Leaving car in storage for few months

[Kuba]

I'll be heading overseas for a around 3 months and researching how to best prep my 260z for this. Internet advice ranges from do nothing to put heating lamps under the engine

I'm thinking about just taking it for a nice long ride, topping up the fuel and over inflating tires a bit. What do you guys usually do?

[C.A.R.]

Drive it.

Then drain ALL the fuel out of it.

Jack it up and place it on blocks under the chassis to take the load off the suspension.

 

[hmd]

for 3 months, nothing just take the battery terminal off.

my race car sometime doesn't see action for more than 4 months, I just turn the battery cutoff switch and leave the car in the garage.

[cracker]

Depending on who you talk to... my understanding is that even 98RON fuel is only good for about 3 months - so you'd be on the edge of needing to drain it anyway. At the least, use as much of it as you can so that when you're on a fresh tank on your return there is very little old stuff in it.

[Kuba]

Thanks for the info everyone, 

I get that gasoline will degrade over time, but then why are some people recommending to top up instead of draining, something about corrosion in tank/fuel lines or it's just a way to maximize the lifespan of gas?

[Retro Z]

3 months is nothing. Disconnect the neg terminal and park it in a dry area. Done. According to the BP fact sheet. Octane is lost over time and fuel will only oxidate if exposed to UV otherwise still maintains its properties for minimum 6 weeks. I've left my cars for 6 months at times and just top up with fresh 98. No problems

[PZG302]

My new cars are left for up to six months at a time without being started (FG Ute and E61 Wagon), and my old Merc hasn't moved in near 18 months.

All I do for my cars is connect a battery monitor as they are new, and the BMW has eleventy computers that need power or I have to read war and peace to get everything set up again.

When I get home, pre start checks are done to make sure they have oil, I check tyre pressures top up if necessary and then take them for a decent drive.

The old merc will need some love when I next get it out as the interior has gotten mouldy from the humidity and being all closed up. I will also do an oil change, throw some new fuel in it as it is empty at the moment, pump up tyres clean the interior with vinegar to get rid of the mould and then jump start the battery, if it hasn't completely died.

When I did a six month stint in NZ and had an old ZG Fairlane I disconnected the battery and pulled the points out of the distributor, more for security than anything else.