So I might have to travel to Manila, Philippines for prolonged periods....I was thinking of taking collision coverage off my car and just keep comprehensive incase someone tries to mess with my baby while am away.....I wanted to get some knowledge on how to keep the car from getting messed up....

1> Battery....should I disconnect it or leave it as is....I am in Kansas and it gets pretty cold here....
2> Insurance....any suggestions here ?
3> Tire pressure....fill her up ? low ?
4> Jack stands....should i leave her in the air ?
5> Engine oil/Transmission oil/Coolant....any thing to do here ?
6> Car cover ?
7> Parking brake....put it up or will it jam over time ?

I will be gone for 3 weeks at a time and back home for 1 week....and the same drill for ~6-8 months....

Either way, if any of you guys have put her in a car port for couple months that way, let me know if you have any suggestions/concerns.....

Thanks....

PS: If you are in Manila, Philippines and reading this....swoosh is coming there baby....lets PARTYYYYY.....

 

1. Put a battery tender on the battery.

2. Leave your insurance on it. What if it gets stolen and totaled while you are gone?

3. Leave the tire pressure as is.

4. No need for jack stands the tires wont get flat spots that quickly.

5. No need to touch any of the fluids.

6. You could invest in a car cover to keep your baby clean.

7. I would leave the parking brake off.

 

CORUPT pretty much summed up what I would do...but car cover ONLY over a clean vehicle

 

Thanks both of you....

The only reason why I didnt want to put her in a cover was because it gets freezing here in kansas....I dont want to put a cover on her and the cover freezes on the car ruining the paint....just something what I thought, I could be wrong....

and about Insurance....I will be signing a paper saying I wont be driving my car and hence they will take the collision off and if my car gets keyed/hit by hail/stolen/etc then insurance will pick up the tab as I will have comprehensive on my car....

 

I live in Minnesota.. It gets MUCH colder here than in Kansas... Every winter I put a cover on the 82' Corvette in the garage and have never had an issue with the cover sticking to the paint

 

^^^ lol coz its constantly cold there....KS is a little crazy...one day it will hit 70 and then dip down to freezing at night....so am just worried that when it hits 70 there wont be any sweat between the car and the cover which freezes at night....

well guess I will have to give the cover a shot....

 

the cover would only freeze IF its wet. you said you're parking under a car port...car covers tend to dry out pretty quickly after the wet stuff stops falling. i take the cover off in winter when its going to snow, but most of the time the car will be covered, except for the next few months since i have to let the paint on my bumper cure and breathe.

also, make sure your fuel tank is topped off.

 

I forgot your name girlie....but thanks for the advice...

the car will be in a carport....does the car sweat under the cover ? if yes I dont want to put it under a cover....since its under a car port i know it wont be covered in snow and stuff....

why top off the gas ? any reasons ?

 

You top off gas tanks to prevent condensation from building up in it. If you don't it could potentially lead to water in your tank.

Since your only gonna be gone 3 weeks at a time I say leave the car alone no need to do anything. Only thing I could recommend is leave the car garaged, but maybe you do not have access to one. Car covers are sometimes more of a hassle than it's worth.
Also, do not have someone occasionally start the car and idle it then just shut it off. Nothing is worse for a car than to let it sit and idle without driving it. If it's going to sit just leave it be then when you get back start the car and drive it normally until everything gets to full operating temp.

James

 

i don't think the car "sweats". how would it do that? the car cover is breathable enough to handle most things (except fresh paint which needs to gas out). if you're under a car port, i'd throw a car cover on it, clamp it down with gust guards and lock it through the middle grommet. the cover won't go anywhere. just make sure the car is squeaky clean when you put the cover on it.

the gas tank...i remember southernboy telling me or writing somewhere the importance on not letting you car sit with less than 1/2 tank of gas for long periods of time. something about water condensation and/or the moisture absorbed by the lines in the fuel system or in the gas tank itself. add the fact winter is coming (water and 32 degrees for long periods of time). so now i fillup at about 3/4 tank empty well before the light...since i'm not driving my TL as much with poopy weather. i don't remeber all the details so somebody else might be able to chime in on this one....

 

fuel stabilizer maybe?

