Hey all, I have a question about winter storage of the car. I planned on starting the car once a week or so and letting it run until the fan turned on so nothing rusted out and everything was kept in good running condition... but I was on a forum for my bike and someone said somethin like if you run the car, when the exhaust system and other systems cool down, it causes condensation inside the pipes and they will rust from the inside out... anyone have any ideas of how to prevent this or ideas on how to winterize the car?

 

It's actually worse for the car if you start it without actually driving it and letting everything warm up.

This is what I did, based on recommendations from others who regularly store their cars:

- change the oil
- wash & wax the car
- add fuel stabilizer to an almost empty tank, and fill the tank completely, drive the car at least 10 minutes to make sure the stabilizer works its way through the system
- inflate tires to max cold pressure to prevent flat spotting
- remove battery, try to store it indoors and top up the charge every month or so
- use a good car cover

 

kewl, thanks for the info, i was plannin on buyin a trickle charger this way i didnt have to remove the battery and have the computer reset and stuff, otherwise everything else is what i thought, but it just snowed, so i doubt i am gonna put the fuel stabalizer in it and then drive it around... but we'll see, if i have to, i will i guess

thanks for the info, its greatly appreciated!

 

It's not really a good idea to leave a trickle charger on the battery all winter, unless it's a fully automatic one that will completely shut off when the battery is 100% charged.

The reason is that the electrolyte in the battery warms up while being charged. When the battery is fully charged, the electrolyte will be more volatile, and continuous charging will cause it to "boil" away. So you'd actually be reducing the life of the battery.

If you have easy access to the car while in storage, you're better off just topping up the charge every 2-4 weeks.

 

ahhh i see... ok cool, i think i will go that route then.

thanks again for the advice.

 

ive never winterized a car but I winterize Jet skis and a few boats every year. I know for the marine indusrty it is also important to coat everything under the hood and undercarriage with a rust inhibiting spray. I know for marine/aviation you would use either Boashield or crc formula 6-56 (available in any marine store) Im sure wd40 or amsoil MP would work perfect. Just my 2 cents. Also, when you change your oil if you use Amsoil you dont need to fog the motor.. but using regular oil it is usually important to fog the motor to prevent the internals from corroding or rusting.