Winter Storage

[Deneed4spd]

I haven’t really stored a car over winter. Is there certain things that needs to be specific for the BW?

Couple things I’m thinking
1. Oil change
2. Top off fuel with stabilizer. I always wondered if it is better to fill car up with ethanol free gas since it’s the ethanol in the gas that tends to go bad.
3. Hook up to battery tender
4. Wash car and wax

Thanks about it. I always pondered about the tires since car will just stay parked until Apri. Do these pss get flat spotted?

 

[LF4472]

The procedure I do for my Z06 is

1. Add fuel stabilizer to empty tank when filling up.
2. Drive until 1/4 tank left (specific to Z06 re: issues with fuel sending sensors).
3. Wash/detail car.
4. Inflate tires to placard pressure.
5. Plug in battery tender.
6. Cover
7. Cry until Spring.

During the Winter, I'll check tire pressures and add air back to the placard pressures to offset temperature changes. I don't over inflate the tires to counteract flat spotting, this is unnecessary.

 

[BimmerFan]

I really feel sorry for you folks who can't drive your car for half the year. I get to drive mine year-round. If it does snow, I just stay home.

There are those rubber thingies that you can park on that will presumably minimize the flat spotting. The ethanol-free gas is a great idea, it's a little hard to find and very expensive, but probably well worth it. Stabilizer on top of that is probably some cheap extra insurance.

Depending on where you live and the rodent situation, make sure that you can keep out the mice and/or squirrels.

 

[1Evil55]

Not a fan of stabilizer. I've rebuilt enough carb's to hate sta-bil. I have been known to use a can of sea foam at the start of the season but never in a car. That was strictly for 2 wheels or 2 ski's. For every vehicle I will fill the tank to max in hopes of keeping moisture out. Clean it and cover for hibernation.

@BimmerFan Those of us that don't drive the same all year round are just doing the rest of those a favor to have some low mileage options later down the road. Besides, driving in snow can be a ton of fun! I can't wait for it to start flying already.

 

[Mircrowaved_Bananas]

+1 on using rodent deterrents/traps. They will chew through wires like you would not believe. The further those little guys stay away from my cars, the better.

Putting my car away is just another reason for me to fuel my car addiction and have another vehicle. I've got a GTI and with a nice set of winter tires, that thing is a blast to drive in snowy weather. There's a decently sized parking lot intended for park-and-ride users near me that rarely gets cleared when it snows heavily. It's fun to go rip around in it after a snowfall. E-brake usage also goes up exponentially haha.

 

[rubberduck]

I've been using Star Tron for a long time and never had any issues. Very bright flashing LED strip lighting for rodents. If I was leaving my vehicle stored for many months I'd put it on jack stands.

 

[The_Ghost]

No need for stabilizer....Just 3/4 tank of fuel, then drive it right to the gas station in the spring. Gas has it's own stabilizer and water eliminator already. I learned that when someone thought they were going to be smart and pee in my gas tank on my Mustang. Oh, and they dumped 3 bottles of beer in it too. I was at 3/4 tank and drove it 2 blocks and filled it. Never had an issue.

As far as storing it...

I believe the car should have an automatic 'sleep' mode after about 2 weeks of not being disturbed. If you're storing it at home, might be a good idea just to disconnect the battery. Because it has perimeter sensing and when you get within X feet, it primes the fuel pump and turns on the lights. Not a good combo all winter long.... So either disconnect the battery, or don't walk by it with your fob. Leave it 'sleep' and don't disturb it. Don't touch it, don't use the remote, don't walk by it with the remote.

As far as rodents...bounce dryer sheets work great. Or...take a handful of whole peppercorns and throw underneath your car. Rodents love peppercorns, but peppercorns will eat up their insides. They only last about 30 minutes after eating just 1.

 

[rubberduck]

There is a procedure for putting the car into storage or “sleep” mode. I saw it somewhere on this forum.

 

[ukcats12]

There is a procedure for putting the car into storage or “sleep” mode. I saw it somewhere on this forum.

I think this is it? It's from @Tall Steve, who from what I can tell after my brief time here barely drives his so he's probably very familiar with the sleep mode.

 

[jbawden]

For a period of 4-5 months you're probably doing what you need to do. I think my biggest contribution here is DO NOT start the car and let it idle periodically to "keep the seals from drying out", there is nothing positive happening by doing this on a modern car. Unless you have a window where you can take it out and get everything up to full temp (like an hour drive), just let it sit.

 

[Deneed4spd]

Why not a full tank of gas? Why does everyone say 3/4 tank?