 

I am going to the Manila also, but lucky me I can leave my car with my cousin who knows how to take care of cars. woot woot for not cold weather

 

It's raining constantly back home, you guys be careful. I'll try to visit during the holiday season.

I am jealous, 3 weeks at a time for 6-8 months. I like that!

 

Wow Anil, when does this new schedule start?

 

Thanks a lot for the advice James....The thing is, since I am gonna be doing the 3 week - 1 week thingie for 6 months, I spoke to GEICO and they said they can reduce my plan to 1/4 of what I pay right now, if I say I wont be driving the car (as they will take the collision off it)...I have to sign some paperwork with the judge, something like that....So I thought I will not drive my car when am back home....and wont drive her for 6 months....I am only saving like 200 odd bucks over 6 months but I think its being more of a hassle than good thing....so i might just keep my insurance the way it is....

About not having my girl start the car and turn it off, thats a great advice Thanks

Thanks again for clarifying my doubt....I think James gave a very good answer to this....

Still not sold on the car cover....need to find a garage



Well my girl can take care of my car but I would rather have her not LMAO....Let me know where you will be there....lets meet up and party

Yeah there was some Typhoon that hit Manila recently....Its my first visit so lets see how it goes....wish me luck

Its a company trip...GLOBE TELECOM need me

Your headlights are very lucky LOL....I leave Oct 7th and back on Oct 28th

See you tomorrow....

 

Anil, please be sure to bring your electrical checking equipment. This might be just an electrical problem. I'll explain more tomorrow!

 

^^^ lemme text you....

 

well james really did not explain why it would be more hassle, but w/e. i would love to have a garage to park in at home...that might be in the works...or i can attempt to get the car into the 1 car garage we have (the 90* turn is what terrifies me getting in).

up to you. if you can find a garage...i would still cover it b/c of the dust/dirt. i've seen cars stored in the parking garages at my work, those cars get covered in dust and dirt in a matter of a few weeks. they are parked/stored there for months. some are classic porsches, newer bimmers, older monte carlo (in great condition from what i can tell), MB SLK/AMG. upside in a garage you don't have to worry about the cover possibly moving around b/c of wind.

what are your concerns about the cover?

 

I have left my TL behind long term for work twice so far. And many trips a few days to a month with no one to start or drive. (battery hooked up)

Outside covered, Feb-Oct 09 Seattle. Full tank of gas, left battery hooked up and set alarm. Full clay and wax nothing left in car. Dead when I returned, new battery and on my way. Changed fluids within a few days. No issues other then dust getting undercovered and light marring on paint.

Inside 10 x 30 storage unit uncovered, June 10- Sep 11. Full tank of gas with half can of seafoam. Unhooked battery, full wash clay wax leather cleaning etc. Left car unlocked. Came back hook up battery, ran rough for a min then smoothed out. Dropped of at dlear after a few days and had all fluids changed. Brakes rusted over but a few stops sorted that out. No flat spotting of tires. Just had to re-enter Radio and Navi codes, no issue in the last month (3k miles of driving).

Car is now currently sitting for 2 weeks with a full tank, and battery hooked up.

 

When soldiers deploy to iraq or afghanistan for 12 to 18 months a lot of them put baking soda in their car to eat up the smell. But since you will be back more frequent you shouldnt have to worry about your car smelling.

 

the problem is I treat my car like a friggin human LOL....on a more serious note I thought the car would sweat (metal in contact with a cover which doesnt breath)...I could be completely wrong here but thats my fear and hence I am shying away from a cover....but seems like I have coverophobia LMAO....

I did end up buying a cover and lets see how that goes...


Thanks for sharing your experiences....full tank is something common which am gonna do....am gonna leave the battery hooked....i am gonna switch out to my winter setup (the tires are crap on there and even if my tire gets messed up, oh well dont care)

I just washed/waxed her and stupid Kansas, there is dust already on the car....

baking soda eh....will try it out....

 

^^^ Yes! Keep an open box of Baking Soda in your refrigerator to keep bad smells away there too.

 

^^^

my fridge smells makes me hungry everytime i open the damn door LOL....

