Technical Ducato laid up due to virus

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Technical Ducato laid up due to virus

Gorlech Stone

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Hi

Firstly apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.


I have a TAG axle motorhome (Autotrail Comanche) based on a 2017 Ducato. Given the current situation it is likely that it will not be in use for some time.

I read various things regarding what is best for the vehicle whilst it is not being used: start it regularly; don't start it regularly; switch the ignition on to prime the oil pump; move it back and fore to keep the tyres from flat spotting...etc etc.

Can anyone out there give me - or us as I guess many vans may be laid up for some time - a definitive list of things we can do to ensure that we minimise any future impact of not using them for a decent while?

Thanks

GS
 
Hi. The things I would (am in fact) doing-
Drain all water tanks.
Ensure toilet and grey water tanks are empty.
make sure anti freeze is still in good order.
if engine oil is due or overdue a change, do it.
disconect and remove any batteries that you can,and use a battery maintainer on them
(be sure the hab, battery leads can't short to earth/each other).
leave handbrake OFF if you can, secure in gear or use scotches under the wheels.
If the start battery is left on, you can start it periodically, let the temp get to normal, and I would move the thing now and then to keep the clutch happy and avoid tyre flat spots- chalk a mark on the tyres and see each time a different one is the contact patch.
A lot depends on where you keep it, of course. If you can, now and then when the weather is fine, open a couple of windows/vents to allow air flow.

That should be enough for now......however long 'now' will be is anyones guess. Cheers.
 
Thanks

Lots to go at there :)


In terms of the engine I have read that starting it and not driving it can do harm. Can anyone else throw some light on this?

Thanks

GS
 
Agree with everything Ocwobio says apart from starting it occasionally and letting it run up to temperature.

Idling an engine without load from cold is one of the worst things you can do to it. It really needs to be driven between 30-50 miles so that it gets thoroughly warmed up and evaporates contaminants in the oil etc. Obviously we can't do that, so it is far better not to start it at all.

A few years ago the police in the UK suffered a number of serious engine failures on a German make of diesel cars that they use. The manufacturer after investigation stated that the modern low-viscocity oil was unable to protect the engine during prolonged or repeated periods of idling and recommended a change to thicker, traditional oil for the vehicles.

I had a classic car for many years that would sit for months on end without being started, and didn't suffer any problems as a result. A friend used to start his once a month and idle it for 20 minutes when not being driven for long periods. It wrecked the engine and had to be rebuilt, admittedly over several years of doing that, but less than 4000 miles since a previous professional rebuild. Bearing shells, rings etc were all worn out.

The only other recommendation I would add is to depress the brake pedal a few times every so often, to prevent the pistons and pads seizing or sticking.
 
Thanks

Lots to go at there :)


In terms of the engine I have read that starting it and not driving it can do harm. Can anyone else throw some light on this?

Thanks

GS

If you are not going to DRIVE why bother running the engine

Load on tyres is indeed a point of note.. but 8/10 weeks shouldnt be so bad..

You could always jack a corner and

'spin that wheel' ;)
 
Actually, RS3100 and varescrazy make some valid points. Forget starting it then, and yes, work the brakes (I do that myself but forgot to mention it), also, you could work the handbrake as well for the same reason, but leave it off if you can, especially if it's stored outside. (Mine is happily indoors, but I leave it off because it is secure). As for the inside, air circulation while it's dry and warm outside will help, if you have access to the vehicle easily, like on your driveway etc.

