need help with winter storage
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,328
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From: Mid-Atlantic
[QUOTE]Originally posted by paul1948
[B]Yes. What PWRMKR suggests is right. I strongly advise against starting your car once a week, or even driving it around the block. You'll do more harm than good that way. Just don't do it. If you insist on driving your car in the winter, be sure to warm up the car thoroughly by driving it at least 20-30 minutes (vs. just running the engine in the garage for that time). The best thing is to put the battery on a 2-amp trickle charger (in or out of the car).
[B]Yes. What PWRMKR suggests is right. I strongly advise against starting your car once a week, or even driving it around the block. You'll do more harm than good that way. Just don't do it. If you insist on driving your car in the winter, be sure to warm up the car thoroughly by driving it at least 20-30 minutes (vs. just running the engine in the garage for that time). The best thing is to put the battery on a 2-amp trickle charger (in or out of the car).
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 30,078
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From: Bondville
Great to see another VT owner NYC. A lot of great ideas are suggested here. I'm storing mine this winter and one thing that I'm going to do that you may want to consider is to start the car at least once a month. If you don't start the car at all during storage it is very possible that you will have rodents building a nest in your car, chewing thru wires etc. If you start it once a month you will know it is in proper operating condition rather than getting suprised in the spring.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,184
Likes: 95
From: Granville OH
There have been some good ideas here.
I'd suggest that when you change the oil, use synthetic oil. It sticks to the surfaces better and since starting a car after a long period of time is hardest on the engine, you need all the lubrication you can get.
Jacking up the car helps prevent the springs from prematurely sagging. Flat spots on the tires was a big problem with bias ply tires, but not as much with radials, but I still think it's a good idea.
If you don't run the car for 20-30 minutes, you'll leave condensed exhaust vapors in the exhaust system, primarily in the mufflers. Since the products of combustion include sulfur and carbon, you get a corrosive mixture that will corrode your exhaust system from the inside. That's why high mileage cars tend do have longer lasting mufflers than garage queens.
I like the kitty litter idea. Never heard that before, but Paul1948 has a good point. You don't want mildew on your leather seats.
I just purchased a Battery MINDer, and I highly recommend it if you garage your car, since it prevents your battery from going dead from the buildup of sulfate crystals. They build up over time, especially if you don't have a trickle charger. Unfortunately, the Battery MINDer has to be plugged in, so if you park it ouside, it may not be convenient. You can check out Pulse Tech online, since they sell a version that has a solar cell. These things keep the battery at peak charge, and actually clean the sulfate crystals out.
I'd suggest that when you change the oil, use synthetic oil. It sticks to the surfaces better and since starting a car after a long period of time is hardest on the engine, you need all the lubrication you can get.
Jacking up the car helps prevent the springs from prematurely sagging. Flat spots on the tires was a big problem with bias ply tires, but not as much with radials, but I still think it's a good idea.
If you don't run the car for 20-30 minutes, you'll leave condensed exhaust vapors in the exhaust system, primarily in the mufflers. Since the products of combustion include sulfur and carbon, you get a corrosive mixture that will corrode your exhaust system from the inside. That's why high mileage cars tend do have longer lasting mufflers than garage queens.
I like the kitty litter idea. Never heard that before, but Paul1948 has a good point. You don't want mildew on your leather seats.
I just purchased a Battery MINDer, and I highly recommend it if you garage your car, since it prevents your battery from going dead from the buildup of sulfate crystals. They build up over time, especially if you don't have a trickle charger. Unfortunately, the Battery MINDer has to be plugged in, so if you park it ouside, it may not be convenient. You can check out Pulse Tech online, since they sell a version that has a solar cell. These things keep the battery at peak charge, and actually clean the sulfate crystals out.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Parsippany
There are probably as many rationales for storing a car a certain way as there are shapes of snowflakes.
My method is simple. I keep mine in an unheated storage facility during the two or three months I can't drive it. I remove the battery and keep it with me at home, putting it on a trickle charger once a week for an hour or two. I don't put the car on stands, because modern tire rubber does not deform. I make sure the oil has recently been changed, and that's it. When the weather starts warming up, I put the charged battery back in, start it up and drive away. Fuel stabilizer is not needed for storage of only a few months.
But I'm not nearly as anal-retentive as some of you, so do as little or as much as you want to your car!
My method is simple. I keep mine in an unheated storage facility during the two or three months I can't drive it. I remove the battery and keep it with me at home, putting it on a trickle charger once a week for an hour or two. I don't put the car on stands, because modern tire rubber does not deform. I make sure the oil has recently been changed, and that's it. When the weather starts warming up, I put the charged battery back in, start it up and drive away. Fuel stabilizer is not needed for storage of only a few months.
But I'm not nearly as anal-retentive as some of you, so do as little or as much as you want to your car!
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,660
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From: Midlothian
Flat spotting can be stopped by putting the car on plywood - cars on stands will also work of course, but this is generally done for older cars to protect the springs.
Use humectant bags to avoid too much wet air inside the car. Eastwood's has these.
Put steel wool in the exhaust pipe, and a bag of cracked pottery - varmints may chew therw some steel wool, but hate the ceramics - do the same in the air box.
I like to place moth balls under the hood to discourage varmints.
ATF works really well in the cylinders, because it has high silicone content - a few drops in each cylinder are all that is needed, then bump the car without starting it (disconnect PCM fuse, or turn over at crackshaft).
Remove the battery completely if you do not plan to drive at all.
Spray quality silicone (or Meguiar's #39) on all weatherstripping.
Apply a good coat of wax or polish.
Use humectant bags to avoid too much wet air inside the car. Eastwood's has these.
Put steel wool in the exhaust pipe, and a bag of cracked pottery - varmints may chew therw some steel wool, but hate the ceramics - do the same in the air box.
I like to place moth balls under the hood to discourage varmints.
ATF works really well in the cylinders, because it has high silicone content - a few drops in each cylinder are all that is needed, then bump the car without starting it (disconnect PCM fuse, or turn over at crackshaft).
Remove the battery completely if you do not plan to drive at all.
Spray quality silicone (or Meguiar's #39) on all weatherstripping.
Apply a good coat of wax or polish.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 37,305
Likes: 18
OhioRacer has compiled a list of winter storage procedures. This was a result of a lot of consultation with many forum members to get the overall best methodology. I suggest you take him up on his offer.
If you do not remove the battery, you are best to put on a "smart charger". Honda recommends this with their fuel injected, ECU governed motorcycles. They didn't make this recommendation for our cars because I think they never thought that many people would actually store them and not use them like motorcycles for parts of the year.
Doing a cold start on a car is one of the highest wear things you can do to an engine on a regular basis. This is particularly so when the car is started after being left for more than a few days, after which most of the oil has fallen out of the engine and off the parts that are being protected. But hey, if you feel at ease with doing a cold start once a week, it's your car and you do what you think is best.
If you do not remove the battery, you are best to put on a "smart charger". Honda recommends this with their fuel injected, ECU governed motorcycles. They didn't make this recommendation for our cars because I think they never thought that many people would actually store them and not use them like motorcycles for parts of the year.
Doing a cold start on a car is one of the highest wear things you can do to an engine on a regular basis. This is particularly so when the car is started after being left for more than a few days, after which most of the oil has fallen out of the engine and off the parts that are being protected. But hey, if you feel at ease with doing a cold start once a week, it's your car and you do what you think is best.
