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eutek

Member Since: 03 Mar 2009
Location: High Wycombe
Posts: 586

2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

My Defender to sit for extended period - how often to drive?

Hi all,

My work might take me to London for an extended period of time, so I won't have the chance to drive the Landy too often.

What is the minimum that one should drive a diesel in order to keep everything in working order? Over the past month I've only had the chance to drive it perhaps once a week, which consisted of a 20 mile (40 round trip) blast down the A34 on a Sunday.

Is that sufficient?

My only previous experience letting a car sit for a long period of time was with Mrs. Eutek's Merc… it was left to sit in the old country for about 6 months. Someone was supposed to start it up periodically and drive it, but this never happened.

Returned to find that the battery was flat (no surprise) and that gearbox seals had shrunk (!?) and large quantity of gearbox oil had leaked. Didn't find that last bit out until 1/4 the way into a 1600 mile trip back to the UK when shifting became erratic.

9th Feb 2012 11:37am

Zinke

Member Since: 27 Jan 2009
Location: Scunthorpe
Posts: 670

In a ideal world then you should drive every day but once a week is fine if its kept in a garage. For long term storage, i would personally say anything over a month i would put it on axle stands and connect a maintenance charger to it to keep the battery healthy. Changing the oil and gearbox fluids would also help and making sure its dry before parking up would also help. I would also put some rat and mice traps and/or poison down as you dont want the little

making it there home, we always do this with the combines.

Pete.

9th Feb 2012 12:01pm

MK

Member Since: 28 Aug 2008
Location: Santiago
Posts: 2425

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Chawton White

Pump up the tyres so they do not deform (unless you use axle stands). Puma 110" SW

.............................................................
Earth first. Other planets later

10th Feb 2012 9:21am

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black

Zinke wrote:
In a ideal world then you should drive every day but once a week is fine if its kept in a garage. For long term storage, i would personally say anything over a month i would put it on axle stands and connect a maintenance charger to it to keep the battery healthy. Changing the oil and gearbox fluids would also help and making sure its dry before parking up would also help. I would also put some rat and mice traps and/or poison down as you dont want the little making it there home, we always do this with the combines.

Pete.

great reply Pete, in addition if stored in a garage I would leave one of the windows down about 1cm to allow airflow

If you are leaving it for more than 2-3 months, there are companies who can store your vehicle and run it once a month on a private road - google classic car storage

10th Feb 2012 9:47am

eutek

Member Since: 03 Mar 2009
Location: High Wycombe
Posts: 586

Thanks guys...

I won't have the luxury of a garage, I'll just have to leave it in my driveway or rent a space in London.

I'll be driving it about once a week at the most it seems. I literally won't be around during the day to drive it, and the distance between my house to the station is so short that it isn't worth driving - it is about a mile. Not enough time for the 110 to properly warm up!

10th Feb 2012 10:55am

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