storing car in the winter?
Heh. I bought my Z28 in March of 2003, right after one of the wildest winters in Tennessee history(30" of snow for the year, including a blizzard that dropped 15" to 20" of snow in some areas within a matter of 4 hours). I was worried about getting stuck somewhere in the winter with my summer tires, but it hasn't snowed around where I live for 2 YEARS 
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 78
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From: The City of Trees
I just bought a 94 Toyota Tercel to get me through the winter. My Trans Am is still awaiting the swap in the garage (waiting for a fabricated y-pipe from the local exhaust guru), and my corvette will go to the storage shed. I plan to start it up every couple of weeks and move it around. If the streets aren't wet or covered in snow, I think I'll go look at Christmas lights with it in December.
TECH Resident
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 784
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When you start your car during the winter months, you are creating moisture!!! I don't see why people see the need to start your car every once and awhile. It's terrible for your car - as each time you start it, you create more moisture.
Park it on Cardboard...
Put it on blocks. If you don't put it on blocks, inflate to 40psi to avoid tire damage
Fill tank completely use fuel stab
Change your fluids
Park it on Cardboard...
Put it on blocks. If you don't put it on blocks, inflate to 40psi to avoid tire damage
Fill tank completely use fuel stab
Change your fluids
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: The City of Trees
Originally Posted by Ghostintheshell
When you start your car during the winter months, you are creating moisture!!! I don't see why people see the need to start your car every once and awhile. It's terrible for your car - as each time you start it, you create more moisture.
Park it on Cardboard...
Put it on blocks. If you don't put it on blocks, inflate to 40psi to avoid tire damage
Fill tank completely use fuel stab
Change your fluids
Park it on Cardboard...
Put it on blocks. If you don't put it on blocks, inflate to 40psi to avoid tire damage
Fill tank completely use fuel stab
Change your fluids
. Other posts and members from other boards (corvetteforums) have told me it is good to start it up and let it run for a while to keep everything moving. Its good if you let it run for like 30 mins or so so you can burn off most of the moisture, but if your like most people and just start it, let it sit for like a minute, then turn it off its not helping out at all so just make sure if you do start it to let it run for a while and give it a few revs once it warms up. Thats what I do at least.
i think you should start it for sure
but your exactly right, you have to let it run for at least 30 minutes, even longer if its really cold
i usually wait until its "warm" that month, and start it up until the fans kick on to cool the engine, then i rev it a little bit to blow the extra water out of the tail pipes
but my WS6 has a stainless exhaust so it doesn't matter so much
but your exactly right, you have to let it run for at least 30 minutes, even longer if its really cold
i usually wait until its "warm" that month, and start it up until the fans kick on to cool the engine, then i rev it a little bit to blow the extra water out of the tail pipes
but my WS6 has a stainless exhaust so it doesn't matter so much
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 1
From: Just This Side of Damnation
One of the by-products of combustion is water vapor.
Cold pipes/engine/parts will cause the moisture to collect inside those parts like water on the outside of a glass of cold water (remember the water pouring out of the exhausts of cars in front of you at the lights on cool days?) You have to run your car not only long enough to warm up, but to get hot enough long enough to evaporate all that moisture out of your systems. If you don't, it accumulates and causes acids and rust. That's a damn lot of idling over a winter!
It's my opinion that a single startup at the end of a few months' storage is better.
$.02.
Cold pipes/engine/parts will cause the moisture to collect inside those parts like water on the outside of a glass of cold water (remember the water pouring out of the exhausts of cars in front of you at the lights on cool days?) You have to run your car not only long enough to warm up, but to get hot enough long enough to evaporate all that moisture out of your systems. If you don't, it accumulates and causes acids and rust. That's a damn lot of idling over a winter!
It's my opinion that a single startup at the end of a few months' storage is better.
$.02.
TECH Resident
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 784
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What is wrong with moisture? Do I really need to tell you what moistrure does to a car that just sitting there for a few months?
I can see I won't be changing anyones minds, but running your car, no matter how long, will create heat, and once the cooling proccess beings, you create moisture.
Moisture = rust
Starting your vehicle creatres moisture
I can see I won't be changing anyones minds, but running your car, no matter how long, will create heat, and once the cooling proccess beings, you create moisture.
Moisture = rust
Starting your vehicle creatres moisture
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From: Hometown:Mount Carmel, IL Current: Las Vegas, NV
mine gets stored for 6 months, since insurance is easier to just pay the basic fire and what not. mine gets put up 2 weeks from tomarrow. i wonder if itll roll 14k?
Mines been stored for about two years while I live overseas. Here's what I've been doing with no harm.
1) Change the oil. Water bad
.
2) Disconnect the battery. The security system slow drains it.
3) Fill the tank and add some gas drier to absorb water from winter temperature swings.
4) Jack it up to get it off the tires. I'd be leary of leaving it set for even 3 months on expensive tires. Wrap the tires up in some big hefty bags to minimize oxidation. The bags may be overkill for a single season, but mine is in year around for now.
5) A friend starts it up about every 6 weeks, warms it up to operating temp, and revs her up a bit just to remind her who she is.
6) Maybe, maybe not, but I put about 10 lbs of a water absorbent in a bucket in the back seat to keep the humidity down. Of course, it's low in winter ayway, but again, mine is in year around for now.
7) Cover it with a drop cloth to keep the dust off your paint.
8) Tell her you'll miss her
That's it. No worries.
BobP
1) Change the oil. Water bad
.2) Disconnect the battery. The security system slow drains it.
3) Fill the tank and add some gas drier to absorb water from winter temperature swings.
4) Jack it up to get it off the tires. I'd be leary of leaving it set for even 3 months on expensive tires. Wrap the tires up in some big hefty bags to minimize oxidation. The bags may be overkill for a single season, but mine is in year around for now.
5) A friend starts it up about every 6 weeks, warms it up to operating temp, and revs her up a bit just to remind her who she is.
6) Maybe, maybe not, but I put about 10 lbs of a water absorbent in a bucket in the back seat to keep the humidity down. Of course, it's low in winter ayway, but again, mine is in year around for now.
7) Cover it with a drop cloth to keep the dust off your paint.
8) Tell her you'll miss her
That's it. No worries.
BobP