Medium-Term Storage

[JohnnyO]

I'm having knee replacement surgery in a couple weeks and I'll be down and unable to drive a bit longer than last time because it's my right knee. It will sit for at least a month.
Truck will be garaged. It is unlikely that my wife will drive it. She has legit depth perception issues and I'd rather she didn't try to pull it into the garage, if you catch my drift.
I'm thinking fill it up with ethanol-free gas and put some Sta-Bil in the tank. I have a Battery Tender for my jet ski's battery but unsure if I'll need it, plus the Ranger's electronics and for that matter the battery terminal are so complicated I'm not sure if should.
Thoughts?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I've had my old Pontiac sunfire stored outside for the winter. It gets down to -42F sometimes. All I've done is make sure the gas tank is full. It starts up first time. That actually surprised me the first time....
Storing it for a month inside a heated garage I would just park it and forget it.
If you're worried about the battery getting run down pull the negative cable or put on a battery tender. All the Volvo tractors at work get battery tenders and they have fairly complicated computer systems.

 

[bobbywalter]

no concerns. zero. they sit for half a year or more sometimes after assembly.


8 months.....tender and full tank with ethanol stabilizer.

 

[JohnnyO]

I've had my old Pontiac sunfire stored outside for the winter. It gets down to -42F sometimes. All I've done is make sure the gas tank is full. It starts up first time. That actually surprised me the first time....
Storing it for a month inside a heated garage I would just park it and forget it.
If you're worried about the battery getting run down pull the negative cable or put on a battery tender. All the Volvo tractors at work get battery tenders and they have fairly complicated computer systems.

Thanks. My garage isn't heated but this won't be the real cold time of year yet.

 

[sgtsandman]

I agree with pulling the negative battery terminal. That is what I do when I park the truck for deployment so I know it will start when I get home. I also chalk the wheels so I can leave the parking brake unset so that the brake shoes/pads don't rust bond to the brake drums/rotors. The rotors are going to rust, less so in a garage than in an open parking lot, nothing you can do to prevent that unless you are going to put the truck up on jack stands, pull the wheels and spray oil on the rotors. Generally, that isn't needed unless the vehicle is going to be parked for an extensive length of time, as in years.

 

[JoshT]

Mine sit for a month or more at a time with no injuries and no prep, just not needed and not touched. Go out, turn the key, drive off. They don't get to sit in a nice garage either.

The F-250 can be a little stubborn to get going because the high pressure oil system leaks down, but that's the worst of it.

Sitting with the battery disconnected won't hurt, but a month or two is hardly long enough to bother. Given all of the electronics I'd rather clean the battery terminals, leave it connected, and run a tender. Full tank wouldn't be bad either, but it won't be down long enough to really matter, especially not being stored inside.

If you're concerned about it sitting an extended period then tender, full tank, and fuel stabilizer. Don't worry about brake rust, it's just surface rust and first or second time you apply the brakes it'll be fine. For really extended storage, it could be beneficial to put in jack stands with tires off the ground. Flat spots aren't too much of an issue, but I've read it can help with life of the rubber.


FWIW, a few years ago when the 99 still had a V6 I thought the head gasket had blown again. Got home parked it in the yard as it sat. Didn't touch it for at least a year. Went out turned the key, it fired right up and drove it to work the next day. No prep, partial tank, no battery tender. Still haven't figured out how I got away without that last one, or at least a jump start, but it fired right up.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I agree with pulling the negative battery terminal. That is what I do when I park the truck for deployment so I know it will start when I get home. I also chock the wheels so I can leave the parking brake unset so that the brake shoes/pads don't rust bond to the brake drums/rotors. The rotors are going to rust, less so in a garage than in an open parking lot, nothing you can do to prevent that unless you are going to put the truck up on jack stands, pull the wheels and spray oil on the rotors. Generally, that isn't needed unless the vehicle is going to be parked for an extensive length of time, as in years.

FIFY

vs

One to see if your wife sneaks out with your truck, the other so it doesn't roll away.

Between the factory and dealer lot tires are inflated to the max pressure on the sidewall to prevent/reduce flat spots while in storage/transport. Part of the PDI process is deflating the tires to match the door sticker.

 

[JoshT]

One to see if your wife sneaks out with your truck, the other so it doesn't roll away.

Trust me when you are in our line of work (avaition maintenance), you hear "chock" misspronounced as "chalk" so often that you can start to develop the habit as well. Completely understandable typo in this line, even though it could as easily have been changed by auto correct.

Unfortunately, the way I've seen some people use chocks, (A) a chalk line would have been about as effective or (B) a chalk line should have been drawn around them (or what was left).

 

[JohnnyO]

I drove for the first time yesterday. Follow-up appointment with the doctor and he said I was okay to drive. I said that I use my left foot to brake anyway and my wife rolled her eyes.
Later on I putted across town to the pharmacy with the paranoid Mrs. O riding shotgun.
Truck spent almost three weeks on the battery tender and then my wife drove it to work one day last week.
My new right knee is bending better sooner than my left did last year and it's actually not too bad bending my leg to get in.
I'll still be walking with a cane for a month or so.

 

[RobbieD]

Hoping you a speedy recovery, sir!

 

[JohnnyO]

Hoping you a speedy recovery, sir!

Thank you. Getting old sucks but as long as they can keep patching me up I'll keep going.

 

[JohnnyO]

Whose brilliant idea was it to put a level kit and bigger tires on my truck and make it higher to get into?
Oh wait....

 

[RobbieD]

Easy fix. Just let the air out of the tires.

 

[bobbywalter]

air suspension.....a worthy investment.