Hi,

I just retrieved our Westy from storage last weekend.  It was stored in an unheated barn here in Nova Scotia.  I too had just put a new battery into it this past Autumn.  I also asked the list about three weeks if there was anything that I should do before starting it, but the best advice Ireceived was from a friend here in Halifax (with suporting adivce from Frank Condelli in Almonte).

Before I left I threw into our pickup an extra battery, jumper cables and a few tools I needed for reconnecting the battery.  
*I checked and wrote down the radio code before leaving the house!

When I got there I checked under the engine for leaks.  Reconnected the battery.  Then I pulled the middle wire of the distributor cap out.  Turned the engine over for a few seconds.  In my mind this helped throw some oil around without starting the engine.  Reconnected the distributor and then started the engine.  Loud and clacky valves at first, but after about 15 minutes it smoothed out and quieted down.  Drove at a moderate speed all the way home (45 mins or so).  No problem.

Next winter I am going to pull the battery out and take it home.  Near the end of the winter someone got me worried by saying that it might have cracked if it froze.

Have fun!

Dan

DJ Landry
86 Westfalia
Bedford, Nova Scotia
Canada

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Phil Menchions 
  To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
  Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2001 12:30 PM
  Subject: Spring startup

  Hi volks:

  Can somebody provide a few spring startup tips  other than the usual fluid level checks. I tried the archives several times to no avail.

  My van has been parked all winter with the battery disconnected. It was a new one installed last spring so it should be still ok.

  Regards,

  Phil
  '89 Westy

[text/html]