Gents,
You may have picked up on another forum that I replaced the wife's car with a nice new platkar (one I would enjoy driving as well) and decided to keep the 2004 RunX (for the time being), which is still in pristeen condition. The idea is to park the Pajero and do all my commuting in the RunX and the long distance, low-load, trips in the new car.
The advice I seek is the following:
1) What is the longest sensible period to allow the Pajero to stand idle?
2) What care should I take while it is standing?
3) What precautions should/could I take on first start-up?
4) What is the shortest distance one should travel after start-up?
I'm sure I'll get some well informed answers soon.
Thanks,
Roelf
Go visit a scrap yard and look at the major mechanical components of the vehicles that have been standing for a considerable time.
The major problem is water condensation in the engine, transmission, differentials, wheel bearings etc etc.
The condensation causes rust, which is the last thing you want in these components.
The amount of condensation will depend on climate etc.
Condensation takes place all the time, but during normal use the condensation is 'washed' off the places it accumulates and the heat of the mechanical component will evaporate the water.
The obvious solution is thus to operate the engine at operating temperature for sufficient time to evaporate the water which formed due to condensation.
How often? Depends on climate, etc.
You can consider regulating the environment where the vehicle is stored, with regard to temperature and humidity, but that is much more effort than driving the vehicle on a regular basis.
PS Google is your friend, so search for
"long term storage of a vehicle"
I took some of the tips from various web sites:
The major problem is water condensation in the engine, transmission, differentials, wheel bearings etc etc.
The condensation causes rust, which is the last thing you want in these components.
The amount of condensation will depend on climate etc.
Condensation takes place all the time, but during normal use the condensation is 'washed' off the places it accumulates and the heat of the mechanical component will evaporate the water.
The obvious solution is thus to operate the engine at operating temperature for sufficient time to evaporate the water which formed due to condensation.
How often? Depends on climate, etc.
You can consider regulating the environment where the vehicle is stored, with regard to temperature and humidity, but that is much more effort than driving the vehicle on a regular basis.
PS Google is your friend, so search for
"long term storage of a vehicle"
I took some of the tips from various web sites:
- Keep the bodywork squeeky clean and waxed
- Make sure the fuel tank is 100% full (to reduce air space)
- Make sure the coolant has the correct amount of anti-corrosion additives in it
- Make sure the radiator is 100% full
- Disconnect the battery or better yet, connect it to a good conditioning charger.
- Put rat poison in the engine bay inside and under the vehicle (rats just love wire insulation)
- Over-inflate the tyres to prevent flat-spotting
- Leave windows slightly open to ensure ventilation
Gerhard Fourie
If you want to shoot somebody, make sure you aim at his head, not your own foot.
Me
If you want to shoot somebody, make sure you aim at his head, not your own foot.
Me
Affiliate Member
Best to drive it up to temp once a week. Otherwise
CV joints dry out
Wheel bearings dry out
Tyres flatspot
Engine, Diff & gearbox internals rust
Rats eat wiring
Brake caliper pins rust stuck
Seals perish
Long term storage is not good for a car. Drive it!
CV joints dry out
Wheel bearings dry out
Tyres flatspot
Engine, Diff & gearbox internals rust
Rats eat wiring
Brake caliper pins rust stuck
Seals perish
Long term storage is not good for a car. Drive it!
The 4E-clan input is always valued and thanks for pointing out the pitfalls.
1)It's clean. The tank is full and I plan to stick 2SO in as well. Our current climate is mild and dry. I only use Mitso cooling fluid and the system is always full. The motor has fresh DELO 400 in the sump. We don't do poison, but the garage is clean and our two cats patrol it regularly as well.
My question however remains: how long before the monsters in your post attack my car.
Surely the "rot" starts as the car is cooling off in the garage and the most wear is the first few seconds after start-up in the morning. By driving every day I expose the car to these conditions 365 times a year. If I drive it once a week, I expose the car to these conditions 52 times a year. I suspect you will cope with the math of a once a month drive
Intuition tells me that commuting every day is not ideal for my beast. The same intuition tells me that starting it up only twice a year is also not good. Where is the "high ground"? Once a fortnight feels about right to me, what is the concensus?
How do I start it up after a two week rest? When I fired it up on Friday, after a week off, it didn't sound as "pure" as normal - without being able to quantify that statement. The engine doesn't swing a few times before kicking into life. It is such a willing beaut, it fires immediately and idles at about 1800rpm at first (while the oil is doing its best to get back to the higher parts). What got me was the fact that I have no control over the whole process. When I start my little 3KVA gene, I pull the start cord a good few times with the engine "off". At least a get some movement and oil flowing before I open the fuel and switch on the ignition. Is there a way to do this with the Pajero, and is it advisable and will it help?