 

I just leased a storage unit for my car because I will be deploying for the next year and talked to a few co-workers and said there isn't much to worry about storing a car. Although I am in TX and it will be indoors, I was told to cover the car due to sand storms here. Only thing I plan on doing it removing the battery terminals and leaving the gas under 1/4.

 

^^^ from the thread they have suggested to top the gas off....I would do that....

Other than that you golden....and hey

Thanks for your service be safe....

 

Well my girl can take care of my car but I would rather have her not LMAO....Let me know where you will be there....lets meet up and party


I am gonna be in the Makati area, I decided to sneak it in before the holiday season just because tickets are soooo expensive during that time, especially to the Philippines. Oh yeah i feel ya, I let my sis hold onto my car for me for 3 months the last time I went. within that time: i was 2,000 over the oil change limit. breaks were completely gone. had break dust that basically baked onto the side of my car and my clutch and flywheel were melted into one lol. Well played haha.

You work for Globe, lol hook it up with some sim cards haha, and load.
I actually thought about having my car sent there when I stayed for a year.

 

Hey donnie you gonna be in iraq doing the army thing or in aghan country doing the marine thing?

 

swoosh-a high quality cover like a NOAH or a weathertech are VERY breathable covers. i've used a car cover for my baby (see avatar, and yes, i treat my car like a kid/person too) for most of its life...never really had any issues. just don't drag the cover across your paint and make sure you pull the edges away from the car then wrap around the bumpers (ie stand in back of cover wrap around the back end as one motion, then go to the front, lift, pull taught, and in one motion "wrap" around the front bumper, done). my cover has to go over a roof rack so it really doesn't ever get dragged across the paint. good luck.

 

I dont let ANYONE touch my car

Yes I am gonna be in the Makati area....I work for a consulting company called Amdocs and am an Information Lead for GLOBE. They used to put us up at The Peninsula in Makati City but now they switched to Crown Center on Ortegas Ave.

yeah I was thinking of getting a sim card there....lets see how that works...

You the BOMB !!!

Thanks a lot....I did get a weathertech cover....and thanks for the tips on how to put the cover on....

 

^Amdocs like the company that makes CRM?

I used your Clarify CRM at my old job..wasnt flashy by any means but it got the job done.

/off topic

 

excellent choice on the weathertech cover. one other thing, when you take it off (the instructions will say this too, except they say to fold the cover), start with the front in one motion stretch away from car clear bumper place on hood. go to the rear, stretch cover away from car to clear bumper (all in one motion) and place on trunk. take one side of the cover fold towards the middle, do the same to other side (its kind of like a pseudo tri fold), then pick an end and roll it to the other end of the car, store. i found this to be the easiest way to deal with the cover when taking it on and off. it should take no longer than a few minutes. happy to help did you get the gust guard clips?

 

There is a section in the owners manual that covers long term storage which Acura considers longer than one month.

 

Thanks for your support! I read what James wrote but this will be my 5th overseas tour and always left the gas below a 1/4. Also, when we store our vehicles on the installation one requirement is having around a 1/4 tank of fuel.

I'm in the Army and cannot disclose location. I will say I can't wait to get back next year and possibly pick up a toy to start modding again!

 

I was in the Philippines for a month in June, I had a great time there and really liked Manila(Stayed in Makati). I however do not envy you flying there every three weeks. Buy some cheap stuff at Green Hills :p

 

Yes....it does get the job done....

email me at sadhwani.anil at gmail.com and if you are there we can meet up....am reaching there on 7th and back on 28th....

I will have my girl help me with the cover

I havent opened the pack yet....just bought it local from craigslist....

Darn it....didnt think about that at all....will check it out....Thanks

Yes get back safe and start modding

YES am going to be around MAkati city as well....how are the chics there ?

 

Swoosh, I sent you a text-please check!

 

There are definitely some good looking girls there , but i was only in manila for a few days. Watch out for the lady boys though, saw them all over around there. :p

 

^for sure on the lady boys. its actually kinda creepy how some of them actually look like chicks. But so far especially in the makati area they are pretty americanized.

 

Its done bro....its done LOL...

LMFAO....yeah no hitting on chics while am there....dont wanna take chances knowing my luck....

sweet....seems like makati area is pretty big and good....

 

If, by saying "it's done", and you did what you were planning on doing today....CONGRATS!