How do you Winterize your car? (car storage, tips, necessities, etc.)

thorco3 · Oct 12, 2007

Well, it's starting to get a little cool out and it has got me thinking. My car definately won't see winter driving and will no longer be my DD as soon as I find another vehicle in my price range.

I'm planning on putting the car up in storage for a couple months and placing the car on "storage/seasonal insurance". Chances are I won't be driving the car anywhere for a couple months. The car will stay in our heated garage/shop but I've never stored a car for long periods of time like this without driving them...

So any of you that do something similar, what all do you do to your cars to ensure it will be running at it's potential once you pull the car back out again in the spring.

ripper · Oct 12, 2007

You should def put stabil in a full tank of fuel. If you can run the motor once a week for 10 minutes that is good also. Do not put it up on jacks and pull the tires off. If you can put it on jack stands just enough to take some weight off the tires do that. If you let the suspension hang for 2 months it will stretch out your springs. I store mine outside with a quality cover. (Wolf) I also keep a tarp under it so moisture wont wick up threw it all the time. Once a week I run it for ten minutes and drive it around the block if possible. A fuel storing additive is a must. Ethanol attracts water and will gel and gum up your injectors. Anyone that owns a boat can back me up on the ethanol horror stories. Also Matt gave me a good tip last year on putting an open box of arm and hammer baking soda on the back seat. I change it once a month or so.

SRT Handz · Oct 12, 2007

In so cal there is no winter...DRIVING ALL YEAR LONG BABY!!!! :dancing6:

OnyxCobra · Oct 12, 2007

Most of last winter I had my car up on jack stands while working on the engine/tranny and had no such "spring stretch." When the car is off the ground the springs are still being compressed slightly.

Jrgunn5150 · Oct 12, 2007

I always just unhooked the baterry, put it on a tender, and stuck the thing on jackstnds. I fired it about every two or three weeks, let it run long enough to actually warm up, that was it.

Twista · Oct 12, 2007

by driving her :thumb: O0

Paul · Oct 12, 2007

It would suck to live in a place where you couldn't drive your car in the winter.

Lightning Struck · Oct 12, 2007

Paul said:
It would suck to live in a place where you couldn't drive your car in the winter.

agreed, thats the best part about NOT living in a cold climate

gt96stang · Oct 12, 2007

Twista said:
by driving her :thumb: O0

+1... Got to FLA...

wnracing · Oct 12, 2007

1. Sta-Bil for the fuel.
2. I'd put some kind of synthetic oil staibilyzer like Lucas.
3. Batter Tender (to keep a good charge.)
4. Run the car once or twice a month. (let it run to operating temp.)
5. The arm&hammer trick sounds like a good idea to keep the air fresh inside the car.
6. If you don't put the car on stands, make sure that you don't let the tires get low on pressure and move it around some so that you don't deform the tires, they can get sort-of flat spots where they make contact with the ground if you dont.

We had to use some of these things during the winter when I was racing.

thorco3 · Oct 12, 2007

aight, thanks for all the input so far guys... if any body else has some suggestions I'd still love to hear them.

I plan on messing with the car quite a bit through winter, I couldn't stand to just let it sit and forget about it till spring. I do still plan on putting it on storage insurance though so driving it very far won't be an option. I will probably move it around the shop quite a bit and fire it up on occasion as well. The stabil and oil additives are def good ideas too. The car will more than likely be on jackstands for various work off and on too.

but like I said, if anyone has anything else to add, stress, etc. throw it out here. surely some others can benefit from this as well.

SVTStingRay · Nov 28, 2013

+2 for Florida but I kind of have a different problem. I'm a truck driver and I only go home every 1-2 months. My battery has been dying lately because my mother is unreliable as far as letting the car run (how I got my keys stolen in the first place). Guess I'm gonna have to get a trickle charger. What is this storage insurance? I've only put 150 miles on my car this year so far, do they give you some miles to be able to drive short distances or you cant drive it at all.