Thursday, January 7, 2010

Is it necessary to CHANGE THE OIL of a car that is NOT being used??

I have a Nissan that is just sitting in the garage, but want to know if I need to change the oil. If so, how often?Is it necessary to CHANGE THE OIL of a car that is NOT being used??
If the car is being stored for a few months then no, it is not needed. IF the car is being stroed for years then YES, change the oil just before you start to use it again, because over that amount of time, there may be some condensate (water) which may have accumulated from breather pipes etc.





Dino oil (not synthetic) is also an organic product at heart and will ultimately degrade.





Also sensible to drain / refill the radiator after a LONG time standing, and also every few months, just pop a baqttery charger on to the battery to keep it topped up - and remove the positive lead - otherwise the clock etc will flatten it in a month or two and then the battery - if left discharged for a long time - will get sulphation of the plates and be only fit for the bin.





MarkIs it necessary to CHANGE THE OIL of a car that is NOT being used??
Changing oil is the least of your worries


Your car needs to cranked %26amp; run every 4 to 6 weeks at least to keep all the seals lubricated and to keep the gas system from getting varnished up.


If you are not going to run it regularly you should at least add some Sta-bill to the gas that is in it now %26amp; let it run for 15 or 20 minutes to get it through out the system.


Good luck.
No you dont but when you get ready to start the car you might want to add a fresh quart of oil just to make sure there is some oil in the crankcase, and upper portion of the engine.





Its actually the gas that gets old so add a few gallons when you start it as well.
You will need to change the oil prior to the car returning to regular use. Motor oil will separate over time. How much time, and how much it will separate, are relative to the product in question, of course. Condensation will not be an issue. Putting a quart of oil in your car, ';just because';, is not good advice either.





Here's the thing. Storing a car without ruining it is almost impossible. The brake-fluid in the brake system is very corrosive. Allowing the vehicle to sit for long periods without using it, can damage the brake system. The coolant can separate into its potentially corrosive constituents. The battery will short. Batteries that are used on circuit boards will fail. Tires dry out. I could go on all day about the things that happen to your car when it just sits.





By far the worst problems you will face have to do with the fuel system. Gasoline will evaporate from the gas-tank and leave a rubbery residue behind. The first time a fuel system gets a good dose of that goop, it will make a mess, and the car will not run right until this is repaired. There will be a similar residue build-up in the actual fuel system, that is bad enough. But running the crud that will form in your gas tank through, say, your fuel pump. Ouch.





I wouldn't store a car for more than one year, without a professional restorative service. If you must store a car longer than that, I'd question whether or not it should be sold. For short term storage, I recommend disconnecting, and removing the car's battery. The battery should not be stored on any concrete surface ever. I would also remove the wheels and tires, and coat them with a preservative product made for rubber and plastics. There are fuel treatments available at any auto-parts store, called fuel stabilizers that can help keep fuel from degrading. As to the crankcase oil, I'd remove it completely for storing the car. The reasons being stated above, as well as, the possibility of corrosive components damaging engine parts.





Storing a car is very hard on it. I could argue that there are aspects of storing a vehicle that are worse for it than using it. The answer to your question is that you should change the oil prior to putting the car back into service. If you are asking whether or not to continue regular oil changes for a vehicle not in use, then you should refer to above.
I would recommend that a car never be just left. start it once a month and let it idle for what ever amount of time it takes to warm up to normal operating temp. change the oil when you first store it but first drive it for about 30 minutes of mixed driving. Add the proper amount Stable to the fuel drain and change the oil even though you only used it for 30 minutes. remove each spark plug and spray the cylinder w/ oil. Place the vehicle on blocks -so the tires do not touch the floor/ground. and check the battery. remove the cables from the battery posts and mark them. You did not say how long you expect to have this car in storage but the forgoing should be good for several years. Cars in storage deteriate faster than cars in use.
No, the oil does not care whether its stored in an engine or in a plastic bottle, condensation is also a non issue as the engine is not heated or cooled so there would be negligible if any condensation. Long time ago, seals and gaskets used to be made out of cork which needed to be kept moist otherwise engines and transmissions would leak, these days everything is made out of silicone or seals are usually rubber O rings, there is not much on an engine to dry out.
If the oil has been changed just prior to you putting the car in the garage, then the answer is no, you don't need to change the oil. Oil needs to be changed when it becomes contaminated and in order for the contamination to take place, you would have to be using the car. However, if the car is stored in a facility that is not climate controlled, then it would be advisable to change the oil once a year if the car sits for that length of time. This would be especially true in areas that have winter months. Warm moist air can and will condense on cold objects and that includes the inside of engine blocks. That condensation is pure water and that is the sort of contamination that you don't want inside an engine.





Taking the car for a drive once per month and far enough that the engine reaches full operating temperature for at least 15 minutes is a good idea. It helps wet important oil seals down, burns off the moisture I spoke to above and keeps the rust off the brake drums and rotors. The funny thing about stored machinery is that things still deteriorate.

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