Hi,

am going back home "Dubai" on novemeber till january.. keeping my mini all alone

is it a problem to keep the car for 2 months.. any suggestions? am in an appartment complex is it safe to keep it there or you recommend somewhere else?

 

Not too much to worry about over only two months.

If it were me, I might find a better place to park it for that leangth of time. Someplace secure and covered. It would be worth it to me if I could find somplace at $20-30 a month. Avoid prowls, door dings, scratches and dents that might not otherwise occurr.

You could do an oil change before and upon your return... if your close to a mid cycle change (4000-6000 miles or so)... might be worth it.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip.

 

thanks man =)

but do you have a place that is secure where i can put my car in?

 

Self storage lockers are usually less than $60 a month. Back it into a small locker and throw a cover on it. Maybe a dessicant bag in the interior to keep the moisture out.

Do an oil change and throw a full tank of gas with sta-bil in it and you will be good to go for a short term storage.

 

North of Seattle. Can't help much in SoCal.

Is it closer to $60? Shows how long it's been since I've stored anything (clooege 10yrs ago). I think it might be worth $100 or so for the peace of mind knowing my car would be exactly as I left it. Ya know?

 

I recently let my other car sit around for a little over a month, caused the battery to die. Also I read a post about that happening to someone with a MINI an R53 a while ago. So be prepared for that in case it doesn't start up right away after you get back.

 

I think a $100 plus would be closer for a place big enough to keep your MINI, but of course worth it. Several hundred dollars worth of damage could be done to it in a heart beat in a parking lot for a couple of months. Cheap enough to protect it.

 

Don't put a whole tank of gas in it before you leave, you actually want to use up as much gas as you can in the tank. Gas degrades over time and once you get back go get some fresh gas in a jug and put it into the car. Also unplug the negative terminal on the battery to minimize charge dissipation.

 

Going to have to disagree with you, based on storing vehicles for the last 40 some years. Two months of gas storage won't hurt it a bit. But to be safe you need to put StaBil in the tank. Leave it full, that way no space for moisture to develope from cooling and heating every day. Empty gas tank will develope moisture and corrode. Clean the outside of the car well before you put it away. Some people drive the car up on wooden boards. BAttery is your choice.

 

My teenage son will be glad to drive it for a couple of months so I can drive mine.

 

Absolutely agree. You do NOT want to leave your car with the tank nearly empty so it can "sweat" for two months. FILL THE TANK completely. Add a solid dose of gas stabilizer. Double dose won't hurt a thing...and AFTER you put it in the tank, run the engine enough to get the stabilizer through the entire fuel system. Put a full size battery charger on your battery and fully charge it prior to leaving/parking it.
I strongly recommend you NOT leave your car sitting outside for two months. Not because of weather, but because it is going to sit and get dirty and attract the wrong attention sitting there, waiting to be vandalized, broken into or stolen.
You're running full synth oil. Unless it's FILTHY prior to leaving, it will be just fine to continue driving on when you get back. If you're close to an oil change interval (yours or BMW's...your choice, your peace of mind), do it before you go.
When you get back, put the charger on the battery and top it off immediately. I am amazed and not impressed at how these modern Mini batteries (like the one in my 07) are left in a discharged state if not driven consistently for decent mileage. Do NOT disconnect either cable of your battery. All settings will be lost, and you will not be a happy owner.
Most of all, I would NOT be leaving that shiney Mini I see in your gallery sitting in a carport or out in the open at some apartment complex in the greater LA area. Pay for the storage. Make a few calls. It ain't gonna break you. Where are you located? Is there some patriotic American nearby who belongs to this group who could put the soldier's Mini in his yard for safe keeping while he's gone??
Good luck, and come home in one piece.

 

I second this (from experience). Cars nowadays pull on the battery even when stored and "dormant". People are coming back from trips to the airport after 3-4 weeks and finding their cars dead. This really damages the battery as well. You might be OK but I would disconnect and think about storing it in a warm, dry place. It's a pain where located in the MINI so maybe just disconnecting it since you are in SoCal. Consider a trickle charger.

As for the rest of the stuff, save maybe filling up the take and throwing some sort of moisture absorbing thingy in, I think the rest is pretty drastic for only a 2 month storage (although for 2 months you'll be feeling pretty ).

I leave for long periods as well. It's the battery that has gotten me!

 

am still worried of leaving it here in the parking lot of my appartment.. and i dont know if those storage places are safe...

am thinking of taking off the battery so doesnt die.. and do i have to change the oil when am back?

 

Maybe see if your MA can get your mini dealer to let you park it on their lot for a while? Make 'em promise not to sell it!

If it were me I'd just find a safe parking place and let it sit until I came back.. be careful on the brakes when you first get in since the rotors will be extra rusted over... take it straight to a gas station and top off your tire pressure. Other than that -- cars sit on dealer lots for months and don't get driven all the time. 60 days is nothing in my opinion... especially in a mild climate.

 

see if somebody you know can at the least, start your car 2 times a week or so and let it run for a little while. you gotta keep the juices flowing in the car

 

I have stored my BMW during a North-Florida winter for 6 weeks in a storage place with zero problems. I did not do anything special for the battery. I just added STA-BIL fuel additive to my gas tank and filled it up. I also put some extra pressure into the tires. And I did not set the parking brake. That was it. I recommend this procedure.

 

I put my triumph in public storage every winter. it runs about 120 a month here in Massachusetts.

 

I used to get dog sitters for my Greyhound (the dog not the bus) maybe you could bet a mini sitter. Just teasing. Maybe you have someone that could start the car a few times while your gone?. I'm not much help I know but the longest I been away from a car is a couple of weeks or less and always started right up. Have a safe trip.

 

If you can't find a friend/relative to keep your Mini in their driveway, spend the couple hundred and get a storage unit. You really don't want it sitting in the parking lot where someone's bound to notice that it hasn't moved at all for a while. I'd be seriously worried that someone would be tempted to key it, vandalize it, break in, steal it, or have it towed.

A storage unit might not be completely ideal, but it's got to be better than leaving it sitting out in the open at the mercy of the elements and your neighbors. Maybe you can give a friend the key and have them check in on your baby occasionally to ensure it's alright.

 

im with the others in terms of there are lots of storage places and you take car there, lock it up and call it a day. They should be safe, as long as your not going to park it in the shady neighborhood area.

Look for places in Encino or the Valley

 

My MINI hasn't been driven in about 2 months since
I had to be in the hospital. I drove him today for the
first time since then and he was running perfectly fine.
When I was unable to drive him he was parked in our
parking garage and had the car cover over him with about
half a tank I think. I don't remember how much gas I left
him with since I wasn't planning on being in the hospital
for so bloody long. But he seems to be just how I left
him- perfect

 

Rather than start a brand new thread, I figured I could just piggy-back this one! It seems like quite a few posters in here have experience in storing cars. As such I would like to ask the following question.... I am storing my MCS, which I took delievery of on 7/27/07 (currently with 1900miles on the odo), in a non-climate controlled garage in Chicago from early November to mid-April.....That being said, what do I need to do to prepare the car for storgae, and then when the winter is over and the car is brought out of storage. This is the first car I am storing for this long, and I appreciate any feedback people have to offer.