Bringing Car out of long term storage

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kaktus

kaktus

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hey guys

My brother has asked me to help get his 2010 M3 out of long term storage (he lives in New York and keeps the car in London). It's been sitting in a garage for about 2 years. No MOT, no tax.

I had a quick google "how to bring a car out of long term storage" and came across an article that said the following things should be replaced *BEFORE* starting the vehicle.

*Drain and replace engine oil, replace filters
*Drain and replace transmission fluid
*Drain and replace brake fluid
*Flush radiators and replace coolants
*Drain and replace power steering fluid
*Replace battery
*Drain and replace petrol

Obviously, I can't start the vehicle and drive it to a service centre as battery is dead and all the above needs replacing apparently so I am looking to book a Mobile mechanic to come to the car and do all that. I have little experience with this.

1. Is the above necessary
2. Any recommendations for who/how to carry out the work given it is in a garage? I found https://www.clickmechanic.com/ that seems to be a simple solution. You select what you want and it adds up all the price and then books the mechanic to come. Any experience with this?

Thanks
 
None of that is strictly necessary. I’d charge the battery, check the fluids, fresh petrol and give it a whirl.

In terms of actually getting it road worthy where is it? Maybe a BMW independent?

What’s his budget and what’s his plans?
 
Maccapacca said:
None of that is strictly necessary. I’d charge the battery, check the fluids, fresh petrol and give it a whirl.

In terms of actually getting it road worthy where is it? Maybe a BMW independent?

What’s his budget and what’s his plans?
Click to expand...

So it's sitting in his previous company's office in Central London which is now being demolished so they've asked him to remove it. I was going to get it put on a recovery truck but I went to check it out yesterday and the battery is completely dead so I can't actually get it onto the truck and there isn't enough room for a truck to go inside the garage to get it. So I would need to get it started and then moved and then onto a truck hence why I googled if I can safely start a car that's been sitting around for years - and it seems I need to get it serviced before starting so the only option is a Mobile mechanic i think?

In terms of budget, I don't think he cares tbh. I mentioned it might be costly to get it out of storage and he said "dont worry about it, just do whatever it takes". Problem is, it's probably going to be sitting around for another year right after because he isnt traveling here while Corona is going on.
 
I’d just ask a car storage company to pick it up as is and store it. Wouldn’t faf around. They’ll have car transporters trailers and winches.
 
Maccapacca said:
I’d just ask a car storage company to pick it up as is and store it. Wouldn’t faf around. They’ll have car transporters trailers and winches.
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I really don't think they will be able to get it. It's a very awkward entrance into the garage. It's a narrow entrance that veers sharply to the right side and then the entrance itself is very low in terms of height, I think a Ford Transit van might squeeze inside but a truck definitely wouldn't and given its a narrow curving entrance and the positioning of the vehicle I don't see how they could get it out without the car being movable.
 
A decent car storage company should be able to help you with extricating it from the garage, so ring a few and see what they say. It's only a case of checking the fluids, checking the tyres and jumping it – or slinging a new battery on. They'll be able to take it away and store it, too; you'll otherwise need somewhere off the road to park it, due to the tax/MOT/insurance situation.
 
Fresh battery
remove spark leads and try to turnover on starter to get some oil around, these two if actually planning to try to drive it

brake fluids etc will really only need to be done when actually driving it

The brakes may be welded together by now, if not simply get a couple of mates put it in neutral and push it out of the garage, assuming you dont have a slope to go up
 
Just brought a motorcycle out of storage 10+ years, I ended up replacing a lot of the rubber. Brake seals mainly.
This is a worse case scenario however.
 
I would put a battery on it, start it, drive it round the block for an MOT. I would not do any of the stuff on that list aside from the battery.
 
Lopéz said:
I would put a battery on it, start it, drive it round the block for an MOT. I would not do any of the stuff on that list aside from the battery.
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literally just done this for a car that been sat doing nothing for 3 years :) no intention to do any servicing items until it’s got an MOT!
 
2 years is not long term for a modern car parked indoors. I would go back with your recovery guy, get them to stick a jump pack on it, any recovery guy will have one. Drive it outside, load it up.
 
Clarkey said:
2 years is not long term for a modern car parked indoors. I would go back with your recovery guy, get them to stick a jump pack on it, any recovery guy will have one. Drive it outside, load it up.
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This, way too much overthinking going on in here.

Doesn’t even need a new battery to get it into a low loader, a jump pack will do the job of getting it running and into the back of a lorry to take it where it needs to go.
 
Pump the tyres up and start it. Brakes should be ok if its kept inside. Quite why you need to flush the lifetime coolant and replace because its been sat is beyond me.

A new battery could be fitted but they are in the boot, £185 (2010 so might be stop start /AGM battery) and need coding and quite heavy so awkward to do if you arent mechanically minded. Really it should have been put on a trickle charger for that sort of time

Theres no need for fluids to be changed to just move it, certainly not transmission. Theres no spark plugs leads to allow you to crank it either.

Are you planning to put it back into storage if so where? Would be worth topping up with fresh fuel if you get the chance.

I left my car on a road for 6months (same car) just nearly got taken away as the MOT expired and it was still on the road so my mate sorted that for me.
 
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If its going to just be sat somewhere else for another year there's no point in a new battery, just get someone to use a jump pack on it to get it started and moved to wherever.

Otherwise just make sure the tyres and pumped up and there's oil showing on the dipstick and I'm sure it'll fire right up i really wouldn't think any more about it than that.

When it comes to getting it back on the road in another year or so then give it a decent service before it's MOT but again im sure it'll probably be ok.
 
Thanks all for the very helpful input. Just an update for whoever is curious

Battery - completely fried, struggled to get going with a jump. They replaced it.
Filters - filthy. replaced.
Oil - strictly speaking, oil didn't need to be changed. It was black but not really dirty or sludge-like. Replaced anyway.
Coolant - fine, no need to replace
steering fluid - fine, no need to replace
brake fluid - fine, no need to replace
petrol - surprisingly fine even though it was sitting for 2 years, no need to drain and replace
brakes - mostly ok, one side of the car was exposed to the parking entrance and so those brakes had rusted out a bit while the other side was fine. Mechanic suggested I take it for a drive and 'burn off the rust' before the MOT

Otherwise seems mostly ok thankfully.
 
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