sorry for the noob question, but...

for those of you who store your S's over the winter or for any long periods of time, isn't it bad for the car to just sit there? i heard something like, the car has to run once in a while (maybe at least once a week?) for it to stay in good condition or to keep the car running well. is this true?

thanks.

 

It's actually really hard on the engine to start it up if its been sitting for a while. Better to let it sit for as long as need be and start it up once in the spring. As long as it's put away properly (ie. wheel presure up, carpet under wheels, clean oil, full gas tank with fuel stabilizer, conditioned seals, battery removed, clean inside and out, etc. etc.) it'll be fine sitting for the winter. Hope this helps.

 

Yeah, what he said!

There is a whole winterization procedure I go through when I put it away.

If you just start the car and don't get it up to operating temp then there will be condensation in the exhaust that never gets out. You exhaust will rust through prematurly. Also as a car sits all the oil runs down to the pan. When you start it you have metal against metal and it's ugly. I only want to do that once a year if I can.

 

Last year mine sat for between 2 and three months in its storage space, all I did was get the oil changed shortly before storage, fill the gas tank, and I removed the battery so I could trickle charge it every few weeks. When spring came, I put the battery back in, hit the start button and it started and ran just like it had never been stored. Don't even need fuel stabilizer for short-term storage like mine.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ruexp67
Yeah, what he said!

 

 

hey thanks a lot guys. all the posts were really helpful.

sorry i didn't search it. it completely slipped my mind. O_o just didn't think there'd be a topic about this.

thanks again.

edit: i never would've thought about "critters" getting in there and chewing away wire harnesses. crazy critters...

and what would be the purpose of putting carpet under your wheels?

 

carpet or plywood are intended to help reduce deformity of the tires, or flat spotting - this is much less of a concern on cars today than in the past, and the tires almost always return to their original shape, but you will get a thumping sound and feel for a while. If your car is to be stored for a very long time, it is even better to raise the car and leave it supported on 4 jack stands - this will not only protect the tirtes, but extend the life of the springs.

I would block off the intake and exhaust with steel wool or even better, broken pottery wrapped in thick fabric or burlap - rodents hate chewing through ceramic material for some reason - they would rather chew through steel wire.

Wiring looms can be protected with an anti-chew product - such as used for deer - some people use mothballs in a performated bag, some people use Cayenne pepper sprayed liberally.

I would leave the top and windows closed, close the recirc button (another place for animals to invade), and get some large dessicant bags from Eastwood or any other car specialty supplier.

Again, this has been asked and answered many times - do some homework

 

 

I actually used styrofoam squares under the tires.