sgtrgpfdps

I live in MI and in the winter I'm planning on once a month starting it, let it run until it gets to operating temp the shut it off. Or pull the battery put in fuel add. and let it sit. What best for my car ? Thanks

conan

iTrader: (5)

Add some fuel stabilizer pull the battery and let it sit.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Add stabil to a full tank of gas, running the engine for long enough to let it seep into the system, and then shut it down till spring. No need to start it at all during winter storage, better to leave it sit.

No need to pull the battery either, if you have a smart charger or tender. Or just pull it if you prefer.

Fry_

If you have premium gas without ethanol available then switch to that if you don't already use it, you'll want to run 2 or 3 tanks through it and then fill it up before parking it. Heck if you can't get premium with out ethanol I'd run to down to less than a 1/4 tank and fill it with 87 octane. What I'm getting at here is that ethanol doesn't store well at all. I never buy gas with it in it at all if it can in anyway be avoided, and for the last 5 years with my Monte Carlo and 3 years with my Trans Am I haven't even bothered with putting any fuel stabilizer in the tank and both cars start right up and run just as good as when I parked then. Also on a side note my local small engine and boat motor mechanic hate's Sta-bil and prefers using Sea Foam as a fuel stabilizer. As far as the battery goes go to Wal-Mart and buy a $15 trickle charger if you don't already own a full size smart charger, I switch mine from car to car every month during then winter.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

The less air that's in the tank, the better. There is moisture in that air, and the various heating and cooling cycles (unless you have a fully climate controlled garage) will cause condensation inside the tank. This ethanol and water combination is what leads to most of the fuel system issues that people complain about with ethanol. If you top off the tank as full as possibile, there is less air and thus less moisture. Adding a stabilzer is further protection.

I've been storing cars for the winter for about two decades now, always with E10 fuel and always with a full tank. It's good that you haven't seen any issues with your method, but I've seen no issues with my method either.

No idea what his complaint is. I've been using Stabil brand for about 20 years now, in everything from carb'ed cars to SEFI cars to snow blowers and hedge trimmers. It's been great. Every time I open the Holley on my Nova, it's super clean on the inside, even after several years. In fact, most of my power yard equipment is between 12-16 years old without ever needing a carb rebuild - so I don't see any issues with Stabil. Just my personal experience.

Fry_

I've never had any problems with it either, but I guess he see's a lot of gummed up carburetors every spring from different equipment that had Sta-Bil put in it in the fall. I will say that 2 years ago my riding lawn mower that had completely full tank of E10 with Stab-Bil in it ran like crap till I used about half the tank up and refilled with fresh gas. That was the last time I put E10 in anything but my p.o.s. Grand Prix and even then I stopped putting it in it because it gets better mileage on 87.

M4N14C

iTrader: (3)

Not to hijack the thread, but I had another question about putting these cars in storage; I wonder if I would be better to leave the T-Tops off when the car would sit for an extended period of time? Just so the gaskets don't stay crushed to long. Reason I say this is because the lady who owned the car before me always kept the T-Tops off (kept it in a garage) and gaskets are in perfect condition (14 year old car).

pferris

iTrader: (2)

I would leave the t-tops on.. The gaskets on my car seal just fine, and they havent been stored off. I would rather have too replace a gasket than have the interior open and be full of garage dust in the spring..

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

I just leave my t-tops on as well, and have no issues

LASTOFTHEBREED02T/A

iTrader: (15)

Winter... what is that?

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Like the others above, I never pull mine off for storage either. I have no issues with the seals at all. If you keep the rubber treated with a product such as 303 Aerospace, it should last an extremely long time.

I purposely keep the interior as sealed up as possibile, and then use a tub of Damp-rid in the center console cup holder to keep interior mositure build-up under control. I do this all year, not just for winter storage.

2000PewterT/A

Stabil, full take of gas, up on jackstands is the way I store mine, I do however have the jackstands in a way so the weight of the vehicle is on the suspension, its not good for the shocks or struts to leave them unsprung for a extended period of time. I pull the battery, through the cover over it and let it sit until spring.

sgtrgpfdps

Thanks guys !

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

If you're going to do jack stands, this is the correct way to do it. The suspension should be loaded and not allowed to hang for extended periods.

I don't even bother with jack stands, I just air the tires up to their max rated psi and park them on carpet. Never experienced any permanent flat spotting on regular steel belted/Z-rated street tires over short term winter storage. If you are storing the car on some sort of soft/bias ply/competition tire though, this would be a greater concern.

sick_tight

haha, this will be my first DFW winter so I am wondering what kind it is, im from chicago but ive been stationed out in Virginia Beach for the past 4 years

and as far as ethonal being "bad" it absorbes/mixes with moisture in the tank, unlike gasoline where you can see it floating on top of the gas and when you get to enough moisture it causes problems ie corrosion and watered down fuel isnt good for combustion, im pretty sure thats what the problem is with ethanol.

and stabil slows the "decay" of gas by acting as an anti oxident.

if youre worried about the tire flat spots they make those rounded platforms for each wheel (i think theyre priced too high)

i say just throw some stabil in the tank regardless what mixture of your gas and store it

bwilde86

iTrader: (5)

I'm from Chicago...drive my car maybe 1000 miles a year...I park it...and no issues...I recently purchased a cover...its garaged kept tho

2002 blue z28

iTrader: (1)

Sorry for the thread jack but I didn't want to start another thread. My oil has ~1000 miles on it. So should I change it before I store my car or change it first thing in the spring?