Winter Storage: Conflicting Opinions

[Bluedream]

I used method 1 and have no problems, you can use method 2 but drive the car until it is up to operating temp, I believe it is harder on the motor if you just let it idle until it gets up to temp.

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[opengl]

I used method 1 and have no problems, you can use method 2 but drive the car until it is up to operating temp, I believe it is harder on the motor if you just let it idle until it gets up to temp.

Correct, don't start it unless you're going to drive it, and long enough for the oil to come fully up to temperature. Which is a lot longer than coolant. Can be 20+ minutes if its cold out.

Sitting there idling could take 45 minutes to fully warm the oil, and you are putting more wear on the engine at an idle with cold oil.

So either put it on the charger and leave it alone, or drive it when the roads are clear and you'll be able to have it out long enough.

The people who insist you go out and start it every X days are just doing more harm than good.

 

[samanosuke47]

I'd be more in option #2, I'd probably attempt to get it to like the end of my driveway maybe and then back if it was a relatively 'clean' day. I'm kinda 'manual/instructions' guy so I'd be more likely to just follow what's recommended as the vehicle's manual was made for that vehicle.

I think with modern engines, some idle is fine, blast the defroster so your compressor is running to give some load like someone else mentioned. It'll also help just cycle your fluids and keep seals/etc from drying out. I don't think condensation and things that would likely harm a more classic vehicle would really affect these modern vehicles. For all the plastic on them now, they are completely different animals. One harsh salty winter could start destroying a classic, while these modern vehicles could probably go a few before you start even noticing things under them. My Wifes 2014 focus is just now starting to get some *edit* rust under the vehicle I noticed during last oil change.

 

[EFI]

Everytime you start the engine, you cause wear. There's 0 reason to need to start it every 15 days, and the only thing you will cause is extra wear on the engine.

 

[Schwerin]

We have barely had any snow. Why not just drive it? I'm just over the bridge from NJ and I drive mine daily. 0 reason not to. I get storing it in high snow regions, but that's not us.

 

[Ecoboosted]

Everytime you start the engine, you cause wear. There's 0 reason to need to start it every 15 days, and the only thing you will cause is extra wear on the engine.

+1 I wouldn’t even start it unless I absolutely had to move it or if it was nice enough and dry enough (no snow/salt) on the road to take it for a good drive.

 

[TricarboNate]

I do method 1 and have for many years.

With method 2, you're not going to warm it up enough to evaporate the moisture in the engine, therefore creating more problems. Cold starting causes enough wear but doing so in the winter is even worse.... Also idling for 15 minutes is moronic and only causing premature wear, as you wash down your cylinder walls with the engine running rich. Better change that oil though because it will be contaminated with fuel from too much idling.

We have barely had any snow. Why not just drive it? I'm just over the bridge from NJ and I drive mine daily. 0 reason not to. I get storing it in high snow regions, but that's not us.

For me, I would drive all day in the snow.....but it's the salt that gets you. Can't put a price on being able to work on the car many years later and everything is in good shape and comes off with ease. Also salt and aluminum engine blocks......horrible.

 

[samanosuke47]

Conflicting opinions indeed. lol I think there's also different levels of storage, and overall plans with the car. A guy putting it away when it's messy out but wants to drive it on a cold but relatively 'clean' day wouldn't want to store it in such a way like a guy that wants to keep it stored away for the whole winter. Kinda like how some will want to keep it forever, others it's literally a cool car they want to drive for 5-15 years and then part ways. It'll always come down to just different strokes for different folks.

I'd be in the camp of just wait for a relatively nice day and drive it. I think there's still something to moving the fluids about and warming the vehicle up myself. Hence the manual at least suggesting to turn it on every now and then basically. Moving the Gas just sitting in the lines, the coolant loop, cycling the oil back up to the top of the engine some. Without a ton of prep work to really store it for a long time which I'm sure the majority of people don't want to have to do, is probably why the #2 manual method is the way it is. Can't really escape that the biggest problem with storing vehicles is they by nature aren't built to not be driven.

- Also, I meant no hate or anything if I rubbed the wrong way on anyone. I should note I don't store anything, so I'm no expert and don't claim to be.

 

[BrianGT2015]

My winter storage. Wash, Wax, Car Cover, with what ever gas is in it. Nothing special to it. You are storing it for a few months not a few years. When I was deployed for 13 months I put my car in the garage, wash waxed, car cover, disconnected the battery. I'm going to let you ponder this. Recently I obtained a 2005 GT for 600 bucks. It has been sitting since 2007. I filled it up with a new tank of gas after syphoning the old gas out put new tires on it, and a battery. (those was garbage after 13 years). She cranked up and drove. Did an oil change and basic tune up stuff and presto. 2005 GT sitting with my 2015 GT. List of things needing to be replaced after 13 years of sitting.

valve cover gaskets, intake manifold gakets
plastic parts
rubber parts
bushings
O-rings on fuel injectors.

Just because it's sitting it is not going to destroy it unless it's just out in the elements.

 

[FatPat]

If you don't plan to drive it at all, I'd go with method 1 minus the second oil change. I do this with my motorcycles as well. If I'm storing for less than 6 months, I don't even bother using StaBil.

If you're going to drive it, even occasionally, nothing changes except I try to ensure the tank is full every time it's parked. I'd consider the oil change in the spring depending on how much it was driven and time in storage. Starting it up and not going anywhere throughout the winter doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Schwerin]

I do method 1 and have for many years.

With method 2, you're not going to warm it up enough to evaporate the moisture in the engine, therefore creating more problems. Cold starting causes enough wear but doing so in the winter is even worse.... Also idling for 15 minutes is moronic and only causing premature wear, as you wash down your cylinder walls with the engine running rich. Better change that oil though because it will be contaminated with fuel from too much idling.



For me, I would drive all day in the snow.....but it's the salt that gets you. Can't put a price on being able to work on the car many years later and everything is in good shape and comes off with ease. Also salt and aluminum engine blocks......horrible.

This is why I have a spray nozzle for my pressure washer to get under the car and hose it off. Not even had much salt put down this year. I still wash my car weekly. Heck it was like 60s this weekend. I washed her down, shined her up and went for some nice drives.

 

[FDHog]

One of the first things I did was switch to all seasons. Any day there's no salt on the road, I drive it. I went through this with my corvette and missed a lot of good driving days. It was 66 friggin degrees in NJ last weekend.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

There are days I would love to take it out and stretch its legs so to speak, but I dropped the insurance down to theft and fire only while it's in storage and my insurance company requires at least a 5 day lead time to put full coverage back on. So... because of that, once its in storage, it stays there until spring. Also I don't pull it out until there has been at two good rains to wash down the roads and get rid of any residual salt or brine solution (they use both around here)

 

[green97probe]

In early November, I put fuel stabilizer in the tank, filled it up with 93 octane, washed/waxed, then plugged in a trickle charger.

It will stay that way until mid April.

 

[Radguy]

Method 1 used for several cars winter stored.

The only thing that I can add is that I would fill the gas tank with the highest quality gas (highest octane) and add Sta-bil to the tank at the gas station, then drive it home so the Sta-bil circulates through the entire fuel system. Make sure all tire pressures are at spec, then as per Method 1 with an indoor car cover so no dust/dirt gets on the car. Never a problem come spring time.

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