So I decided to get another car and put my Subaru in storage to save money on gas and insurance. What are some things to do on how to store my Subaru and how to "maintain" it while in storage.

It will be stored in my garage and I intend to start it and let it run for about 10 minutes each week. Any other suggestions?:

 

change the oil, put it on jacks and obviously, unplug the battery.
make sure theres no liquid in the cabin. leave a couple silica gel packets to remove/prevent condensation.

theres more, but im pretty sure i covered all the main stuff.

 

desiccant, as they call it.

 

I think you may want to add some fuel stabilizer as well. I do this on my jetski when storing it thru the winter months. Maybe someone else can chime in on this, but I think it's to help keep the gas from breaking down?

 

You may not want to unplug your battery because then your alarm system won't work. I would suggest using a battery tender (trickle charger). They barely use any electricity.

 

Maybe, but I think it keeps the fuel from gunking up. I used to put it in my snowmobile for the summer.

 

How long are you gonna be storing? Where and how? Is it gonna be in a closed garage that's cool or outside where it's hot. Will you honestly go run?

If you're gonna go run it you don't need any fuel stabilizer. Hell I think most of that isht is just sales pitches anyways.

The main concern in my opinion is the oil, tires and batteries. So if you don't have a battery tender but plan on running it once a week or even once a month everything is pretty easy. I'd do more than just run the motor. You need to spin the tranny so I'd take it for a spin. Even if it's just around the block.

Basically... if it's in a closed garage and you can honestly get out there I'd just take it for a spin once a week. Drive it to the closest gas station. Put a dollar in gas in there and check the oil. Basically get the oil in the entire drive train up to temp and then take it back.

I've parked cars for a LONG time before. My wrx was parked without being moved or started for 2 months when I blew my knee out. NO big deal.

 

Thanks for your input. I'll be storing it in a garage for about 4-5 months.

So driving it around the block/driving to the gas station put some gas, and I should be good?

So I should disconnect my battery and reconnect it when I do this?

 

I'm storing mine while I volunteer in Haiti, so thanks for the suggestions. I left mine last summer for 6 weeks while I volunteered in Peru....no trickler and no problems when I came back. Made sure to get an oil change right away when I got home :-)

 

Popular Mechanics had an article (I think it was February of this year, actually) about how to PROPERLY store a car for an extended amount of time. It covered pretty much everything.

Also, some random links I found:
http://www.ehow.com/way_5818663_auto...rocedures.html
http://www.uncrate.com/answers/rides...-term-storage/

These links are related to storing a car for an extended amount of time, something that you might consider doing instead of trying to keep it working throughout the time. I would just do all these steps and let the car sit until you can afford to drive (and maintain) the car again.

 

Also, definitely consider getting a battery tender. They are wonderful if you purchase one from a reputable brand and not some cheapo unit. They are not as costly as you may think they are. It will save you so much money and hassle, especially if you currently, or ever will have, a lightweight battery (motorcycle battery, motorsports battery, etc.)

 

Thanks for your input. Great guide!

I think I've decided to just take my car out for a spin for a couple miles every week. So it won't technically be "stored" away for good. Just not used 6/7 days per week

 

I dont advise putting it on jackstands at all because you will be driving it from time to time to get the fluids and gears moving. Also, Ive heard some stories of causing chassis deformation. Thats if you are gonna keep it on them for a while. It would be unnecessary to leave them on jackstands anyways since you will be home with it and not away some where. No need to unplug the battery.

 

Awesome... Storing it won't seem so much of a big deal after all...

So running mycar for ~2-4 miles once a week should make my car happy?

 

i left my wrx in my garage for 3 months without ever starting it. didn't do anything to it. came home and drove fine.