How do you prepare your car for winter storage?

[TJM70's_48]

I am a new old-car owner...aside from a dry, protected garage (unheated), pulling out the battery...what else should I provide for a safe winter rest?

Full gas tank? Empty tank? Engine fogger? Pest control? Change oil now? Change oil in spring? Emergency brake on / off? In gear or out? Is seafoam a good gas stabilizer? Many questions.

What suggestions can you offer?

~Tom

[Young Ed]

Here's what I do. Unhook the battery. Try to have as full of a tank as possible and add appropraite amount of stabil fuel stabilizer. pest control is outside the car via traps and moth balls at the cabin. It probably sits in gear with the ebrake off

[JIPJOBXX]

Make sure your antifreeze is up to snuff! And you could jack up your car and set it on car stands to save the tires. Get a cheap car cover from Costco (30.00 dollars) and cover the car even if its in a garage. I myself do not pull out the battery but just keep it on a trickle charger and start the car every once in awhile.

[Young Ed]

Good point I do check the antifreeze value. Gets pretty cold in that garage in WI I imagine. FYI i dont do anything to the battery but unhook in the fall rehook in the spring and away I go

[1955 plymouth]

I service Harleys for a living, I try to adapt some real basic "winterization" steps into all of my gasoline powered engines. I would add stabil to the fuel, I prefer stabil over the other guys, (just this mans opinion) once stabil is in the fuel tank, top it off with fresh fuel as to prevent condensation, take the car out for a spin to circulate the stabilizer thru the carb jets also this will warm the oils, when you get back drain the engine oil, this will remove alot of the dirt "mineral" deposits from the engine, you really don't want that stuff sitting on your bearings longer than it needs to, also any moisture that has built up in that oil will also be removed. add your fresh oil, and filter of course and run the car to circulate the clean stuff thru everything, while you have it running at a high idle I would say to fog the engine until you see some white smoke from the exhaust, then shut it down, this will finish coating the upper end of your engine with lubrication, and set your mind at ease for the next couple months. Next I would say to either disconnect the battery and keep on trickle charge "smart charger" so you don't over charge it. You (in my opinion) really don't want to start your car periodically because this will tax your battery unnecisarrily and it will warm the engine up just enough to build up some condensation inside, condensation or moisture is our enemy. Make sure and top off the anti-freeze or drain and re-fill the entire system if you haven't done so in the past couple years. I also recommend placing your car on jack stands to save the tires, make sure your car is detailed prior to extended storage also, dirt and dust will turn to surface rust and pitting on metal parts. I also place "dry packs" inside of my car, on the floorboards, in the trunk etc.. these are cloth type packs sewn together on the ends filled with a cat litter type "oil dry" inside of them.

That's what I recommend, now to get out from in front of this darn computer and go get started on my fleet of gasoline powered toys, I should listen to myself more often.

[Captain Neon]

I fog my engine by running approx. 1 pint of Marvel Mystery Oil through the carb until she stalls out. One can use ATF, as well. A little easier than pulling spark plugs and spraying fogging oil into each cylinder.

I use Stabil, and some fuel line antifreeze and store with a full tank of fuel. It has been my experience that as much as 1/2 gal. of fuel can evaporate from a vented fuel tank over a long winter storage.

I also disconnect the battery and do not restart until spring.

I store my car in gear with the parking brake off. I know some guys that spray WD-40 on the parking brake cables to deter rust.

[Jim Saraceno]

I don't do anything. I always have the intention of putting stabil in the tank but often I don't.

Usually what happens is I think I'm putting her away for the winter but then we get a stretch of good weather and I take her out again or I plan on taking here out again, don't prepare her for winter and the bad weather rolls in.

I do my big projects during the winter when I wouldn't be taking her out on the road anyway. I never put her to sleep before Thanksgiving because the kids come in from out of town and I want her running in case we want to take her out.

I always change oil in the springtime. I figure it helps get rid of any moisture that may have built up over the winter.