1)It's clean. The tank is full and I plan to stick 2SO in as well. Our current climate is mild and dry. I only use Mitso cooling fluid and the system is always full. The motor has fresh DELO 400 in the sump. We don't do poison, but the garage is clean and our two cats patrol it regularly as well.
My question however remains: how long before the monsters in your post attack my car.
Surely the "rot" starts as the car is cooling off in the garage and the most wear is the first few seconds after start-up in the morning. By driving every day I expose the car to these conditions 365 times a year. If I drive it once a week, I expose the car to these conditions 52 times a year. I suspect you will cope with the math of a once a month drive
Intuition tells me that commuting every day is not ideal for my beast. The same intuition tells me that starting it up only twice a year is also not good. Where is the "high ground"? Once a fortnight feels about right to me, what is the concensus?
How do I start it up after a two week rest? When I fired it up on Friday, after a week off, it didn't sound as "pure" as normal - without being able to quantify that statement. The engine doesn't swing a few times before kicking into life. It is such a willing beaut, it fires immediately and idles at about 1800rpm at first (while the oil is doing its best to get back to the higher parts). What got me was the fact that I have no control over the whole process. When I start my little 3KVA gene, I pull the start cord a good few times with the engine "off". At least a get some movement and oil flowing before I open the fuel and switch on the ignition. Is there a way to do this with the Pajero, and is it advisable and will it help?
What you are asking is:
"Can I disable the ignition and then swing the engine for a while before it starts?"
The aim is to get oil to all the bearing surfaces as soon as possible. For that you need oil pressure, and for that you need some rpm.
To me that says, start it but allow the oil pressure to build up and the oil to circulate before you put any load on the engine.
If you are convinced you will generate enough oil pressure by swinging the engine on the starter only, it might be viable (to disable it in some way to prevent starting).
I doubt whether it is worth the risk.
What you definitely don't want, is to swing the engine for any length of time without oil pressure, which might just happen when you swing it for a prolonged time. Compression still takes place, which put stress on the bearings.
Remember that (engine) bearings are there to distribute oil under pressure over a (bearing) surface and thus prevent metal to metal contact. Until you have sufficient oil pressure, there is the possibility of metal to metal contact, which is when the wear takes place.
With the correct oil and oil pressure, there is virtually NO wear on the bearing surfaces.
There is belief that all the wear takes place whilst the engine is cold. This is only half true. The most wear takes place before the oil has covered all the bearing surfaces.
PS I spoke to a driver of a Greyhound bus once. He says they never shut the bus engine off between 15000km services!(unless of course they break down!).
They are used to engines lasting a few million kms.
"Can I disable the ignition and then swing the engine for a while before it starts?"
The aim is to get oil to all the bearing surfaces as soon as possible. For that you need oil pressure, and for that you need some rpm.
To me that says, start it but allow the oil pressure to build up and the oil to circulate before you put any load on the engine.
If you are convinced you will generate enough oil pressure by swinging the engine on the starter only, it might be viable (to disable it in some way to prevent starting).
I doubt whether it is worth the risk.
What you definitely don't want, is to swing the engine for any length of time without oil pressure, which might just happen when you swing it for a prolonged time. Compression still takes place, which put stress on the bearings.
Remember that (engine) bearings are there to distribute oil under pressure over a (bearing) surface and thus prevent metal to metal contact. Until you have sufficient oil pressure, there is the possibility of metal to metal contact, which is when the wear takes place.
With the correct oil and oil pressure, there is virtually NO wear on the bearing surfaces.
There is belief that all the wear takes place whilst the engine is cold. This is only half true. The most wear takes place before the oil has covered all the bearing surfaces.
PS I spoke to a driver of a Greyhound bus once. He says they never shut the bus engine off between 15000km services!(unless of course they break down!).
They are used to engines lasting a few million kms.
Gerhard Fourie
If you want to shoot somebody, make sure you aim at his head, not your own foot.
Me
If you want to shoot somebody, make sure you aim at his head, not your own foot.
Me
Point taken on the oil pressure aspect of swinging a "dead" engine.
I think I'll just take things as they come for the time being. I'm not yet sure how long the idle periods will be for the Pajero. As it is will the Pajero run to Jhb on Thursday evening (400km). The wife and the new car are already in Jhb (family support reasons) and I have to shoot through for business on Friday. Thus had to choose between the Beast and the RunX 
We'll drive back in convoy during the weekend, maybe I'll get her to drive the Pajero then I can give the new lad a little run.
I think I'll just take things as they come for the time being. I'm not yet sure how long the idle periods will be for the Pajero. As it is will the Pajero run to Jhb on Thursday evening (400km). The wife and the new car are already in Jhb (family support reasons) and I have to shoot through for business on Friday. Thus had to choose between the Beast
and the RunX We'll drive back in convoy during the weekend, maybe I'll get her to drive the Pajero then I can give the new lad a little run.