 

[Kevin0311]

I store a few cars for winter in upstate ny, i fill to top fresh 93 gas no additives, fill tires to max psi on sidewall (not only to prevent flat spots but cracking on those spots from sitting like that for months) clean and let completely dry, put in transport mode with trickle charger hooked up that i plug in once a month for several hours, if disconnect battery their is good chance you will have to drive a few heat cycles and around 100 miles for the car to be ready for emissions inspection (ask me how i know). stored in neutral no parking break on. My SS is 7 feet in the air on a lift so rodents are not a concern but the ZL1 is put away the same way under it, both have indoor covers. i have seen both ways with changing oil (spring or fall) but i do mine in the spring after one heat cycle due to the condensation that can occur with temperature/humidity changes over the winter, another reason to keep the fuel full when put away. My SS has been stored like this since new starting winter 2017 with no issues. If you store your car outside make sure you have been putting in winter blend of washer fluid or might crack your tank, in my area winter blend isn't on store shelves until October, i stock up and run that blend all year in all my vehicles.

 

[Tall Steve]

I think this is it? It's from @Tall Steve, who from what I can tell after my brief time here barely drives his so he's probably very familiar with the sleep mode.

 

[BimmerFan]

Why not a full tank of gas? Why does everyone say 3/4 tank?

I wondered that myself. I've always heard that you should top it off, remove as much air as possible (less condensation). I still stand by the ethanol-free idea, that stuff will gum up and could cause fuel pump and/or injector issues.

Or...take a handful of whole peppercorns and throw underneath your car. Rodents love peppercorns, but peppercorns will eat up their insides. They only last about 30 minutes after eating just 1.

LOL, what a great idea! Will this work on Squirrels too? I hate those f******s.

 

[The_Ghost]

I wondered that myself. I've always heard that you should top it off, remove as much air as possible (less condensation). I still stand by the ethanol-free idea, that stuff will gum up and could cause fuel pump and/or injector issues.


LOL, what a great idea! Will this work on Squirrels too? I hate those f******s.

So only store it with about 3/4 because you can then go and fill it up immediately. Just a fee gallons of fresh gas will get rid of any moisture and freshen up the old stuff. As I said, when I had my Mustang (it was a showcar and i had accidentally left it out that night), a neighbor that thought I called the cops on his party, went and pee'd in my gas tank, and dumped 2 or 3 bottles of beer in my tank. I found beer in the filler neck and it smelled heavily of urine as well. I only had 1/2 tank of gas. I called my father in law immediately and asked what I should do (he was a mechanic for the city and drag raced every weekend) and he said just drive it right to the gas station and fill it up. He said even if they dumped sugar in my tank, a full tank of fuel would help dilute everything and pull the water out of the tank.

 

[ArgentWing]

For a period of 4-5 months you're probably doing what you need to do. I think my biggest contribution here is DO NOT start the car and let it idle periodically to "keep the seals from drying out", there is nothing positive happening by doing this on a modern car. Unless you have a window where you can take it out and get everything up to full temp (like an hour drive), just let it sit.

I second this! Not only for modern cars but vintage as well! If you're storing for the typical five months or so just take the steps mentioned by the op and forget about until Spring!

 

[BimmerFan]

I know this isn't one "those" forums, and I certainly don't want to get into any kind of pissing match here, but science says that adding fresh gas to a tank of old gas will not magically remove the water. That would require a chemical reaction that simply does not happen.

If you can prove me wrong, using science, then I'd love to be educated and I promise I won't get upset and start to cry or anything like that...

 

[Tall Steve]

I can say that my 5BW sits in the garage and I pull her out every couple weeks/months and I have not had a problem...I don't know if I'm hurting her but she always responds when I ask..

 

[DonD]

Not a fan of stabilizer. I've rebuilt enough carb's to hate sta-bil. I have been known to use a can of sea foam at the start of the season but never in a car. That was strictly for 2 wheels or 2 ski's. For every vehicle I will fill the tank to max in hopes of keeping moisture out. Clean it and cover for hibernation.

@BimmerFan Those of us that don't drive the same all year round are just doing the rest of those a favor to have some low mileage options later down the road. Besides, driving in snow can be a ton of fun! I can't wait for it to start flying already.

I'm not posting just to be contrary. Michelin says don't drive in temps below 40 on the tires the Blackwings come with. Are you using a winter only set of wheels/tires? Don

 

[The_Ghost]

For a period of 4-5 months you're probably doing what you need to do. I think my biggest contribution here is DO NOT start the car and let it idle periodically to "keep the seals from drying out", there is nothing positive happening by doing this on a modern car. Unless you have a window where you can take it out and get everything up to full temp (like an hour drive), just let it sit.

I am also in agreeance!!! Modern cars "sleep" after xxx hours or xx days. In many cases during a set number of days, the relays turn off one by one until all relays are shutoff (even clocks and radio presets) and battery draw is minimal....until someone touches the car and causes it to wake up. Then it is "awake" again for that xx days and the process starts over. So moral here is DO NOT disturb your car after it's parked if you don't disconnect the battery. Will it keep your battery from dying? Maybe. But if you disturb it, that will definitely kill it.