[greg g]

I give it a good wash, and dry, check the air in the tires, throw out the trash that has accumulated, clean out the trunk, back it into the garage as close to the wall as possible, charge and disconnect the battery. Throw in a couple fabric softener sheets (they supposedly deter mice from taking up residence) in the cabin and the trunk.

Then I toss on the car show door prize car cover. I haven't used stabil or any other fuel additive. I have never had a problem in the spring with "bad gas"

In the spring I check the fluids start her up get it up to operating temp, and change the oil. there is some argument for changing the oil before storage as then the engine isn't storing any contaminents that may be in the oil. Probably arguments on both sides of that.

[RobertKB]

Light the furnace in my garage so it feels like summer! Whenever I can, I get a car out for a run. My '38 Chrysler doesn't go out during the winter and I usually put it on stands. However, my '48 Dodge gets driven quite a bit in winter but never on salty roads and the '53 Plymouth goes out occasionally.

[BobT-47P15]

I do about like Jim. I just park it in the garage and check the anti freeze to see

how low a temp it protects against.

Sometimes there's more gas in the tank than others. I just turn off the battery

disconnect switch. If the battery is low on next start, I charge it again. It sat

last winter with the top down. Need to put it up one of these days. We try to

use the convert on New Years Eve day to go eat lunch at a local chili parlor.

And on any other nice days that occur on a weekend.

The garage is attached to the house, and there's a heat/air vent behind

the washing machine that helps keep things a bit warmer or cooler than if

stored in a detached building.

A lot of good suggestions have been offered......I guess a person just needs

to choose the things they think make the most sense for them.

Sometimes the car becomes an extra storage shelf for assorted "stuff".

[TJM70's_48]

Thanks for the replies...I think I've got the bases covered, I used Seafoam as the stabilizer, it's what I had on hand...out of Stabil. It's been running great & I want to be able to pull it out in the spring still working right!

Does anyone pull the plugs and put Marvel oil in that way? I've never used it, but there seems to be a good opinion of it.

BobT...great New Year's day tradition...if it's dry, clean and clear here I may do something like that! We hit 70 degrees once about 10 years ago, I'll never forget that day...it's usually pretty cold here in W PA all winter long.

~tom

Edited October 23, 2009 by TJM70's_48

[greg g]

We have had ours out a couple times on New Years eve or day when and of the weather and roads cooperate.

[Norm's Coupe]

I don't do anything to my coupe for winter. It's ready to go anytime of the year. And, I will usually pull it in and out of the garage on nice days during the winter, as shown in the picture below. I only used stabil one year in the tank. Since then, it's just the gas from the pump. If moisture should get in the gas, I just dump some "HEET" into the tank and that takes care of that, plus any ice that may get into the line. When I do start it in the winter, I always let it run at least 20 minutes before shutting it down to get any moisture out of the system. So.........even the oil looks good in spring.

Do the same with the snow blower and lawnmower. Never had a problem doing it. I never drain the tanks on either. Just started up the snow blower for a test run about a week or so ago. Still had about half a tank of gas from last winter in it, without any additives for storage. Started right up and ran fine, with the old non treated gas.

[desoto1939]

When we replaced the rugs in my house I took some of the old wall to wall carpeting and placed this on the floor under the car.

Since I have acement floor I use this to help keep the the moisture level down under the car. Also this helps when I have to crawl under the car since then I am not crawling on bare concrete.

I have done this for the past 22 years of owning my car. I have not developed any rust under the car. Since I live near Philadelphia we have not been getting alot of snow. So I have the car setup so I can take it out onthe road on a monthly basis to drive it if the roads do not have any salt on them.

i do use stabilser inthe gas. I also put a pint can of Rust Inhibutor in the radiator every year. Thsi helps to provide a lubicant for the waterpump and to help with the rust inthe engine. Remember that the rust inhibutor is what breaks down over time in the antifreese. The color might look good and the antifreeze might be good when you take a reading. But the chnaging of the Anti is very important every few years to insure the anitrusting compands have not broken down.

