jcjr

Hello Everyone,

I have a 2001 RX 300 with 77K miles...we love the car....We are getting a 350 soon

We are planning on taking the car to our second home in Arizona.

We would use the car for 2 week intervals about 5 or 6 times per year...these trips are usually evenly spaced out throughout the year..

My question is this.....Should I expect any unsual wear or deterioration on the car because of its limited use???

Obviously battery and tires could be an issue....

Any specific suggestions would be helpful.....

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bob2200

Is the car stored inside or outside? If outside, a solar-cell battery trickle-charger would solve the battery charging problem. Otherwise, since freezing isn't a consideration, charging the battery right before use would probably work too. I'd change the engine oil based on time, rather than mileage. The same with brake fluid.

jcjr

It will be stored in a garage...I plan to just disconnect the battery for the 2 month intervals...

Any concerns about the engine seals and the summer heat?????

salimshah

Battery: Put a trickle charger and put it on timer ..every third day for 3hrs (there are some safety issue with charging ... no open flame near bye).

Open the windows a crack to let the inside breathe. Make sure the Garage breathes too (usually they are never air tight) ... this will keep the temp from going above 110 inside. Treating the leather with conditioner will keep it from drying out.

Oil ... I would suggest change it right before storage. (old/used oil can be corrosive).

Door seals etc, can be powdered with talc.

Leave a light coat of wax (dont buff it off). This is an optional step .. may be more troublesome if you plan to occasionally use it.

The tires along with bearings would love it, if you can leave the car lifted off the wheels.

When you start your vehicle after months of storage, try half cranks (short burst and stop before the engine catches). This will get things primed up and redistribute the settled oils. And when you drive off, just be easy for couple of miles. When you do drive, go for a long drive (30miles +).

Not using an older vehicle hastens the end of life.

Salim

code58

Good advice Salim, but I do have a different take on a couple of things. If you apply wax and don't buff it off it's going to be a true bear to even get off. Try it even for a few hours or a day, it hardens and you have a terrible time buffing it off. The other thing is the starting after it has set for a couple of months. I don't personally think there is a problem with starting it normally even after it has set for a couple of months. Use a few ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in the fuel (not too much) to keep the top end lubed up good as well as the valves and guides. It's good stuff. It can also be used in the oil. The bearings will get oil, even after it has set, quicker than it does after an oil change. The battery is a more critical issue. Even though it may start the car fine after it has set for a couple of months, if it is in good shape, that (infrequent use) is very hard on a battery. My suggestion is to leave it connected to keep all the "keep alive memory stuff" alive, but to leave a charger of some type on it. A battery loses about a year of it's life for every tenth of a volt that it's voltage level is below 12.6 volts. If a battery's average voltage is 12.2 volts it will function OK but it will die about 4 years prematurely. This is only a rule of thumb but it is fact. So you want to keep the battery at 12.6 volts if at all possible. I don't drive my truck much now because of gas prices so I got a solar charger from Harbor Freight and mounted it on the top of the dash. It even looks good there and I just keep it plugged into the cig. lighter. The truck sets outside so it gets charged whenever there is light, even on a cloudy day. A blinking LED indicates when it is charging and the speed of the bl. LED indicates it charges as well on a cloudy day as a sunny day. The charger was only $13. on sale or $20. normally and you could even mount it outside and extend the wires inside to hook it up or plug into the cig. lighter. You don't have to worry about it overcharging the battery but it should keep it fully charged. Not the same worry as a 110 trickle charger.

bob2200

I thought our cigarette lighters are not connected to the battery when the ignition switch is in the OFF position. I too like Salimshah's suggestions.

jcjr

Thanks for all the suggestions.....

I just get the feeling that maybe "its not such a good idea" to have the car sit idle for three months at a time and then be driven for 2 weeks....

I am not a big fan of rental cars and would like to have my own car when I visit Arizona....


When I first bought this car....5 years ago....it was in Arizona for 12 months again sitting idle every 3 months....At the end of that year I had to replace the rear main seal......coincidence???

My wife drives the RX 300 and loves it but we started looking at a newer model.......

salimshah

^^ may not be.

Repeated use, does cause wear, but keeps the the seals pliable.

Also at times crud forms to seal a small leak and when shaft moves after a long time, it breaks the crud, causing a leak. [seldom used faucets have this problem].

I forgot to mention AC. Winter or summer, you must run it every month [for you it would be when ever you visit]

Related, but different perspective ... what is the long term intent. You want to keep the RX or eventually sell it in x years. Figure out the current depreciated value and also the future (when you intend to sell) depreciated value. Consider you buying habits and then you can make a call to sell or keep.

I agree with you on rent as apposed to ownership, but for occasional use, rental is not bad. I for one always rent on vacation [even the ones I drive from home] as the consequence of break down are not acceptable.

Salim

jcjr

Thanks Salim.....

I agree with you on most of the points....We really like the 300 and plan to keep it forever....It has 77K and I think with proper maintenance that I should reach 200K...

I may have to rethink the rental car route....

I probably does not make sense to keep the car in AZ an only drive it 6 weeks of the year....It definitely would not be good for the car..

Maybe that IS why my rear main sealed failed???

Thanks again...

It maybe rental cars for me next year...

code58

Cigarette lighter outlets are virtually always hot. I would be surprised if it were ignition operated. My feeling about using a solar charger is that there is virtually NO chance of overcharging or of setting anything on fire. I have read just recently on 1 of the forum sites of a fire started by a trickle charger that developed a short and started a fire.

code58

I agree with you Salim about the crud forming around a water faucet. I feel that it is definitely not ideal for a car to set and only be used infrequently and that it is hard on it. Having said that, with todays oils and especially if he is using synthetic that they are 2 totally different things. Oil doesn't form deposits like water does from not being used and I have seen so many high mile engines torn down that are clean as a whistle inside. The detergent oils and especially the synthetics do a terrific job of keeping that stuff in suspension so that it can be drained out. I agree with the wisdom of renting when a car is used so little but I have also been happy to get out of the rental and back into my own vehicle whenever i have rented. I can understand why his wife would prefer the RX.

Also, for those that don't know, whenever you run your defrost in the winter, the compressor is getting exercised. The defrost has been hooked to operate the compressor for probably 25 yrs. or more.

salimshah

Not on RX. The cigarette lighter and even the jack in the trunk are switched.

Salim

thomas1

Yes that is true about the cigarette lighter, I have personally metered it out and it is dead when the ignition is off.

code58

I say it's a good day when I learn something new, so this is a good day. I didn't know that because cig. lighter outlets are virtually always hot at all times. The car is my DIL's, I'm only the mechanic so I didn't have access it to check it.
I just checked the 2 outlets in my wife's Camry and both ignition switched and in my truck all 3 outlets hot at all times. I had installed a triple outlet in my wife's Camry for a long trip and also an adjustable battery saver that can be dip switched to shut off after ign. is off anywhere from 1 hour up to 8 hrs.

lexus114

the jack in the trunk is switched?? what is that for?...........