jcjr

I bought a 2001 RX 300...I will leaving untouched for 3 months at a time for a toatl of one year until I get it to my primary residence.

Will any problems arise by having the car sit idle for 3 months aT A TIME????

TunedRX300

Battery, RX draws power even when its engine and radio are off. Tires, you don't want the same portion to be crushed by the weight of the car to get flat spots. Have a friend to drive it every now than then until you get back.

bizzy928

I would get an oil change, make sure the tank is full and put in a can of gas stabalizer to be safe. As for the tires, inflating htem to the recommended psi is adequate. Flat spots are rare these days. (A thing of the past)

Make sure you drive it for a while before you park it -- to get the engine fluids and exhaust system warmed up.

I would leave the battery in but plan a contingency just in case the alarm drains the battery while you are gone.

TunedRX300

From Tire Rack, long term inactitivity harm tires. Flat spots depend on what kind of tires you have but good practice such as weekly driving helps oil dispersion regardless of tire brand.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=37

Since heat and exposure to the elements are the primary factors that influence a tire's aging process, drivers can prolong their tire's life by minimizing their impact. Here are some tips for storing tires that will not be used continuously.

• Don't store a vehicle with weight on its tires for extended periods of time. Long-term inactivity is more harmful to tires than short weekly drives that flex the tires and help maintain oil dispersion within the rubber compounds.

jcjr

Thanks for the info...will I be able to simply jump start my car if the battery is dead??

Will the alternator then charge the battery back to normal during driving??

Thanks again!

RhoXS

Automotive lead acid batteries are not designed to be significantly discharged. They are only designed to provide a large amount of starting current for a very brief period of time and then be immediately recharged to 100% capacity. An automotive type lead acid battery that has been deeply discharged, even once say by leaving the lights on, will be permanently damaged and fail prematurely. This is due to softening and and deformation of the plates when deeply discharged.

Also, lead acid batteries of all types cannot withstand even a slight prolonged discharge condition without permanent loss of capacity. This is due to hardening of sulfate deposits with time. The "hardened" deposits represent unrechargable material on the plates.

In other words, your battery will need to be replaced if you let become deeply discharged and then, adding insult to injury, let it sit for any length of time.

You will probably be able to jumo start the vehicle and the battery might hold some charge but it will certainly not be reliable or have the storage capacity it had prior to the abuse of a long deep discharge.

TunedRX300

Speaking from experience, I left my RX in upper state NY for the summer, after I went back to school the first thing I had to do is to replace the battery. Had I known better I would ask the friend to drive my car every two weeks or just disconnect the battery terminal and park the car in a covered garage to avoid summer heat.

jfelbab

You can also buy an inexpensive trickle charger and plug it in to one of RX's 12v outlets. You only need something that puts out 100-200 ma. If you don't have anyone to take it for regular drives put it up on jackstands. I do this with a garage queen every winter. I also fill the tires with nitrogen. The earlier post suggesting the adding of a gas stabilizer is also a good one.

jcjr

If I just disconnect the battery will it then be Okay....My first dormant period is only 8 weeks....I hope the car is OK....After that I will follow all your suggestions...Thanks again

jfelbab

There are an amazing number of things that would need to be reset if you disconnect the battery. Things like door lock action, Power window activity, sun roof, auto garage opener codes, ECU, etc. Not sure if the radio has a theft deterrent but that may also be an issue. The list is long. I don't think I'd disconnect my battery if it were me. A simple 12 dc brick with a cigarette lighter plug that you can buy an an electronics or surplus place will save you lots of grief later.

Grumpa72

A good way to shorten the life of your alternator and battery is to jump start your dead battery and then drive the car until the battery is charged. Auto alternators are not designed to bring dead batteries back up to full charge. You need to use a battery charger for at least six hours. If your car is parked indoors, there are some good micro-chargers with smart circuitry in them. These only charge the battery when it needs it. They run about $60 IIRC. We use these in classic car hobby. Most of us with classic cars store them for the winter and never take them out of storage for up to four months. The general rule of thumb on the concept of weekly driving a stored car is that if you can't get it up to proper operating temps while driving it, then leave it alone. As suggested, fill your gas tank, change the oil and then just store your car. Check with Lexus on disconnecting the battery if you are going to use an outdoor storage without electricity available.

Will the alternator then charge the battery back to normal during driving??

mckellyb

We just took my wife's 2002 AWD out of storage it had been in for a year about a month ago. It started on the first turn of the key, no problems. Here's what I did:

Spend the $25 on a Battery Tender. It's a trickle charger. Make sure you top of the distilled water in the battery, then drive it around a few minutes, to mix it into the electrolyte.

If you're due for an oil change, change it and be done with it. If it has like a thousand miles on it, don't worry about it.

Put the tires at 40 PSI immediately before you park it. Surprisingly, our's lost all of about 5 PSI over the course of nearly a year.

I hope you're storing inside. Regardless, make sure all the windows are shut tightly. The interior of ours was still dust-free after the time in my mother's garage.

I'd put not only fresh gasoline in, but to be sure, throw in a bottle of Sta-Bil. It allows gasoline to last about a year, and after 10 months, the RX coughed a few times in the first couple of miles. Might have been the fuel in the lines deteriorated slightly faster than that in the tank.

Don't worry about tires flatspotting. This is not at all common with radials, and it ain't gonna happen after 3 months unless you store them flat. I know Tire Rack says they will, but we had two cars in storage, one outside one inside, both there for identical periods, neither so much as unlocked for almost a year, the tires were just fine. If excess weight is a claim, then why is it 25K-45K pound diesel pusher motorhomes can sit on the tires for six months at a shot with no problems? Now, if you let it sit for a few years, yeah, the tires are going to 'dry rot', but that's a different story.

Bias-ply tires flatspot after only a month, sometimes, and that made for an unpleasant feeling for the first several miles, but it usually wasn't permanent. Fortunately, those aren't around much anymore.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

I've been updating the FAQ links for winter storage which should equally apply to your situation, here are a few you can find using search. I pretty much used 'storage' or 'winter storage' to gather these, some very detailed.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=60527
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=60855
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...winter+storage
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...winter+storage
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...winter+storage
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...winter+storage
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...winter+storage
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...winter+storage
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...winter+storage
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...winter+storage
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...hlight=storage

jcjr

Thanks Dave, McKelly and everyone else......

What a great forum!!!!

I will be back at my second home in 8 weeks to let my baby RX out.....I hope she is ok!!

My next hiatus is 3months and I will use a tricle charger and gas stabilizer!!!!

Thanks again!

jcg

I believe the owners manual says to turn off the automatic headlights if the vehicle is not to be use for a week.