Winterizing/Storing Your Car
05-26-2015, 11:19 AM
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Winterizing/Storing Your Car I know winter is a LONG way away but I'm curious to know what process you guys go through when storing your car for the winter or just in general.
Thoughts and recommendations?
Thoughts and recommendations?
05-26-2015, 11:33 AM
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There are lots of threads on this top. You can search the general maintenance forum under "winterize," "storage," etc. Look back to October-December as the search function is not the best. Being in North Carolina you should have it far easier than most of the northerners. Even though I'm in New England we get a week or two every month where the roads are dry and clear of most sand/salt. I try to drive it once every 3-4 weeks. This year I was only shutdown from Feb to mid-March. Other than ensure more air in the tires, float the battery, and fresh engine oil in November, I don't do much different than my normal routine. If you're just going to be away or ignoring the car for a few months, then just let it sit with a cover after a proper cleaning. Frequent cold starts when the car doesn't get driven to normal operating fluid temps will cause problems (10-15 miles).
In North Carolina, you can take it out any time you want during "storage." That's a problem I wish I had.
In North Carolina, you can take it out any time you want during "storage." That's a problem I wish I had.
Last edited by Firebrian; 05-26-2015 at 08:19 PM.
05-26-2015, 01:11 PM
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Here is a great thread on this topic:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-l...minnesota.html
Here is my storage process from the above link (car is only driven a few times per month even in the summer, so it's always in a semi-storage mode):
- No need to start the car regularly just to let it run. If you're not going to drive it, then just leave it dormant for the winter. Mine will often go for 6 months without being started or driven; and I've found that many of the common rumors associated with this practice are just that....rumors. My daily driven '02 Camaro developed leaks and seeps that the '98 never has even though the '98 is older and sits for half the year without being run. Mileage/usage caused more issues with my '02 than sitting ever has with my '98.
- You could do a full-time battery tender, but instead I just hook up a smart charger every 4-6 weeks and let it trickle charge at 2 amps until it's complete (better than having wires running all over the garage all winter IMO)....this has served me well because my batteries always last many years without issues.
- Full tank of gas plus Stabil. Keeping the tank full helps to block out moisture as there is less air trapped in the tank.
- Plastic/rubber under the car to block moisture from the ground as the temps change.
- Moisture dry/Damp Rid tubs in the interior of the car, especially if the area isn't climate controlled.
- Don't put the car on jack stands unless you are properly loading the suspension. Better yet, either store the car on junk tires or simply fill your normal tires to max recommended PSI (this is what I do every year, and I've never had any permanent flat spotting problems doing so). However, if you have the car on competition level tires, such soft compounds might be subject to more significant flat-spotting even over short term winter storage.
- Dust proof car cover (this step is obviously just a matter of preference, it won't hurt anything to leave it uncovered).
This is the stuff I've been doing to store cars each winter for the last ~16 years or so. Always works great, whether the car is new(er) or old.
Only thing I would add for someone in a super cold region without a climate/semi-climate controlled garage would be to make sure your anti-freeze is up to the task of your winter temps. If you plan to see temps of -30°F then you're right on the border of where 50/50 coolant/water ratios would be at risk of freezing. Might want to go with a 60/40 or 70/30 ratio in that case.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-l...minnesota.html
Here is my storage process from the above link (car is only driven a few times per month even in the summer, so it's always in a semi-storage mode):
- No need to start the car regularly just to let it run. If you're not going to drive it, then just leave it dormant for the winter. Mine will often go for 6 months without being started or driven; and I've found that many of the common rumors associated with this practice are just that....rumors. My daily driven '02 Camaro developed leaks and seeps that the '98 never has even though the '98 is older and sits for half the year without being run. Mileage/usage caused more issues with my '02 than sitting ever has with my '98.
- You could do a full-time battery tender, but instead I just hook up a smart charger every 4-6 weeks and let it trickle charge at 2 amps until it's complete (better than having wires running all over the garage all winter IMO)....this has served me well because my batteries always last many years without issues.
- Full tank of gas plus Stabil. Keeping the tank full helps to block out moisture as there is less air trapped in the tank.
- Plastic/rubber under the car to block moisture from the ground as the temps change.
- Moisture dry/Damp Rid tubs in the interior of the car, especially if the area isn't climate controlled.
- Don't put the car on jack stands unless you are properly loading the suspension. Better yet, either store the car on junk tires or simply fill your normal tires to max recommended PSI (this is what I do every year, and I've never had any permanent flat spotting problems doing so). However, if you have the car on competition level tires, such soft compounds might be subject to more significant flat-spotting even over short term winter storage.
- Dust proof car cover (this step is obviously just a matter of preference, it won't hurt anything to leave it uncovered).
This is the stuff I've been doing to store cars each winter for the last ~16 years or so. Always works great, whether the car is new(er) or old.
Only thing I would add for someone in a super cold region without a climate/semi-climate controlled garage would be to make sure your anti-freeze is up to the task of your winter temps. If you plan to see temps of -30°F then you're right on the border of where 50/50 coolant/water ratios would be at risk of freezing. Might want to go with a 60/40 or 70/30 ratio in that case.