet and the cover stays on for a long time. Best to store in a garage if long term. Your car will be fine for 1-2 months though.

 

IMO, Two months is not a problem for oil. The problem may be in your battery. If you leave it connected it may drain down to a point where the remote access fob doesnt work. The real door key is useless, as the window glass is up 1/2" in its seal. Rear hatch is electric. What next???......Quite a nightmare, but it could happen. Get a trickle charger, solar type if your outside, just to be safe.

 

Yep, I was wrong about the oil... but I also mentioned a good quality fitted cover...

Here's some more tips here for really long term storage:

http://www.techguys.ca/howto/winter.html

 

I'm in a similar circumstance except that I'm relocated over here. I have to leave my cars for up to a year at a time. I've worked out with my insurance company that my cars can be run once every 45 days (by my uncle). They get a good work out up the freeway then back to storage in the garage.

This has been working fine for me for a few years now.

 

Thanks all for posting.

I did not even think about the battery, so I will have my brother or GF hook-up my battery tender.

I figured the oil would not be a problem becuase of the low mileage, but you guys make a point and I guess I should have changed it. Since I travel to China frequently I will do things differently next time.

aeroguy: I spent about 1.5 years working in China and came back to USA in 07. I'm now based in USA and travel to China about 30% of the time. I never thought about making a deal with the insurance company regarding my cars. I guess I never cared about my car until I got my MINI :-)

 

Folks,

Thanks for the advice. I heard last night that I'll be leaving in about two weeks, for about 4 months on the road sans Mini. I've got an enclosed garage, and I'll unplug the battery. I may also do the oil ahead of time, but it's a low mileage car (NOV 06 and 6500 miles).

Always good to hear ideas from peers.

 

My MINI had an unplanned lack of use for about a month. It fired right up. I took it on a gentle drive and it seems one or more tires lost air. After the tires warmed up, the flat tire warning came up. When I checked at a gas station (warm tires) all pressures were 40 lbs. + but they were not the same.

So, when you return home, check your tire pressures before you first drive it.

 

I just put my MINI to bed for the winter for the first time ever. I took the battery out of the boot, and put it in the house where the temperatures will remain constant and well above freezing.

But then I shut the boot, and remembered AFTER THAT, that the opener mechanism for the boot is electric. How do I open it up again in the spring, to put the battery in???

Am I going to have to fold the rear seatbacks down, and put the battery in from the back seat area? It's an inconvenient solution, but it is doable. But do you have any ideas how to get the boot open without the battery being hooked up?

Thanks.

 

fill up the gas tank, throw in a bottle of Stabil fuel stablizer, then drive the car 5-10 miles to get it into the system. I do this for my truck when not driving it much in the warmer months; if I don't, then it's difficult to start and runs rough.

 

uh, dont shut it all the way??

 

I did the same thing! My plan is to hook up jumper cables to the battery and connect them to the + access point (and a negative ground) in the engine compartment. That should give the car enough juice to open the hatch, which I won't shut all the way next time...

 

Gee, thanks.

 

Is there a manual latch you can pull from within the boot, if you remove a panel in the sides or something, that will release the boot hatch?

 

I suppose that I could hook the battery up to the terminals in the engine bay with some stout jumper cables, and then open up the boot, right?

 

That's my game plan...

 

Y're welcome

Actually I wasnt joking, that's what I did when I stored my 2005 S over 3 months one winter to get at the battery (what a lame location!)--but then I had a lockable garage. If U don't, that's prob not a good idea.

And dont forget the Stabil.

 

Jon
I think that you are correct that their is a manual latch that can be pulled to open the boot. Although my GP does not have one I have a vauge memory that it may be in the drivers side rear side compartment. Your owners manual should guide you to the correct location.
Your next post is also correct that a pair of jumper cables connecting your battery to the +/- posts under the bonnet will provide your system the needed voltage to open the boot.
When I put mine away I simply put a towel under the boot so that it will not close.
Steve

 

The early builds back in the spring of 02 (mine was one of the first R53's ordered in the states) don't have the manual release latch. Glad they have the battery post access under the bonnet.