Checklist for 6 month car storage

[bluequattro]

I ve bought cars that have stood for 2+ years with none of above advice done and they ve still been ok- luck of the draw sometimes
Whereas my dad leaves his jag for a week and the battery goes flat!
What about oil sludging in i5 engines? Or is that a build up from non oil changes?

[Michael S2]

Mine has been in a garage since the beginning of November. Parked with handbrake off, out of gear, chock wheels.
I've started it three times since and turned the heater on for a while pumped the brake pedal, pulled handbrake on and off a few times.

Also moved it a couple of feet forward/back so its sitting on a different part of the tyres. Also to stop brakes seizing.

I will be getting the oil changed when i bring it back out and thats about it. i'v parked other cars outside for long periods and all they sometimes need is a jump start. No engine troubles at all. I can't see how starting it every couple of months will do any harm to the engine.

[prj]

I don't mean that your engine is going to blow up or something from starting it every now and then.
I just mean that you gain nothing from doing it. And on a microscopic scale you are increasing the amount of cold starts, thus putting more stress on the rings, bearings etc.
You are actually diluting the oil, because due to cold start enrichment lots of gasoline goes into the oil (and washes the bores). If you drive it for a longer period of time, the gasoline will again evaporate out of the oil and get burned in the engine due to the breather system.

But if you just start it, run it up to temp, then shut it down, it won't quite happen.
So you are making your oil worse and not better.

[4WheelDrifter]

I regularly store cars for fairly long periods.
As pointed out, make sure the tyres are well inflated, to prevent flat-spots.
Make sure the fuel tank has plenty in it, to make sure the pump is submerged. Also there is nothing more annoying than firing the car up to immediately have to go on the hunt for fuel. Especially if you're like me and live 15 miles form the nearest fuel station.
Make sure the battery has plenty of charge, and disconnect it.

Before I restart I always visually check things like tyres, and fluid levels. If it has been left for ages then I may disconnect the crank sensor, or injectors, just so I can turn the engine over a few times without it firing.
Then I just connect up and start it.

My A3 will quite happily sit there for 6 months or so over summer without being used, and fire up without trouble.
My Porsche will flatten the battery in a little over a week. During winter I try to take it out about once a month, I always warm it up gently, then give it some proper poo when the engine is warm. WOT can be pretty hard to use when it's cold.

The S2 engine I turn by hand every few months. Well, by hand I might mean with an electric drill with a socket adapter in it.