# Car storage **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 26, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230 "2012-06-26T23:29:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/21 "2012-06-28T01:24:27Z")
I would cancel the insurance period…The amount of “Stabil” you are going to add is only 4-6 ounces so the amount of fuel in the tank is not an issue. When you fill it, DO NOT OVERFILL IT! when the nozzle clicks off, that is that…If you then burn off a gallon of that fuel, that’s fine, the tank does not have to be full to the brim… ---
**Author:** ![marlar75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@marlar75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marlar75)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/22 "2012-06-28T02:52:18Z")
By eleven months at the most I will put it back on the road just so it doesnt sit longer and I can make sure nothing is wrong. Thank you to everyone for your patience and help! ---
**Author:** ![Banty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@Banty](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Banty)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 8:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/23 "2012-06-28T08:17:09Z")
Why have the gas tank full when you’re storing the car? (just curious…) ---
**Author:** ![JosephEMeehan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@JosephEMeehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JosephEMeehan)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/24 "2012-06-28T14:20:04Z")
_Why have the gas tank full when you’re storing the car?_ It can reduce the amount of condensation in the tank. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/25 "2012-06-28T19:09:08Z")
The gasoline stores better when the tank is full or near full…Today’s fuel systems keep the gas tank under slight pressure, (Google gasoline vapor pressure) this insures there will be no condensation and a full tank reduces this possibility even further… ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/26 "2012-06-28T20:10:38Z")
A full tank also reduces the amount of air (and oxygen) in contact with the gas, which might reduce the amount of degredation to the gas. Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![marlar75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@marlar75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marlar75)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/27 "2012-07-02T06:02:16Z")
I’m all set, I have the stabil and a battery tender. I plan to take the car off the road in a few days. If I have the battery tender attached, is there any point in starting the car up every 2 months or so? ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 7:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/28 "2012-07-02T07:56:38Z")
No. It’s better to leave it undisturbed… ---
**Author:** ![UsedEconobox\_2\_UsedBMW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/8491ac/32.png) [@UsedEconobox\_2\_UsedBMW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UsedEconobox_2_UsedBMW)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 8:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/29 "2012-07-02T08:00:52Z")
You asked about starting it. You should start it weekly. You should also let it reach operating temperature. WHY can you not drive it for a year? Are you leaving the country ? Changing the oil before storing it is pointless. It will just sit in the bottom of the pan. Don’t waste your money. Change the oil when you restart it. ---
**Author:** ![FordMan1959](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@FordMan1959](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FordMan1959)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/30 "2012-07-02T14:11:17Z")
No need to start it every week or two if it has a charger on it and stabilizer in the tank. The oil would deteriorate faster starting it for only a few minutes at a time than if you just let it sit, because unless it runs long enough to reach full operating temperature it wouldn’t burn off the moisture in the oil. In just the last two months I’ve put a timing belt /water pump and new battery in one of my dad’s cars and put it back on the road after it had been parked since shortly after his death in June 2010 and it’s doing fine. Even after sitting with the same gas in it without stabilizer for about 2 years it started up and is running great. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/31 "2012-07-02T17:45:44Z")
Do not start it weekly. You only start it occasionally if you’re unable to keep the battery charged, not the case here. ---
**Author:** ![kcurt1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kcurt1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kcurt1)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/32 "2012-07-02T18:00:03Z")
I am in disagreement with what econobox2bwm has to say. DO NOT start it, let it sit. The “time to come to full operating temperature” he mentions is longer than you would think. Staring and running the car for short periods of time in storage causes condensation, unburnt fuel and byproducts of combustion to build up in the oil. The contamination of the oil is the reason you absolutely need to change the oil before you put the vehicle in storage for any length of time over a month or so. A lot of crap gets dispersed into the motor oil and some of it is corrosive. You want fresh oil in the engine during storage. Change the oil just before putting the car up and just run the engine long enough to get the fresh oil circulated. ---
**Author:** ![marlar75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@marlar75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marlar75)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/33 "2012-07-05T20:04:39Z")
Preparing to attach my battery tender to stored vehicle, 1998 subaru impreza outback. According to instructions, how can I tell if I have a negative or positive ground system? Cant I just attach the red clip to the red terminal on the battery, and the black clip to the black clip on the battery? Do I have to attach one of them to the vehicle chasis, as indicated in the instructions? If yes, how is this done? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/34 "2012-07-05T20:23:54Z")
All post 1960 cars I know of are negative ground, as is yours. ---
**Author:** ![marlar75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@marlar75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marlar75)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/35 "2012-07-05T20:40:35Z")
So, the directions say to attach the red alligator clip of the battery tender to the positive battery post, no problem. It then says to connect the black (negative) alligator clip of the battery tender to the vehicle chasis—make the connection to the engine block or a heavy gague metal part of the frame; HOW DO I DO THIS? ---
**Author:** ![marlar75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@marlar75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marlar75)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/36 "2012-07-07T22:15:23Z")
Preparing to attach my battery tender to stored vehicle, 1998 subaru impreza outback. According to instructions, how can I tell if I have a negative or positive ground system? Cant I just attatch the red clip to the red terminal on the battery, and the black clip to the black clip on the battery? Do I have to attach one of them to the vehicle chasis? If yes, how is this done? ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/37 "2012-07-08T19:45:04Z")
It then says to connect the black (negative) alligator clip of the battery tender to the vehicle chasis—make the connection to the engine block or a heavy gague metal part of the frame; HOW DO I DO THIS? If you follow the black lead from the battery it will end at a bolt. Clip to the head of the bolt. ---
**Author:** ![JosephEMeehan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@JosephEMeehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JosephEMeehan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/38 "2012-07-08T21:15:37Z")
``` Any chance that car was delivered new to an owner in the UK (or another country that use positive grounds.) ``` ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/39 "2012-07-09T02:25:03Z")
Your battery tender has been lawyered…NO country since about 1960 used positive ground…Just connect it to the battery using common sense and THEN plug it in… When batteries charge, especially when they are being heavily charged (20 amps or more) they produce both hydrogen and oxygen gas…Most of this gas is re-combined inside the battery forming H2O, water. Some escapes out the vents. The hydrogen is VERY light and QUICKLY dissipates into the upper atmosphere where it oxidizes (combines with oxygen) to form water… There is a SLIGHT chance that a lead-acid battery being heavily charged can vent enough hydrogen gas that a SPARK can ignite this hydrogen and cause a battery explosion… That’s why they want you to make that last connection to a spot somewhat removed from the battery, in case there should be a spark, it won’t ignite the hydrogen gas that MIGHT be collecting around the battery…So find a spot on the engine that’s bare metal you can clip that negative lead to… ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230/40 "2012-07-09T04:34:50Z")
Marlar75: You never answered the question someone previously asked - which is how old is your battery? If it’s more than 3 years old, then I would forget the battery tender, pull out the old battery, and buy a new battery when the car is taken out of storage. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-storage/73230.md?page=3)