Then the usual stuff like leaving fridge/freezer doors ajar, and caps off the fresh water tank if it has an internal cap- cover the hole with thin cloth or kitchen roll. Also, I have seen something else that makes sense, but may not be for the delicate amongst us! That is, leave the toilet cassette blade open, having as best you can emptied/cleaned it out first. This is to let the lip seal relax, and will help avoid that getting a 'flat spot' like the tyres might, if you see what I mean. Treat it with blade lubricant or silicone spray. You could fill a carrier bag with rags and place above the open blade, to provide a block to odour (nearly said 'ordure odour!) and put some fluid or disinfectant mix in first. Do NOT use bleach! Another top tip is keep the fuel tank as full as you can,a bit late if it isn't though, to minimise air space above the fuel and avoid some of the water vapour condensing out into the fuel, modern ethanol added fuels are terrible in this respect and will attract water if it can. Diesel is getting more sensible price now, if you can get out to get any. I certainly am staying in, by the time we can get out again, you can bet it's gone back up!! Cheers'n'beers.
 
Actually, RS3100 and varescrazy make some valid points. Forget starting it then, and yes, work the brakes (I do that myself but forgot to mention it), also, you could work the handbrake as well for the same reason, but leave it off if you can, especially if it's stored outside. (Mine is happily indoors, but I leave it off because it is secure). As for the inside, air circulation while it's dry and warm outside will help, if you have access to the vehicle easily, like on your driveway etc.

Then the usual stuff like leaving fridge/freezer doors ajar, and caps off the fresh water tank if it has an internal cap- cover the hole with thin cloth or kitchen roll. Also, I have seen something else that makes sense, but may not be for the delicate amongst us! That is, leave the toilet cassette blade open, having as best you can emptied/cleaned it out first. This is to let the lip seal relax, and will help avoid that getting a 'flat spot' like the tyres might, if you see what I mean. Treat it with blade lubricant or silicone spray. You could fill a carrier bag with rags and place above the open blade, to provide a block to odour (nearly said 'ordure odour!) and put some fluid or disinfectant mix in first. Do NOT use bleach! Another top tip is keep the fuel tank as full as you can,a bit late if it isn't though, to minimise air space above the fuel and avoid some of the water vapour condensing out into the fuel, modern ethanol added fuels are terrible in this respect and will attract water if it can. Diesel is getting more sensible price now, if you can get out to get any. I certainly am staying in, by the time we can get out again, you can bet it's gone back up!! Cheers'n'beers.



Agree with most, however I have taken my cassette out cleaned it up as much as possible, then silicon spray, then left blade open, however it I have not put it back in motorhome ( no point ). It is sitting on a shelf at the back of my garage , any smell dissipated very quickly.
 
I wouldn't worry too much I have often left the van for 6-10 months, having done some of the things already mentioned, the van has not self destructed and lasted 20 years and 180,000 miles. Also although yours may be a large van like mine, it can still be used to go do the shopping and get a good workout if your food shops are a few miles away, I treat mine like a car not some delicate glass ornament,that I love very much, in a nutshell again don't worry too much.:D
 
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When we had our X244 2.8JTD & it was laid up for a period, a month or 2, initially every couple of weeks I would start it up & let it run till the temperature came up to normal operating temp. After doing this a couple of times I stopped this practice as I realised that when I finally took it for a drive & when under load up slight hills it expelled lots of white smoke which I assume is incomplete combustion/unburnt fuel from letting it idle for the 10-15 mins. After about 5-10 ks the white smoke eventually disappeared.
So this unburnt fuel I assume would be washing the oil off the cylinder, rings etc, so as a result I would not recommend this practice. Instead I used a 10 watt solar charger which seemed to work just as well to keep the battery charged.
As for flatspotting the tyres, agree with the already stated RE:- jack it up & rotate by hand or if practical set all wheels off the ground or just take it for a drive occasionally, somewhere to get it up to 100kph or so for a 10-15 Ks & also for the reason stated below.
"Gorlech Stone" our current Ducato is a 2017 X295 3.0 Multijet Euro 5+, & prolonged idling would definitely be a BIG NO NO with the DPF it has fitted as this would eventually clog the DPF up with its associated problems, as in normal operation it needs to get really hot to burn off the particulates - idling for long periods Not really recommended!
Cheers
 
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