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I am contemplating buying a ka that has been in a garage for 6 months. it was not prepared for storage. I am taking it to a garage to get it on the ramp but will he be able see problems due to this and will these problems be expensive(I am gettin a good deal so can afford to spend 500-700 quid)
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Unless it's been stored in a very wet garage, or you are very unlucky, then I doubt whether there will be very much wrong with it, not in 6 months, anyway. Some brand new cars sit in the manufacturers car pound for that long, or, in some cases, even longer!
A full service would be a good idea and perhaps better budget for a new battery. It might need new front discs and pads, too, but I doubt it. Other than that, just have a good look around.
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A lot of classic cars don't venture out from the end of September to April each year. Beyond regularly charging the battery, pumping up the tyres by 20% over normal pressure (to try to avoid flat spotting the tyres) and possibly a bit of fuel stabiliser in the tank, these old girls get going again in the Spring. As has been said, if the garage was dry apart from a flat battery you shouldn't experience too many problems with such a young car. If the garage is damp and the handbrake was applied, crusty brakes will be your first problem.
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It shouldn't be a major problem.
Budget for a full service, and get the brakes stripped down and given a good clean. Ka's are notorious for the rear brakes seizing up and binding so its well worth doing.
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When I returned from Oz after 6 months, my old D reg Passat that was stood on the drive all the time I was away started no problem, the only problem I had was there was strange growths on the steering wheel, gear stick and various other trim! The Ka should be fine, maybe an oil change.
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Just thought of one more thing!
The spark plugs on KA's seem to like rusting into the head, which can make them impossible to remove. I don't know how practical it will be, though, to check for this in your situation, you might just have to take a chance on this.
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In my younger, less enlightened, days I left my Granada in the garage for 6 months when I was sent abroad. When I got it out again I found the rear brakes were completely rusted up. The local brake place had a terrible job to sort it out - much banging with mallets and swearing. The petrol had also evaporated. Apart from that it was fine (?)
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The unleaded fuel in the tank might have lost some of its oooooomph, so needs to be filled up as soon as you get it started.
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RF, surely you mean va va voom ?
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Of course! how stupid of me!
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I'm pretty certain that FMC has hundreds, if not thousands of C-Max's stored and this is why you are getting the hughe discouts on what they call - gate 2003 release and gate 2004 relaease, january.
so if it's in a dry place or properly prepared - then it should be ok, but not sure re airbags as they normally need to be serviced when some cars a3 years old.
good luck.
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Btw: anyone remember good old Britsh leyland?? they had cars stored on grass for two years and sold them as new many, many years ago!!
LD
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"but not sure re airbags as they normally need to be serviced when some cars a3 years old."
Huh? you sure? how do you service an airbag?
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Airbags are good for ~15 years, only then do they need replacing. So those ealy airbagged cars are soon looking at some hefty bills.
(Glass-Tech)
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I read somewhere (could well have been my manual) that the airbags needed replacing at 6 years old. As RF said; how on earth would you service an airbag?
--
Adam
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how on earth would you service an airbag?
No idea, but I would suggest very, very carefully!
number_cruncher
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Check tyres and brakes are OK, change oil and filter , fill with fresh fuel then take it for a very long drive - preferably til the fuel is almost gone, then refill with fresh fuel again and it should be fine. You'll have spotted any obvious faults associated with running by then!
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As mentioned above plugs can rust in. A drop of oil around the threadss where they enter the block should prevent that: no need to remove plugs.
Do that with son's 1.1 Fiesta 1993: always easy to remove.
madf
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