Check the air in the tires, clean the car in and out especially if you have whitewalls. If you forget to clean them then the dirst and especially the oils will turn the whitewalls.

I even keep old rugs under my new cars.

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[47heaven]

Winter storage? What's that?

[RobertKB]

Winter storage? What's that?

You California guys really irritate me! Winter (definition for the uninitiated)......cold, snow (aka white s**t), salt, icy roads, park your car for 4-6 months. But maybe it's better than earthquakes and fires.

Edited October 24, 2009 by RobertKB

[Norm's Coupe]

You California guys really irritate me! Winter (definition for the uninitiated)......cold, snow (aka white s**t), salt, icy roads, park your car for 4-6 months. But maybe it's better than earthquakes and fires.

They don't irritate me. After all, like you said we have salt, snow and ice. That may harm a car in the winter, but it will take many years to do so if we keep the cars clean. However, those California people can have their car destroyed in one day by one of those fires. So.........I'd say we are better off with our cold winter weather. Not only that, but consider where their wind comes from. The Pacific Ocean, which is salt water and the air carries the salt air right into their back yards, onto their cars 24/7, 365 days a year. We have no salt air around us.

[David Strieb]

Here in Washington, my cars have never been stored, just driven.

[Reg Evans]

Here in Washington, my cars have never been stored, just driven.

Same here. Drive them all year as weather permits in my part of California. No salty air or earth quakes to speak of here either NORM

[P-12 Tommy]

Of course, living here in Florida I can drive my P-12 all year round. But, I live 500 feet from the Atlantic Ocean and I gotta watch the salt air we have here to keep the rust and pitting off.

Tom

[Norm's Coupe]

You guys living near the ocean do get salt air, whether you know it or not. I'm walking, living proof of that. While in the service my first duty assignment after my training was in Korea in 1962. Took a troop ship from Oakland, CA to Korea with layovers in Hawaii and Japan. Took a total of 18 days for the trip over there. When I got off the ship in Korea I weighed 30 lbs. more than I did when I got on it. My uniforms were even a little too tight for me then. I went from slim and trim to looking like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Without going on any diets of any kind, I lost the 30 lbs. in about 5 or 6 months. A year later I came back home on another troop ship. That trip was only about 15 or 16 days because we bypassed Hawaii. But..........I again gained weight, just not as much, and I also lost it in a few months. Being young at the time, I really never bothered to find out what caused me to gain weight on those two trips. But.........years later (sometime in the 70's) I mentioned it to my doctor in the course of a conversation. He said it was because I was on the ship in the ocean breathing salt air. The winds pick up the ocean spray, it dries and is carried in the air.

That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

[47heaven]

They don't irritate me. After all' date=' like you said we have salt, snow and ice. That may harm a car in the winter, but it will take many years to do so if we keep the cars clean. However, those California people can have their car destroyed in one day by one of those fires. So.........I'd say we are better off with our cold winter weather. Not only that, but consider where their wind comes from. The Pacific Ocean, which is salt water and the air carries the salt air right into their back yards, onto their cars 24/7, 365 days a year. We have no salt air around us.[/quote']

Here are some facts about California people:

1. Not all of us are fortunate to live down by the beach. Those who live inland, like me, are safe from salt air corrosion because by the time onshore winds reach us, the salt in the air dissipates.

2. The fires burn in the hills and mountains, not in the valleys, where I live, unless it's a structure fire, which can happen anywhere. The media tends to exploit the fires a bit making them look like the whole state is burning. The fires were never as common as they are now. Most, now, are set by arsonists, and the media plays a part in that by literally laying out a map on television telling where the high fire danger and most wind prone areas are during a Santa Ana (off shore) wind. I personally think that the media does this on purpose hoping that someone does set a fire because the fires make big news and big news means big money for the news stations...just a theory, but a curious one.

3. Eartquakes, though devastating, aren't a common occurance. I'd much rather have the threat of an earthquake than the assurance of snow, hail and tornados every year.

