[LaChewy]

Hi all,

A bit of advise from some of the experts please:

I've left my car at home while traveling abroad. It's been two months and I originally planned on flying home about now, but I'm now considering taking a job that would commit me to another 5 months away from my machine.

I am getting a little bit of anxiety about my car falling apart due to hearsay:

I have heard from various shade tree mechanics and BMW enthusiasts alike that Bimmers fall apart when they're not driven... worse than other cars that is.

Is this a myth or is it true? I don't see why a Bimmer would fall apart faster than another car parked right next to it. Yes we all agree BMWs are built differently (better) and thus separate themselves from the heard of other vehicles on the road, but that's only when they're actually being driven.

i.e.

Aesthetics aside, a sitting Bimmer is pretty similar to a sitting Ford in my book. Right? No?



Before I left I changed the spark plugs and oil.

It has been left with my boss who said he would drive it every now and again..

I'm assuming it gets driven once every couple of weeks, but it is entirely possible that (due to his busy life) he has only started it up once or twice.


I'm considering taking this job over seas and in a perfect world my car would be waiting on me in the same shape it was in when I left. How can I make this a reality?

I would like to keep the Bimmer, but I don't want it falling apart and becoming a money pit when I get back, so selling it is a possibility; it's in great shape. But that's the last thing I want to do.



Any logical advise and insights are greatly appreciated!

Cheers from Thailand,

-Chewy.

[nvturbo]

sorry but comparing a BMW to a Ford is absurd.
Any car, it's all about how you take care of it. But then again, some cars are just garbage and shouldn't even be allowed to be on the road. LOL

[Efthreeoh]

There are hundreds of threads about long term storage that you can consult. Basically pour a gasoline stabilizer into the fuel tank, inflate tires to max PSI, and put the battery on a battery maintainer. Put a mothball in the cabin to keep critters away. Stuff close the intake and exhaust for good measure.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

There are hundreds of threads about long term storage that you can consult. Basically pour a gasoline stabilizer into the fuel tank, inflate tires to max PSI, and put the battery on a battery maintainer. Put a mothball in the cabin to keep critters away. Stuff close the intake and exhaust for good measure.

+1

It has more to do with how the vehicle is stored and what elements it is exposed to. Regardless, the car isn't going to fall apart over a few months time. It might just require more work to get going when you get back (dead battery and stale fuel from sitting).

[LaChewy]

Yep.

I appreciate the responses. I have researched all the points everyone has made. My main question was do BMWs sit differently than other cars. I can't be the first person to have heard this theory.

Originally Posted by nvturbo

sorry but comparing a BMW to a Ford is absurd.
Any car, it's all about how you take care of it. But then again, some cars are just garbage and shouldn't even be allowed to be on the road. LOL

I am only comparing a BMW to a Ford when they are sitting still. It's clear what my opinion is in regards to a BMW vs. all other cars on the road.




I'm not worried about the car battery, flat tires, bad fuel, or rusty spark plugs.

This random mechanic dude (who's opinion on German cars I take with a grain of salt) said that his friend let his sit for a year and when he got back to it he constantly had to replaces hoses and seals etc. He went on to say that 'all BMWs are like that' and whilst I don't listen to hearsay too much - he's not the first person I've heard say things like this.

Hence why I'm asking a community of BMW enthusiast if this is true or not.

[Brandon818]

I guess you answered your own question my saying he was a random mechanic dude, and you take his advice with a grain of salt. My car sat for 6 months while I was at Asu. Shit..... my parents didn't even bother to start my car once! and guess what? it's still a heartbreaker

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by LaChewy

Yep.

I appreciate the responses. I have researched all the points everyone has made. My main question was do BMWs sit differently than other cars. I can't be the first person to have heard this theory.





I am only comparing a BMW to a Ford when they are sitting still. It's clear what my opinion is in regards to a BMW vs. all other cars on the road.




I'm not worried about the car battery, flat tires, bad fuel, or rusty spark plugs.

This random mechanic dude (who's opinion on German cars I take with a grain of salt) said that his friend let his sit for a year and when he got back to it he constantly had to replaces hoses and seals etc. He went on to say that 'all BMWs are like that' and whilst I don't listen to hearsay too much - he's not the first person I've heard say things like this.

Hence why I'm asking a community of BMW enthusiast if this is true or not.

If the friend of a friend of a friend has to replace rubber hoses and seals, then the car must have been in an environment that was rich in ozone. Ozone is created by a lot of things, one being electric motors. Ozone deteriorates some forms of rubber.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone

[LaChewy]

Originally Posted by Brandon818

I guess you answered your own question my saying he was a random mechanic dude, and you take his advice with a grain of salt. My car sat for 6 months while I was at Asu. Shit..... my parents didn't even bother to start my car once! and guess what? it's still a heartbreaker

Awesome! Thanks... that's the answer I was looking for.

[LaChewy]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

If the friend of a friend of a friend has to replace rubber hoses and seals, then the car must have been in an environment that was rich in ozone. Ozone is created by a lot of things, one being electric motors. Ozone deteriorates some forms of rubber.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone

Interesting. Is this the same Ozone shock treatment to rid the car of cigarette, piss, dog, etc smells?

If so that's a total bummer cause I for sure ozone'd my car before I left.

P.s.

Check out the picture in the wiki link you provided: That dude looks just like Donald fucking Trump!