9 months in storage (is there anything I can do differently next time?)

Ghstrydr

Ghstrydr

JK Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 20, 2020
Messages
215
Location
Princetown, NY / Largo Fl.
My wife and I finally made it to our place in Florida after a long wait hoping to get the COVID vaccine. That meant my '08 Jk was left sitting in the garage for 9 months. I changed the oil, cleaned both the inside and out, topped off the gas tank, hooked to a battery maintainer, and covered it. Well let me say that the JK was not happy to be woken up. The first attempt to start it ended in it cranking over and giving little sign of starting. On the second try it begin to show signs of life with a couple of sputters and then nothing. The third time was the charm, it started but ran very rough. It took a few minutes for it to finally level off and run smooth. It did not kick on the check engine light and I haven't checked for any codes, at least not yet. I am very happy its running okay, however, I'm would like to know if there is anything I could do differently when I put it back in storage when I head north in the spring? Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
BLACKJKU said:
Was it a cold damp garage?
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No, I suspect it is very hot during the summer and possibly humid. I'm starting to think that it took some time for the fuel pump to build pressure causing the hard start situation. Even with that it my not have been a bad thing, giving the engine some time to get the oil pushed up and around the internals.
 
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Anybodyhome said:
Do you have someone you trust to go and start it a couple times a month just to keep the juices flowing?
If I were storing mine, here's the steps I'd follow after I put it on jack-stands to help prevent flat spots on the tires:

https://www.edmunds.com/car-maintenance/how-to-prep-your-car-for-long-term-storage.html
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That was a very informative article, I was close to doing all that was suggested just not putting the Jeep on jack stands, so far no problem with flat spots on the tires.
 
You didn't mention it but I would use sta-bil too. I've often thought a nice accessory would be an oil prelube pump. Sounds like that's what you ended up doing :) Glad it sounds like it's running well for you now.
 
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JerryD said:
You didn't mention it but I would use sta-bil too. I've often thought a nice accessory would be an oil prelube pump. Sounds like that's what you ended up doing :) Glad it sounds like it's running well for you now.
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Nope, I did not add any fuel stabilizer, sounds like something I should put on the list. I have heard both plus and minuses for fuel stabilizers. Some folk swear by Sea Foam, others say it's useless. As for Sta-Bil, only know of it from commercials, have not known anyone who has used it. I just have not been a fan of any type of fuel additives in any form. Looks like I need to give it a try.

Pre-ignition engine lube would be nice feature for vehicles that sit in storage for long periods. Sounds like a needed addon /invention
 
Yup, fuel stabilizer isn't the same as sea foam. Sta-bil keeps the moisture content down. Put it in, top off the tank, run a few minutes to get through the entire fuel system and the likelihood of varnish build up drops greatly
 
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JerryD said:
Yup, fuel stabilizer isn't the same as sea foam. Sta-bil keeps the moisture content down. Put it in, top off the tank, run a few minutes to get through the entire fuel system and the likelihood of varnish build up drops greatly
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That sounds good to me. There could of been some condensation in the tank due to the heat and humidity in my garage over the summer. I'm located about 30 minutes west of Tampa in Largo Fl. So yeah, it's gets really hot here in the summer that's why I head to the Northeast then.
 
Sta-bil is commonly used to winterize boats. When I used to have a tournament ski boat with a GM V-8 block, biggest things I did were to change the oil shortly before. Remove the battery. Drain the coolant (water) and fill with antifreeze (probably not needed for a car). Ran marine sta-bil all the time but a little stronger concentration for winterizing. Made sure the gas tank was full to prevent condensation inside. Only other thing some folks did was fog the cylinders. I did not. For ten years it would sit for 5-6 months and then start and run perfect.
 
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Craig T said:
Sta-bil is commonly used to winterize boats. When I used to have a tournament ski boat with a GM V-8 block, biggest things I did were to change the oil shortly before. Remove the battery. Drain the coolant (water) and fill with antifreeze (probably not needed for a car). Ran marine sta-bil all the time but a little stronger concentration for winterizing. Made sure the gas tank was full to prevent condensation inside. Only other thing some folks did was fog the cylinders. I did not. For ten years it would sit for 5-6 months and then start and run perfect.
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Yeah, fuel stabilizer was the only thing I did not do. It is now going to be one of those key items to be done prior to putting my JK in storage. Even during good time (pre-Covid), the Jeep would still sit for close to 7 months. I have also been looking at Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment, it can keep fuel fresh for up to 2 year and keeps the water from separating from the enthenol in the fuel, along with cleaning the engine during operation . Have you ever used this? Still leaning toward Sta-bil what seems to be more widely ued.
 
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Yes I have used StarTron as well. Usually would buy which ever one is cheaper/on sale. A Few of the pro bass fisherman are sponsored by StarTron and talk up the product. Although they’re getting paid to do that, they will not use something that doesn’t work.
 
Craig T said:
Yes I have used StarTron as well. Usually would buy which ever one is cheaper/on sale. A Few of the pro bass fisherman are sponsored by StarTron and talk up the product. Although they’re getting paid to do that, they will not use something that doesn’t work.
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Thank you for the feedback, I will have to look at it a little closer. Just trying to get the best product for the job. If StarTron does a better job of keeping gas fresh over the long haul I may give it a try.
 
I've used plenty of Sta-bill over the years. I owned a motorcycle shop in wyoming and we also did snowmobiles so we were either storing bikes or sleds. The Sta-bil also claims to work for 24 months as does the Star tron. Main thing is to just follow the instructions, add it and run it before storage. If you just add it to the tank, you will have some fuel in the system that will prob go bad and possibly cause hard starting. I had race bikes and if they sat for more than two months they would not start. I would have to drain the fuel tank and add fresh fuel. That is a small amount of fuel in a plastic tank, but it gives you some idea of how fast fuel starts to deteriorate. Sta-bil claims to keep fuel "fresh". Not sure specifically what that means but I have always had good success with it.
 
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dcooper45 said:
I've used plenty of Sta-bill over the years. I owned a motorcycle shop in wyoming and we also did snowmobiles so we were either storing bikes or sleds. The Sta-bil also claims to work for 24 months as does the Star tron. Main thing is to just follow the instructions, add it and run it before storage. If you just add it to the tank, you will have some fuel in the system that will prob go bad and possibly cause hard starting. I had race bikes and if they sat for more than two months they would not start. I would have to drain the fuel tank and add fresh fuel. That is a small amount of fuel in a plastic tank, but it gives you some idea of how fast fuel starts to deteriorate. Sta-bil claims to keep fuel "fresh". Not sure specifically what that means but I have always had good success with it.
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This is good to know. I have not stored any type of vehicle for this length of time so this is all new to me. As with most things reading the instructions and in the case application amount would be critical.
 
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