Thursday, December 20, 2007
A Month Off
It's been exactly one month since I parked the Miata for winter. That's one month of not driving the Miata. I'm really missing it. I was feeling antsy so today I started it up to charge up the battery. It started right away but clearly all the oil had drained to the bottom of the engine because for a few seconds it ran all clicketty clacketty. I should probably start it more often. Or make sure to pull the fuel injector fuse and crank the engine a few times to allow oil pressure to build before actually starting it. It felt so good to sit in it and rev the engine. I drove around a little in my parking garage and even managed a short power slide. I almost considered going and getting a day's worth of insurance to go and rip around in it but instead I just washed the one month's worth of dust off. Only two and bit more months of winter left.
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yaaaa! a new post! And just because i visit your blog three times a day doesn't mean that i'm a stalker. geez.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand how you feel. I have a 1997 Montego Blue Miata and I put it away 10/31/07. I've missed driving it since.
ReplyDeleteMy wife thinks I'm OCD for starting in up & letting it run every few weeks.
I like to think it keeps the battery charged and get rid of the moisture from the engine & exhaust system.
Hallow's eve indeed. I'm definitely missing some Miata love. I'm thinking the next nice winter's day (and they do happen in Vancouver) I'll give myself the Christmas present of a day's insurance and drive around in the Miata. This will serve to charge the battery, get rid of moisture, be less destructive than idling, and have the added bonus of being fun. I've read that starting and idling the car is not a good idea because each start up causes damage to the engine since the oil has drained to the bottom and idling causes the engine to heat up excessively. One should just unplug the battery and keep it hooked up to one of those automatic trickle chargers, then when the time comes to drive the car again pressurize the fuel and oil systems by cranking with the fuel injector fuse pulled out. Moisture shouldn't be an issue if you keep the car in a garage. I still like starting it though because I like sitting in the car when it's running.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the "starting and idling the car is not a good idea because each start up causes damage to the engine since the oil has drained to the bottom and idling causes the engine to heat up excessively."
ReplyDeleteI'm a car novice. I love to drive them & to look at them but I'm very new at maintaining/modifying them.
Like you I enjoy sitting in the car when it's running.
Moisture may not be a problem since I do keep my Miata in the garage but I still notice after 10 to 15 minutes of running, water coming out of the tail pipe. I figure this must be in the muffler/catalytic converter. I'm sure any moisture in the engine gets burning off right away.
Winter has been mild this year and I've seen 6 or 7 Miata's on the road the past few days. I envy the drivers but I chose to go for the cheaper insurance AND to avoid the road salt. Oh well, you can't win them all.
New post please.
ReplyDeleteWord. Road salt kills cars. Especially Japanese cars from the eighties.
ReplyDelete