matt13b

I have just broken my right ankle and will be having an operation tomorrow invovling srews and legbones that will have me couch-bound for the next 3/4 months and obviously not able to drive.So my question is, should I diconnect my battery leads on my car until I next drive?

Revolver

Don't know the answer Matt but commiserations. Really sorry to hear that.

MACCAA

Sorry to hear about that Matt.I'm sure your better half will look after you well.
Regarding the car,I'd probably tend to get a battery charger with a trickle charge to keep it A1.
Surely you can arrange for someone to give it a bit of a blat every so often.
Cheers
Len

Revolver

Hehe, I'll help you out Matt...all care, no responsibility.

retro

Matt

Dropped in the other day and got the story from your brother in law (?). Maybe Scrabble is the go for awhile instead of martial arts?

Anyway, sorry to hear about it and hope you are back on your feet in quick time.

If you like we could take the car of your hands for a time - be quite cool having two RX8s One for J and one for me!!

Cheers

Alan

labrat

I hope the operation goes well, and you're back in your car earlier than expected.

Revolver

Just be on the watch for DVT in your calf afterwards - I got caught with that after ankle surgery in '04 (snowboarding acco) and although the self-administered injections weren't fun, neither is dying.

BTW, hope Kim Slater did it - he's the ace ankle guy on the north side...

Hope it goes okay.

matt13b

Thx guys,had the op last night.Just got home. The ankle is just broken,nothing can be done to that but I had to get screws to join my 2 lower leg bones together. The guy that did it is called Dr. Wines(yes Wines).. Thanks for the offers to drive it for me, I think I'll just disconnect the battery as there is no powerpoint in range for a trickle charger.

RXP33D

Sorry to hear Matt.

You'll be on 2 legs and 4 wheels sooner than u can say Obama Osama. or not

erx8s

Matt , sorry to hear your dilema but on the positive side its time to get creative and come up with more quality indoor time with the wife


Cheers
Michael

matt13b

Thx again,it is my right leg 2 so I can't even drive an auto!

enforcer

You would have a better time of it laid up in a hospital...!

Ottog

Hi Matt,

Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope the operation went well and you heal without any complications.

Take note of Dave's comments re DVT. That's nasty - Taka is probably more qualified that any of us to give you advice on how to minimse that risk.

At the end of this you may enjoy being Chauffeur driven and give up the 8 (I think NOT)

Cheers.... Otto

matt13b

Now I need some more advice as I appreciated the last advice and then proceeded not to heed it and now I am in the situation where I have an RX8 that hasnt been started since November. I am going to get the screws out of my leg on Wednesday and I'm sure when I try to start the car that it will be flat.
Should I just jump start it from my other car and should I try to pour in some oil before I do start it to try to coat the engine a bit before it turns over??

mdr

Just start it like normal first if the battery seems the least bit weak if you have a battery charger give it a charge, if not hook your other car up so you get a good spin and don't end up flooding it with a weak battery.
I just got back from the states and mine sat for almost 2 months and she started right up just like always.

matt13b

A friend has told me that after that length of time all the oil will be gone from the moving parts and that I should put some oil in the top before I try to turn it over. Does that sound right? He actually said I should remove the spark plugs and then turn the car over so that the car pumps oil around the engine before I try it with the spark plugs. That all sounds sensible but a bit too much like hard work to me and something beyond my abilities(yes, I can't even change a spark plug).

thisllub

My guess is that a new car spends longer than that with the engine off before it is delivered.

matt13b

True. I was also thinking of people who have race cars and only start them a few times a year for events.

mdr

The 8 pumps enough fuel and oil into the engine when you crank it that it will not be dry for long if it even is to begin with. Which I doubt.

I think your friend is thinking more of a piston engine and they way it works than a rotary.

2SeeKU

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I've always ran some oil/luberication over the roller rockers if the car hadn't been started for a while. That was in a commodore however, couldn't hurt to do similar to the 8..

Unlucky about the injury too!

matt13b

I might just tip a bit in to be on the safe side.The RX8 tends to be on the lower side of full usually anyway..Thx

matt13b

I just tried to start the car and it was completely flat. I attached on of those batterty booster pack things and then it went crazy! Alarm went off(understandable) but after that was dealt with all the locks started switching open and closed and the lights(interior flicking on and off) and all the dials were going crazy (flicking left and right over and over). It seemed to be objecting to its lack of attention for so long so I thought I would give it overnight to calm down and try tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will try your everyday jumpstart with booster cables. If this fails, should I just roll start it? It is at the top of a long steep driveway?

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

You might just find yourself at the bottom of a long steep driveway.....

Charge the battery fully, no trickle, do the job right.

Starting a car with a dead battery (boosting) will damage your alternator AND battery, the system will try to recharge the whole thing in three minutes.....

When you try to start, turn the ignition on for about ten seconds before you crank, this will let the fuel pump charge up the rail.

S

matt13b

I don't have a battery charger though. I have one of those battery pack things that is supposed to give the car a jolt of something and also booster cables, but no straight battery charger as such..

takahashi

Time to invest in one...