The only problem here, and Norm (Normspeed) can atest to this, is that the state is broke and going down the tubes...literally. It was once a mecca, but now has become an overcrowded mess (mainly in Southern California). There are parts you drive to and you literally feel that you are in third-world country....signs and language all in different languages. I, like Norm, plan to move soon myself, but haven't decided where, just yet, but most definately won't be where I have to deal with tornados and snow.

[Norm's Coupe]

47heaven,

I'll agree the news media does play up things to be larger than what they really are.

While we do get snow here it doesn't stop life like it does in some southern states. Even on real heavy snow days, people are still going to work and shopping usually. As for tornados, I've never seen one myself. I also have never actually seen any hail big enough to do any damage to anything.

Now, as for you comment about southern California becoming like a third world country. Well..........California is not the only one in that boat. You'll see that in just about every major city in the U.S. Some area's in all larger metropolitan area's the people aren't even speaking English. And, as far as the economy of California, yes the state is having problems. But........at the same time Wisconsin and many other states are in the red too. That's just a sign of the times. Yes, we can move someplace else. But.......is that the answer. I don't think so myself. Moving doesn't stop anything because the same problems you now have will also show up in the other area you move to over time. Are you then going to move again? So........the best thing to do is learn to live with it and the people. Those people speaking a different language only want what everyone else wants. That's to make a good living for their self and their families. The people moving out is actually what's causing the mess in the large metropolitan area's. Not the people moving in.

Ooops. Sorry Gerald, this is beginning to get political, so that's all I'll say on the subject.

[47heaven]

47heaven' date='

I'll agree the news media does play up things to be larger than what they really are.

While we do get snow here it doesn't stop life like it does in some southern states. Even on real heavy snow days, people are still going to work and shopping usually. As for tornados, I've never seen one myself. I also have never actually seen any hail big enough to do any damage to anything.

Now, as for you comment about southern California becoming like a third world country. Well..........California is not the only one in that boat. You'll see that in just about every major city in the U.S. Some area's in all larger metropolitan area's the people aren't even speaking English. And, as far as the economy of California, yes the state is having problems. But........at the same time Wisconsin and many other states are in the red too. That's just a sign of the times. Yes, we can move someplace else. But.......is that the answer. I don't think so myself. Moving doesn't stop anything because the same problems you now have will also show up in the other area you move to over time. Are you then going to move again? So........the best thing to do is learn to live with it and the people. Those people speaking a different language only want what everyone else wants. That's to make a good living for their self and their families. The people moving out is actually what's causing the mess in the large metropolitan area's. Not the people moving in.

Ooops. Sorry Gerald, this is beginning to get political, so that's all I'll say on the subject.[/quote']

Actually, Norm, I have to dissagree with your comment on "learning to live with it and the people." What we have here is a culture clash and instead of they conforming to our culture, you are insinuating that we conform to theirs, am I correct? If your neighborhood is becoming a third-world ghetto, and you have the means to move, are you going to stay there, even though there is a presense gangs, graffitti, crime...etc.? Do you simply "learn to live with it" or get out of Dodge? Yes, it's true that those people speaking a different language want what everyone else wants, but many are here for the freebies the government gives them at the taxpayer's expenense, when in turn the same country they come from wouldn't do that for us if the shoe were on the other foot. So getting back to the subject. Why would someone want to subject them selves to living in a miserable enviorment? I wouldn't. This is a big country and there are many places to live that haven't been plagued by this, as of yet. So I think I have a pretty vast selection of places to relocate where I can live in peace and still feel that I'm living in the United States. I've lived in California all my life, but it's a state that is poorly governed and headed down a wrong path. I think you can see where I'm coming from.

[Normspeed]

I winterize mine by making sure I have the correct balance of coolant and water, usually by an annual full coolant change. I put the heater components back in under the hood and hook up the hoses. The winter here is a little colder and a lot windier than my old digs in Cali. It can get down into the teens some nights. I enjoy driving the old gal more in cool weather than in the blazing hot summer months.

If you guys haven't viewed the Clint Eastwood movie "Gran Torino" you should. An interesting look at changing neighborhoods in America.