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YOUR RESEARCHShould I start the car every week?
Reported or suspected cause
generally the oil engine oil is not seal friendly
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Reported cause
The problem is generally the oil engine oil is not seal friendly.
Leading evidence: 'generally the oil engine oil is not seal friendly' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'generally the oil engine oil is not seal friendly' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Lubricate but i guess i will stop doing this now' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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I was starting it so that all the internal components of the engine get lubricated but I guess I will stop doing this now.
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Probably the best way to protect your battery from drain and damage is to install a trickle-charger/battery maintainer on it.
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Suggestion
As soon as you get the car's suspension back on the car and the car drivable then I would advise you change the oil/filter -- this is to remove the oil that may be slightly contaminated with unburned fuel and water, just to be "safe" -- and resume the normal oil/filter service schedule.
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Suggestion
Warming up the car at idle until it reaches 180 is not a good idea because 1) the engine has to run quite a long time at idle to reach that temperature and 2) the oil takes longer to reach operating temperature.
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So my 1999 c2 has been in my home garage for close to 3 months now since I am getting my suspension rebuilt and the place that is doing it has been taking for ever..
I have been starting the car at least weekly but I am not sure if this is good for the engine or not... I always let it warm up to 180 so that the oil & coolant cycles and after it warms up, I accelerate it to 3k - 4k rpm's a few times...
Your thoughts?
So let me get this straight...the car is in the home garage but the suspension is being rebuilt somewhere else for better than three months? Huh. Are you changing out your oil plug washer every week? It is highly recommended. Just wondering.....
Car is in home garage on 4 jack stands....
changing oil plug washer every week? I didnt say that I changed the oil every week... I do change the washer everytime I perform an oil change..
I don't believe you need to start the car weekly. A trickle charger on the battery is a very good idea. You should probably keep the gas tank FULL of premium gas to prevent condensation. Release the parking brake (if used).
Neto,
Generally, starting the engine and just having it idle till warm is not a great idea. Cars need to be driven and the engine get nice and hot. Once the engine reaches temperature it ought to be driven for a while longer (20-30 min depending on the outside temp).
Prolonged idling is hard on an engine in any case (railway stop, drive thru burger, etc). Avoid it if you don't need to. Just wait until you car is back together. Put some fuel stabilizer in the tank in the meantime.
Agree with others. Just leave it alone and trickle charge the battery. That's it. Warming up the car at idle until it reaches 180 is not a good idea because 1) the engine has to run quite a long time at idle to reach that temperature and 2) the oil takes longer to reach operating temperature. Consequently, you can have nonuniform cold/hot spots on your engine block.
Concur with the others as well.
Now, you need to post some big pics of your car here in this thread to show it off. For those people who haven't seen it, I think Neto has the nicest looking NA 996 I have ever seen. It is absolutely stunning.
Yeah, I guess the question is why are you starting it. To charge the battery, just trickle charge it. If the idea is to circulate the fluids, I think you are better off leaving it sit with stabilizer in the gas tank. If the oil is old, change that before it sits.
I think during those engine warm ups, Neto is in the driver's seat playing with that soft suspended steering pretending to be rolling up and down the mountains.
I agree, a trickle is all you should need. Probably the best way to protect your battery from drain and damage is to install a trickle-charger/battery maintainer on it. This charger plugs into the wall when you are not using the car, and constantly monitors the battery, charging it as needed when the voltage runs down. Every car battery has internal electrical leakage that will cause it to become fully discharged over time if not properly maintained. There's a bit more information about it
here
towards the bottom and figure 5. A battery tender
here
is a good one to use.
SEALS - is the primary reason to not let it sit (for years). Weeks - months, I don't know.
I'd rather let it idle than let it sit. I don't see mechanics (nor workshop manuals, nor DIY instructions) shying away from idling.
Bottom line- get your suspension back, now. Tell them they're liable for any new leaks, if you need leverage.
Umm, My Owners manual says to start the car and be ready to drive immediately. My RX-8 was the same way. Get it warmed up right away and make the motor last longer. When I stored the 928 for 2 years I put it ton Sumitomo jack stands
and only had a automatic trickle charger on it. Once I got back in the country I pulled plugs and sprayed some WD-40 in the cylinders rolled the motor over and put plugs back in fired it up.
I'd say years, and a few months here and there of no activity shouldn't harm them at all. Anyway, and just thinking out loud about the seals, if they were really that bad (well anything rubber) then we'd be hearing all kinds of horror stories from people who live in Arizona about leaks.
My friends and I think that "starting it up once a month" adds to the chances of cylinder scoring and wear, so personally when mine gets parked I'll put a battery tender on it and then not give things a second thought until spring.
I think you were on the right track.
I do not like to let the engine sit unused too long as the seals/gaskets can dry out and shrink and leak.
Older cars are more prone to this. Newer cars with the new seals are somewhat immune to this -- or new cars would leak as often a new car sits unused for weeks or more at a time on the way from the factory to the dealer and then even at the dealer until the car is sold.
How often to start the engine?
You know I don't know.
While every week seems a bit over the top the car is a 99 and as I pointed about above the older a car gets the more at risk the already old seals will dry and shrink is higher.
I'd say every week is ok but every 2 weeks might be just as ok.
Longer I don't know...
BTW, the seals don't "dry out" per se. The problem is generally the oil engine oil is not seal friendly. It has additives -- ester -- help keep the seals from shrinking but if the seals are not doused with oil every so often this additive can't do its job.
Running the engine every so often obviously douses the seals with oil and thus works to keep them from shrinking.
As soon as you get the car's suspension back on the car and the car drivable then I would advise you change the oil/filter -- this is to remove the oil that may be slightly contaminated with unburned fuel and water, just to be "safe" -- and resume the normal oil/filter service schedule.
btw I've never gone to the local Porsche Dealer. ;-) I go to the local gurus in KC - RennSport KC and Bob Hindson Racing. And I concur with the others, beautiful 996.
