Winter Storage Mega-thread and Recommendations from Owners Manual

[Lightning Blue GT350]

One good thing about living in the south we really do not get below 32 degrees for more then 3 or 4 days. I will be driving mine once a week. I have had the car 8 months 1600 miles so far!

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[littletex]

If your car is under a car port, you could get 4 electric blankets and wrap the tires with them. just sayin' ;)

It is supposed to be a high of 24F later this week, so I suspect my garage will be below 40F as it is insulated and unheated, I might try the electric blanket idea

Next year I will plan ahead and have replacement wheels and tires for the "winter" months

 

[Wriggly]

I've heard this malarky espoused by supposed car people in the know about how its bad to start your car from time to time because it'll rust the exhaust.
BS...I bought a 2002 Mustang GT convertible new in late 2001 and I used it sporadically at best, storing it over the winters. I used to start the car from time to time in the garage and I never experienced any issues with condensation or rust. I put 40,000 miles on it over an 11 year period and then gave the car to our oldest daughter in 2012. She still owns the car and it's now got 176,000 miles on it. She changed the original exhaust out two years ago in 2015. It was still good, her new husband wanted to make it louder. Other than brakes and tires and squeaky steering rack bushings, the car hasn't had any mechanical issues. I used Mobil 1 oil in it from the first oil change onward and changed it once a year.

 

[cking]

It will cause condensation in cold pipes and you don't run it long enough dry it out. But we've got a stainless. In old days they use to drill hole in lowest place in muffler to drain them

 

[Dak2Zeke]

I did not change the oil prior to storage in middle of November. Will my car be fucked in the spring? I was planning to change oil in spring when I take it out. I was told to change it either before or after storage.

Also does a tender have to be plugged in permanently, or for 10-12 hours a few times a month? Was going to go pick one up today. Thanks!

 

[Tank]

I did not change the oil prior to storage in middle of November. Will my car be fucked in the spring? I was planning to change oil in spring when I take it out. I was told to change it either before or after storage.

Also does a tender have to be plugged in permanently, or for 10-12 hours a few times a month? Was going to go pick one up today. Thanks!

Re: the oil, you’ll be fine, I just wouldn’t put any significant miles on it.
Re: battery tender, I hardwired my CTEK 3300 two years ago and keep it plugged in during storage. I check it regularly and even with it on the constant trickle, the light does go to ‘charging’ every once in a while. I have the older battery p/n and this constant trickle works great for me. Good Luck!

 

[Tank]

Bump....
It’s getting close to this time of year again.

 

[johnny1]

Theres still a tiny weep hole in the lowest part of most mufflers from factory. And I would just keep the battery tender plugged in all the time if car is stored. I have Battery Tender brand and don't store car, car is in carport and driven on nice days with dry streets. I keep it plugged in all the time and unplug it when wanting to drive car. It won't over charge your battery. Just keeps it topped off.

 

[Nfs1000f]

If I store my car for four months versus driving my car for four months, how does used oil which can cause damage to the motor due to contamination, not be an issue in both cases? Can’t the argument being made that you should change your oil every time you drive your car.

 

[JAJ]

If I store my car for four months versus driving my car for four months, how does used oil which can cause damage to the motor due to contamination, not be an issue in both cases? Can’t the argument being made that you should change your oil every time you drive your car.

The logic goes like this: When the car is sitting, humid air that gets into the engine in the warm part of the day can cause condensation inside the engine during the cold part of the day. It's a miniscule amount, but over months it can accumulate. Water can combine with contaminants in the oil to cause corrosion.

So when your car is driven every day, any moisture is dispersed by the heat of operation. When your sits, it's not. Fresh oil is free of contaminants and has a full load additives to prevent corrosion so your engine is better protected.

Is this a real problem? I don't know, but if I'm only changing the oil once a year, doing it in the fall makes more sense than doing it in the spring.

 

[Nfs1000f]

So I just changed my oil for the upcoming 5 months of winter storage. I would have waited to do the change, but I am forced to do it outside. With the possibility of a few days of decent weather ahead to drive it, am I "contaminating" the oil enough to defeat the purpose of having the fresh oil in the car? I would only be driving a few hundred miles. 5 months is a long time to wait to drive it again.

 

[givemeadollar]

Is jacking the car up for long term storage bad for the suspension if you remove the wheels?

 

[Tank]

Is jacking the car up for long term storage bad for the suspension if you remove the wheels?

My dealer doesn’t recommend jacking for seasonal storage - he has a collection of vintage Fords and explains suspensions aren’t designed to hang for extended periods.

 

[Scoobs]

Is jacking the car up for long term storage bad for the suspension if you remove the wheels?

Like Tank said it can be bad if you just leave the suspension hanging, but you can also jack up the suspension and block it off so it's not hanging all winter.

 

[Nfs1000f]

Last year I inflated my tires to 40 PSI and stored it in an unheated garage. Halfway through the winter I jacked it up using my jacking rails and rotated the tires and dropped it back down. No flat spotting. I’m sure it would been fine even if I didn’t rotate the tires.

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