2nd Gen R56 Cooper Most liked posts in thread: Left for longtime

A full tank of fuel will help prevent condensation from building up in the gas tank.

Fresh oil is just that, it doesn't have the acids that build up in used oil over time. Helps to keep things fresh and clean while it site.

If inside a garage or storage space with access to electricity a battery tender is a darn good idea. MINIs always have some electrical draw. Long term sitting will drain the battery. If there is no access to electric then I would pull the battery.

 

I would NOT disconnect the battery, instead I'd put a battery minder on it to keep it fully charged and all the sytems on the car enabled. I'd also put fresh oil in it (unless it's been changed recently) and fill the tank. Other than that, it should be good to go.

 

It might not hurt to put some gas stabalizer in when you fill it to prevent varnish build up in the fuel system.

 

I would disconnect the battery. I'd fill the tank too. You should have no problems.

 

Gas goes bad, modern fuels that we have now take longer then they years ago but they still go bad. Over time the voluble compounds in gas break down. One of those is a nasty sticky gum like varnish that can really mess things up. This was more a problem some time ago where it gum up the floats and jets in carbs. It can still cause sticking injectors and deposits in the fuel lines. A fell tank helps reduce the speed at which this happens.

As others have said something such as Stabil will also help prevent the gas from going stale.

 

A month? No.
I've left my MINI sitting for a month with no problems.

Dave

 

Yes a month could cause your battery to be flat. That is why I recommended pulling the negative cable off the battery. If it is only a month I would not worry about clean oil or fuel stabilizer. Long term storage requires a bit more thought.

 

I've left mine for more than a month several times. No issues whatsoever upon my return and my only "preparation" was to empty the trash out of the door pockets and take the iPod with me.

The little car fires off after over six weeks like it started yesterday. The only thing i noticed at all was some squeaking/grinding as the rust wore off the brakes.

Remember, these little cars can often sit for a month at a time in the ports or on the deasler lots, especially on the dealer used car lots. They are really pretty sturdy little buggers.

 

I agree with Herleman. I store my car very winter, and have done now for 4 winters. The car sits for an average of 4 months. Each time, when a nice day in March shows up, I have just got in the car, started it up, and drove it away. No issues.

 

And yet......when I bought my Clubman my '03 often sat for a few months without being started till I got it sold - sometimes it didn't start, sometimes it did......

The other factor is whether the car gets driven far enough after it's slumber to bring the battery back to full charge.

A $35 battery minder means you never have this problem - ever. And your battery will last longer.

For one month you probably don't need to do anything but park it indoors if you can, I thought you were laying it up for much longer.

I still wouldn't disconnect the cable.

 

The nice thing about a battery minder is they're less than $20 and tend to last for many years. They work on motorcycles, cars, law mowers, etc... They will prolong the life of the battery.