Roelf
I sit with the same problem and have just taken the view to drive the Pajero as my Friday car to office and back. I believe the 30 or so km driven like this once a week is sufficient to keep the oils oiling etc.
Must say I just LOVE Fridays, now for one more reason!
CATS
I sit with the same problem and have just taken the view to drive the Pajero as my Friday car to office and back. I believe the 30 or so km driven like this once a week is sufficient to keep the oils oiling etc.
Must say I just LOVE Fridays, now for one more reason!
CATS
2009 Pajero 3.2 DiDc Lwb GLS (Gen4) - Casper (Starting to grow on me)
2001 Pajero 3.2 DiD Lwb GLS Manual (Gen3) - Snoopy (SOLD but not forgotten)
2008 Pajero 3.2 DiDc Lwb GLS Auto (Gen4) - Silvester (SOLD)
2001 Pajero 3.2 DiD Lwb GLS Manual (Gen3) - Snoopy (SOLD but not forgotten)
2008 Pajero 3.2 DiDc Lwb GLS Auto (Gen4) - Silvester (SOLD)
Cats,
Absolutely.
Fridays are my target days as well - that is the one day when my kms are high enough to run at full operating temp for at least 15 mins. I even get a chance to cruise at 120 for about 3 mins . I think I'm going to try for a Pajero day every second Friday.
If I use the Pajero every Friday, then the fuel cost saving for the week is dramatically reduced and the logic of keeping the RunX is destroyed - unless I can convince myself that using the Pajero every day (like all my Pajeros before) is bad for my car. Keeping in mind this Pajero is supposed to be a keeper, at least well into retirement. The previous Pajeros were traded at low km, so I won't really know if my daily commutes had a bad effect. I have never even replaced a silencer on any Pajero to date.
Safe, sensible storage for all the wheeled stuff on my property is also a major issue now. Something is going to sleep outside as of Saturday night.
That reminds me: Does anybody want to buy a Jurgens caravan?
Absolutely.
Fridays are my target days as well - that is the one day when my kms are high enough to run at full operating temp for at least 15 mins. I even get a chance to cruise at 120 for about 3 mins
. I think I'm going to try for a Pajero day every second Friday.If I use the Pajero every Friday, then the fuel cost saving for the week is dramatically reduced and the logic of keeping the RunX is destroyed - unless I can convince myself that using the Pajero every day (like all my Pajeros before) is bad for my car. Keeping in mind this Pajero is supposed to be a keeper, at least well into retirement. The previous Pajeros were traded at low km, so I won't really know if my daily commutes had a bad effect. I have never even replaced a silencer on any Pajero to date.
Safe, sensible storage for all the wheeled stuff on my property is also a major issue now. Something is going to sleep outside as of Saturday night.
That reminds me: Does anybody want to buy a Jurgens caravan?
Hi Roelf,
I have been keeping my Pajero locked away and only used to go and play, overlanding or towing the Offroad trailer. It stands in the garage for between 2 and 4 weeks on most instances between use and we do at least 2-3 long drives (2000km +) per year and a few 200 to 600 km trips each year, other than that it just waits for the next one.
So far I have not had any issues and usually start and go for a short drive around every 2 to 4 weeks. Been doing this now for almost 3 years and still going strong. No premature failures as yet, no issues with flat spots (although the BFG's are pretty hard and I leave them between 2.5 and 2.8 bar), exchaust is still good with no indications of any issues as yet I do make use of a C-tek charger though that is almost a permanent fixture and have a small one that keep the Paj ready to go at any time we need to or want to go.
All replacements have been standard and seen as routine.
Model is a 2001 3.5 Gen 3 LWB GLS with a little over 152,000km's on and will be used for at least another 150,000 km and not going anywhere for the next few years, in this for the long haul
.
Cheers
David
I have been keeping my Pajero locked away and only used to go and play, overlanding or towing the Offroad trailer. It stands in the garage for between 2 and 4 weeks on most instances between use and we do at least 2-3 long drives (2000km +) per year and a few 200 to 600 km trips each year, other than that it just waits for the next one.
So far I have not had any issues and usually start and go for a short drive around every 2 to 4 weeks. Been doing this now for almost 3 years and still going strong. No premature failures as yet, no issues with flat spots (although the BFG's are pretty hard and I leave them between 2.5 and 2.8 bar), exchaust is still good with no indications of any issues as yet I do make use of a C-tek charger though that is almost a permanent fixture and have a small one that keep the Paj ready to go at any time we need to or want to go.
All replacements have been standard and seen as routine.
Model is a 2001 3.5 Gen 3 LWB GLS with a little over 152,000km's on and will be used for at least another 150,000 km and not going anywhere for the next few years, in this for the long haul
.Cheers
David