17 GT Winter storage

Hey guys,

Was wondering if I could get some help.

Stored my 17 GT in mid November. Dealer told me I should either change oil before storage or after. So I didn't change oil before storage, I was planning on doing it in the spring. Is this ok or will I damage my car?

2nd question, do I have to connect a battery tender permanently, or do I connect it for 10-12 hours every few weeks? Not sure how it works. Dealer also said I could either disconnect the positive or negative terminal and not have to put in the tender. Was going to pick one up today so any answers would be great. Thanks guys!

I have my 17 GT stored as well. I don't have a battery tender hooked up, so I start it once a month. So long as I maintain that habit I shouldn't have any issues.

My dad has an old Corvette that he stores in a warehouse during the winter. No battery tender is connected while it's there. Instead, he has a quick disconnect on the positive terminal that he utilizes. In the spring, the car fires right up (once enough fuel reaches the carbs). Been doing that for about 7 years with no battery issues at all.

As far as the oil change is concerned, I'm changing mine after I pull the GT out of storage. I think that's the better solution as whatever oil is sitting in the crankcase and pan will soak up carbon as it sits, so changing it after that will theoretically dispose of more contaminates. Combined with running the car for ten minutes every month or so, and I don't think I have much to worry about in terms of potential damage.

I use a tender on everything!, also fill your gas tank up, and I use a product called Ethonal equalizer, to stabilize the fuel, I also jack the whole car up, ( on jack stands) and try to keep mice away. the oil can be done either spring or fall imo....

You're being too obsessive. You're not going to damage your engine because you didn't change the oil. You could probably just leave the car stand for 3-4 months with the battery disconnected and all would be fine.

Just drive it whenever the roads are clear.

Schumacher battery maintainer $30 or less Makes your battery last much longer. If you start every 30 days you need to run it 45 min to 1 hr. to get the temperature up to dry out the exhaust & crankcase. I don't start my car at all in the winter.
Lee

Boss Bandit said:

I have my 17 GT stored as well. I don't have a battery tender hooked up, so I start it once a month. So long as I maintain that habit I shouldn't have any issues.

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If you don't get the oil up to operating temperature by driving it, just starting it and letting it idle you do more harm than good. You have to evaporate the moisture that get created when you start a cold engine and the by products of combustion. Your much better off taking it out for a half hour run than just starting it.

Dak2Zeke said:

Hey guys,

Was wondering if I could get some help.

Stored my 17 GT in mid November. Dealer told me I should either change oil before storage or after. So I didn't change oil before storage, I was planning on doing it in the spring. Is this ok or will I damage my car?

2nd question, do I have to connect a battery tender permanently, or do I connect it for 10-12 hours every few weeks? Not sure how it works. Dealer also said I could either disconnect the positive or negative terminal and not have to put in the tender. Was going to pick one up today so any answers would be great. Thanks guys!

Click to expand...

When I stored my 16 vert last winter, I did as follows:

[1]Changed oil
[2]Pressurized tires to 50 lbs
[3]Rodent proofed (steel wool in tail pipes and sticky rodent traps under car)
[4]Lifted wipers by blocking under wiper arms
[5]Put gas stabilizer in tank. Drove for 50 kms or so and topped up tank.
[6]Washed, waxed and covered
[7]Put a battery tender on the battery constantly. (Battery tender will only put ANY charge on a battery when required)
[8]NEVER started for 5 months+
[9]Visited her every day

When spring FINALLY came, I started the car and idled it for 15 minutes, returned tire pressure to normal and drove away.

My car started last spring like it was NEVER stored...no issues.

I did the exact same thing this winter. And no reason to believe it will be any different this spring.

I always change the oil just before putting my Mustang away for the winter. This way, the fresh oil is free of the bad-stuff like acid buildup.

Once or twice during the winter, I hook up my charger to the battery. And once again in the spring just before my first drive.

Manual states to change the oil in the fall and in the spring. It is a little contradictory as it says to start the car every 15 days (which defeats the oil change in the first place).
I changed the oil in sept since it was due and plan to change in the spring. I start once a month and make sure to run the defrost as per the manual to cycle the ac. I'm not starting every 15 days as I'm using a battery tender.

Triton54 said:

I use a tender on everything!, also fill your gas tank up, and I use a product called Ethonal equalizer, to stabilize the fuel, I also jack the whole car up, ( on jack stands) and try to keep mice away. the oil can be done either spring or fall imo....

Click to expand...

You didn't say where you put the jack stands, but I've read that it's a very bad idea to store a car with the shocks/struts unweighted - ie with the body jacked up. If you want to take weight off the tires, jack it up by the suspension arms. I live in Tucson so personally this has never come up.

I start my car at least once a week letting her run for a half an hour. If your not going to start your car all winter hook up a automatic battery tender to it and leave it I do this to my riding lawn mower and never have a problem. I'd change the oil after winter to start summer driving on clean new oil.

I doin't start my car back up until it's ready to come out. I don't get why start it just for it to sit again. Leave it and when you're ready to start it, it'll start again with purpose other than for it to go back to sleep for a few months or whatever time frame.

Hey you stole my patented recipe!

fwiw I also own 5 snow mobiles.....

The process is the same but you summerize them rather than winterize. Doing it this way I've never had a problem. Every spring at least one of my riding buddy's has a dead battery or is siphoning out bad gas. lol

Fordever said:

When I stored my 16 vert last winter, I did as follows:

[1]Changed oil
[2]Pressurized tires to 50 lbs
[3]Rodent proofed (steel wool in tail pipes and sticky rodent traps under car)
[4]Lifted wipers by blocking under wiper arms
[5]Put gas stabilizer in tank. Drove for 50 kms or so and topped up tank.
[6]Washed, waxed and covered
[7]Put a battery tender on the battery constantly. (Battery tender will only put ANY charge on a battery when required)
[8]NEVER started for 5 months+
[9]Visited her every day

When spring FINALLY came, I started the car and idled it for 15 minutes, returned tire pressure to normal and drove away.

My car started last spring like it was NEVER stored...no issues.

I did the exact same thing this winter. And no reason to believe it will be any different this spring.

Click to expand...

I park mine, connect trickle charger and occasionally go look at it in the garage. I change oil in spring when I take it out again.

I've been doing this for 20+ years with my summer only cars. Never had an issue

Looking forward to the first of March when mine will see the light of day again...