Hibernation - do's and don'ts

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Joolz
Friend of Club 480 Europe
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Location: Durham

Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by Joolz » Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:41 am

Finally bitten the bullet an got myself another car, I'm now having to do 40+ miles a day to and from work so thought it was time after 6 years of everyday use that PUS had a bit of a nap :wink:

So I'm hoping to find a garage for him to hibernate at least through this winter, any tips on what to do or not?

do I start him up every week or not - do I disconnect the battery or not - should I cover him up or not?

any advice, as usual, much appreciated
J

The new car = a very sedate Renault Modus :lol:
Volvo 480 Celebration 466 Dark Grey Metallic (PUS)
previously
Volvo 480 2 ltr Paris Blue
Volvo 480 2 ltr Peacock Green
Volvo 480 1.7 White
Volvo 760 GLE Saloon 2.8 V6 Blue

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glasgowjim
480 Is my middle name
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Re: Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by glasgowjim » Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:20 pm

Having had to recommission a 480 that had more or less stood for 4 years with minimum usage I would say

disconnect battery between weekend start ups.
when the car is ticking over run the fan motor at all the speeds as electric motors can pack up in our damp climate if not usedlikewise the wipers and windscreen washers.
release and pull on the hand brake several times to stop it seizing up
likewise your brakes so the calipers wont seize.
Oh almost forgot turn radio on and off to work the electric aerial.
Move your gears up and down
and the monnroof up and down.

remove any rubber/plastic floor mats or carpets as they tend to encourage mould growth under them.
make sure the boot carpet is absolutely dry if not remove and store separately for the same reason.

seems like a lot of work but it is not really as one seized brake caliper can ruin your whole day.

dont forget your lock barrels especially your rear hatch lock

when the car is ticking over a good idea is to let it run until the radiator fan kicks in.

Purists will tell you If you are leaving it for a considerable period of time take the car out and park it the other way round in garage if its dry every month so that it is not sitting on the tyres in the same spot as it can create a flat spot in the tyre.

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spree
Can tell where the 480 was built
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Re: Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by spree » Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:49 pm

Great info as usual Jim.

Joolz
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Location: Durham

Re: Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by Joolz » Wed Oct 19, 2011 2:42 pm

spree wrote:Great info as usual Jim.

yes many thanks Jim, lots to think about there :D
Volvo 480 Celebration 466 Dark Grey Metallic (PUS)
previously
Volvo 480 2 ltr Paris Blue
Volvo 480 2 ltr Peacock Green
Volvo 480 1.7 White
Volvo 760 GLE Saloon 2.8 V6 Blue

Robou
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Re: Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by Robou » Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:18 pm

Having the engine run without load isn't the best idea. It will take a long time to warm up and acids will build up in the exhaust system and eat their way out. Instead of just have it tick over I would suggest to take it for a ride for some 6 miles and then park it the other way around, if you still feel this is appropriate. Doing so every month and a half, in addition to the already mentioned tips, will be enough to keep everything from deteriorating.
Too old to bother
480 Turbo midst '91

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Van
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Re: Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by Van » Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:22 am

Inflate tyre pressure a bit and indeed avoid keeping them in the same position for too long. Or get some wheels from the scrap yard to put on the car while you keep the good wheels off the car in horizontal position.
after over 10 years parted with the 1995 Volvo 480 ES 2.0

Joolz
Friend of Club 480 Europe
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Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:14 pm
Location: Durham

Re: Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by Joolz » Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:28 pm

:hopping:

well after 4 years snoozing in the garage he came out to see the sunlight again at the weekend, starts first time just sounds a little rough. Biggest issue before i decide what to do with him is one of the pop ups refuses to budge (both DRL are fine)
bugger me I can't for the life remember which is the manual switch that raises them.....how funny that this was what brought me to the forum back in 2004 ;)
Volvo 480 Celebration 466 Dark Grey Metallic (PUS)
previously
Volvo 480 2 ltr Paris Blue
Volvo 480 2 ltr Peacock Green
Volvo 480 1.7 White
Volvo 760 GLE Saloon 2.8 V6 Blue

cranna21
Can tell where the 480 was built
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Location: Aberdeenshire, Huntly

Re: Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by cranna21 » Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:40 am

open the bonnet and look down the corners at the front, you should see a grey wheel to spin for your pop ups! i advise raising both before trying the switch again!
'91 480 ES 2.0l 16v 'Williams' Conversion - 212bhp/230nm
'90 940 GL 2.0l Estate
'08 XC90 D5 SE Premium

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jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
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Re: Hibernation - do's and don'ts

Post by jamescarruthers » Wed Jun 15, 2016 2:43 pm

Welcome back Joolz!

I was thinking about your rough running. My first though would be that the petrol would have lost its potency over the years. Try and use that stuff up if you can't get it drained then fill to max and give it a damn good driving to the MOT station!

You must be itching to get behind the wheel?!
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

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