Winterization??
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 73
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From: Iowa
Winterization?? Time again for the crappy part of the year where I want to park my car. Is there anything special that I should do to park it for the winter? I plan on starting it once a week or once everyother week and let it run for awhile. One good thing is that insurance will be way cheaper to park it so I can save up for more mods 
id say fuel stabilizer would be very important. somebody told me also that if you keep your tank full that helps too. something about condensation in the tank. not too sure, doesnt get that cold in georgia.
i use fuel stable + and a full tank when storing, i also shut off all power to the car so the battery doesnt drain and i do a fresh oil change, and i block off exhaust exits and the intake. but when i store my car for winter it's for good i don't fire it back up until late march early april so the exhaust and intake thing may be different for you..
Not to hi jack or anything but this year my car may have to sit outside, does anyone recommend a good brand car cover that keeps the water and elements out?
Not to hi jack or anything but this year my car may have to sit outside, does anyone recommend a good brand car cover that keeps the water and elements out?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
From: Iowa
I'm not to sure about any good car covers so i can't help you out there. I plan on parking it because i have hard enough time getting traction on drive pavement neverless snow and ice. Also I only live 5 blocks from work so i don't feel like startin my cold engine, drivin 5 blocks, and turning it off again. What brand fuel stabilizer do you recommend?
For your purposes something like Stabil will work, there are better products but they are harder to get and the quantities higher.
On the starting it you will really just be doing more harm than good if you start it that often, cold starts mean fuel dilution of the oil and condensation if the car is not driven long enough to burn all that out. An occassional start is good to move the valvesprings since many will be partially compressed and to get oil back up through the engine and coating everything to prevent rust. Covering the intake and exhaust is good especially if rodents are a possiblity they will build nests in those areas. Some mothballs under the car will help keep them away too.
On the starting it you will really just be doing more harm than good if you start it that often, cold starts mean fuel dilution of the oil and condensation if the car is not driven long enough to burn all that out. An occassional start is good to move the valvesprings since many will be partially compressed and to get oil back up through the engine and coating everything to prevent rust. Covering the intake and exhaust is good especially if rodents are a possiblity they will build nests in those areas. Some mothballs under the car will help keep them away too.
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just start it once a month.... just helps to keep everything oil covered....Full tank of gas and Stabil. Or something better if you can get it.
i wouldn't owrry to much about covering intake and exhaust... intake you have a filter and stuff on it.. why would you need to cover it? and on exhaust, well we dont have rodent problems hear, so i dunno. a mouse would sure hae to climb to get into the exhaust... it would be a bird if there was a problem... jsut cover the exhaust. lol....
i wouldn't owrry to much about covering intake and exhaust... intake you have a filter and stuff on it.. why would you need to cover it? and on exhaust, well we dont have rodent problems hear, so i dunno. a mouse would sure hae to climb to get into the exhaust... it would be a bird if there was a problem... jsut cover the exhaust. lol....
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Verdad Gallardo On the full tank of gas that is less mportant these days with the plastic tanks, it was more important with metal tanks that were more condensation and rust prone. Our tanks are sealed and plastic so there is no air circulation and plastic is less likely to get condensation. I would actually just leave it at maybe a half tank so as soon as you start running her again you can get some fresh fuel in there as opposed to having to run the old stuff out for a few hundred miles first.
Launching!
Joined: Sep 2005
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Originally Posted by 97camarolt4
Time again for the crappy part of the year where I want to park my car. Is there anything special that I should do to park it for the winter? I plan on starting it once a week or once everyother week and let it run for awhile. One good thing is that insurance will be way cheaper to park it so I can save up for more mods
I know a guy that pours a bottle of urine in his radiator to keep things from freezing up. I tried it myself once and it actually works. only thing I had to worry about last year was my fuel lines freezing. I'll try the urine trick on them this year, and see what happens.
It's neat trick, but you should see the look on my mechanics face when he drains my radiator. Don't splash yourself.
If going to that extreme I would just get a can of fogging oil and use that. That is more of a tip for when an engine will not but started atall though. Fogging oil would be much simpler than removing plugs.