Any recommendations for "storing" car for a fortnight?

[aygowhereugo]

So, we have an upcoming trip that leaves the Aygo X sitting idle in our apartment's carpark for two weeks.

What is the general consensus on good practices for proper storage?

A full tank? OR half or whatever was in the tank?
Any risk of discharging of Battery? (There's a Nextbase Dashcam mounted, but I doubt it draws power when vehcile is off).
Inflate tyres to recommended air-pressure?

The manual doesn't suggest anything useful.

Thanks!

 

[Bernard Foy]

Stop worrying that’s not a problem, just make sure that if you’re returning to the car that there’s enough petrol in the tank to get you home again, or in your case to the nearest petrol station. Make sure that the car is locked, removing all documents and valuables. If you can park in a well lighted area and in range of any cctv cameras present, and then there’s not much more you can. If possible have a friend or neighbor check on it every day.

[FROSTYBALLS]

For two weeks, don't think you need to do anything special. Previously we've left our cars for 2 to 3 weeks in our garage without issues.

Fuel - just whatever is in the tank.

The Aygo X doesn't seem to suffer 12v Battery issues like some of the hybrids.

I'd be inclined to get a good quality steering wheel lock (eg. Milenco high security steering wheel lock) for use anyway, and make sure it is used for the two weeks.

Don't leave anything on view inside the car.

Tyres will be OK.

Just enjoy your trip.

 

[Bernard Foy]

Years ago when leaving the car for an extended period I used to take the rotor arm with me as an extra precaution.🤣

[Corollanutter]

22 minutes ago, Bernard Foy said:

Years ago when leaving the car for an extended period I used to take the rotor arm with me as an extra precaution.🤣

Oh, those were the days. No need on the hybrids as it’s unlikely they will start after much more than a week anyway 😀

[152bobby]

If your Dashcam is hardwired, it will draw power, but nothing to worry about, as the Nextbase Dashcams have a safety feature built in to prevent drawing too much power and flattening the battery 

[aygowhereugo]

Thanks everyone. That puts my mind at ease.

[Roy124]

Following on from Frosty's advice, don't buy a chocolate Easter egg and leave it on the car when you park up.  It won't survive. 

[Bernard Foy]

3 hours ago, Roy124 said:

Following on from Frosty's advice, don't buy a chocolate Easter egg and leave it on the car when you park up.  It won't survive. 

Not if I’m around, I’d eat my way into the car to get at the chocolate Easter Egg 🤣😂🥚

[TonyHSD]

6 hours ago, aygowhereugo said:

Thanks everyone. That puts my mind at ease.

Hi, 

depending on where you live it might be a good idea to put some rodents poisoning blocks around the car, garage or driveway near the house, perhaps in a safe boxes if there are other animals around.
The reason for that it’s because the rodents are attracted to some plastics used in later cars made of organic materials and those little fella’s diet well on these.
Just as precaution.  
Also you can pump up the tyres half bar more or extra psi before you leave, or double check the pressures on your return before you drive off the car, first thing in the morning. 
Anything else pretty much standard, lock the car and make sure all accessories, cameras interior lights are all switched off. 
Enjoy your holiday. 👍

[Stivino]

I go to Tenerife regularly and stay there sometimes for months on end.  The only thing I do with my car is leave the handbrake off as it has been known to stick on.

If you leave poison near your car, you will attract vermin. 

[Roy124]

19 minutes ago, Stivino said:

I go to Tenerife regularly and stay there sometimes for months on end.  The only thing I do with my car is leave the handbrake off as it has been known to stick on.

If you leave poison near your car, you will attract vermin. 

Don't put it away with wet brakes either. 

[Yugguy1970]

Same as leaving it in an airport car park, or anywhere.

Nothing on show in the cabin, stoplok or similar if you have one, double check the car's locked when you leave.

Forget about it for 2 weeks.

[Cyker]

The Aygo is a fairly normal car so 2 weeks sleep should be nothing to it! Given it's in an apartment carpark I can't think of any major precautions, just remember to lock it and don't forget where you put the keys   

[Roy124]

5 minutes ago, Cyker said:

The Aygo is a fairly normal car so 2 weeks sleep should be nothing to it! Given it's in an apartment carpark I can't think of any major precautions, just remember to lock it and don't forget where you put the keys   

And shut the windows:

I have:

Left my car unlocked when I ran out of petrol, someone immediately stopped and gave me a lift. 

Left the driver's door open in a Tesco car park while I went shopping. That is open not just unlocked. Obviously no one does that so no one tried to get in. 

Left a bedroom window open setting off on a 2 week cruise. 

Left a patio door unlocked on a week holiday. 

Left a coffee pot on (twice) and remembered twice 20 miles from home. 

[Roy124]

And keys, recurring nightmare. 

 

[Cyker]

It's easily done! Always need to double check! When I first got the Mk4, I once forgot to close the windows until my neighbour, who'd gone out for a smoke, rang my door bell to let me know my car was turning into a swimming pool!!  

I dashed out then proceeded to get absolutely soaked in the process of shutting them all. (I must say the start-up sequence feels maddeningly long when you're being rained on through wide open windows...)

After that I got the dealer to turn on the remote window control so if this happens again I can just lean out of the window and hold the lock button down, instead of going out and getting soaked again!!  

 

[Roy124]

The alternative to open windows is a soft top. 

At a campsite in Switzerland after an all night electric storm our teenage hero was standing ankle deep in a flooded meadow looking at his pride and joy Fiat X1.  Meanwhile his would be squeeze, wearing two small hankerchiefs that passed for panties was wiping the water off the bonnet. 

We could see where that romance was going. 

Mrs Roy's contact lenses are still there. 

[Derek.w]

Stivino 

6 hours ago, Stivino said:

I go to Tenerife regularly and stay there sometimes for months on end.  The only thing I do with my car is leave the handbrake off as it has been known to stick on.

If you leave poison near your car, you will attract vermin. 

Is that 2 legged or 4 legged vermin or both

[Stivino]

Both, they don’t know it’s poison, they just see it as food.

[aygowhereugo]

Thanks everyone again for some hilarious anecdotes. The trip went well... and the car was still working and fine when we got back.

Couple of interesting observations: MyT allowed me to track the status of the car (locked status, location) for about a week. The car is parked in a gated, badge-controlled car-park, so it wasn't really going anywhere. The tracking died after one week. So for the rest of the trip, I had no way of knowing what was going on.

Also, I find it rather annoying that the window status is not available in the MyT app, nor can you close them without the engine running. I have myself left the windows open a bunch of times but then my wife is usually able to remind me.

The car-park has rodent-kill blocks (we pay through the nose for maintenance, so obviously, expected features), but I also recalled seeing a Reddit post about an oppossum nesting in the engine bay, so checked if something similar had happened. Fortunately not!.