How do you store your car for the winter?

[Dauphinee]

For those living up north that have to put the cars away for the white stuff what do you do?

This is my first year with a car and would like to know how you put your car to bed for the long winter nap??

How to store it properly?

What to put in the interior to stop any Critters entering?

What to put in the fuel?

Do you top off the fuel?

Do you remove the battery or just put it on trickle charge?

[skyler]

dauph., when i lived on long island i put my car in the garage for the winter. i put stabil and marvel mystery oil and some techron in the fuel tank and gave the car a last run to move the treated fuel through the system. of course make sure your antifreeze is good to minus 25. i always left the battery in as i would always start the car about every 3 weeks for a short time of running but not driving. it is a good idea to change the oil before laying up. the battery can be disconnected and trickle charged, be sure the water level is good. my boat batteries i would store in my basement and fully charge them once a month. some people will jack the car up to get it off the ground, even removing the tires. that is a good idea, but i always wanted the car moveable in case of an emargency like a fire. a battery will not freeze if it is charged. you can use mothballs around and in the car to keep critters away. a car cover is a good thing too, and it does not need to be an expensive one if used indoors. when my car was stored i left it alone, just starting it occasionally. if your storage building becomes inaccessible because of snow, then removing the battery and storing it in a warmer place is better. do that before it snows.hope this helps and welcome to the hobby. alot of nice people always willing to help you along. capt den

[Guest Old48Truck]

I drive mine all winter. I wait for days when the roads aren't wet or snowy, and take it out for a spin. Usually every week or two.

[R Walling]

I put a box of sand in the pickup bed and drive it, 55 F100.

(My 55 Chrysler does not need the sand.)

Both are fully restored in excelent shape.

[Guest Dave Boyer]

I fill the tank with gas, add Sta-Bil, row the windows down a crack, put one of those Air-Sponges on the floor in the back, disconnect & remove the battery, and cover the car, then I like to put carpet under the tires, just those sample from a carpet store. But I do have a heated garage, so that helps. Over the winter, I check my batteries from time to time, and charge when necessary.

[Richard Lichtfel]

I have been winter storing my cars for years in Wisconsin. I put moth balls in medicine cups and place in the trunk, under the hood and on the floor front and rear. My storage building is not heated and has no electric so I remove the battery's and store them in a heated area and trickle charge them once a month. I am old fashioned and store my batteries on a wooden shelf. I do use Stabil and run it through before storing.

But what about gas with ethynol? I have heard some bad things about that when it is left in the system for a few months. I have been able to get gas without ethynol here and have not had a problem.

If you cover your car be sure to use a cover that breaths, I used a nylon cover one winter and it held the moister in and caused some rust.

Sad, but it is getting to be that time of year again.

RHL

[Guest ken bogren]

Unheated indoor storage space, Stabil in the tank, batteries at home where they are warm, no covers on the cars, plenty of anti-freeze (-35 at least, this is Minnesota). Park them in the fall, start them up again in the spring.

[Guest Kingoftheroad]

I drive mine all winter. I wait for days when the roads aren't wet or snowy, and take it out for a spin. Usually every week or two.

Ditto... Or at the very least I'd start her up & let her run on the driveway for a while when weather allows.

[Dauphinee]

What do I do when I need to remove the radiator to get it fixed??

[5219]

It is a good idea to set mouse traps around where the car is stored. The glue traps don't work in cold weather. Use spring traps.

Leave the parking brake off. They have been known to stick in place over a winter.

NAPA sells an herbal mouse repellant. It seems to work and smells better than moth balls.

Fill the tank and use Stabil. Change the oil before you put it away. Personally, I don't believe in starting them up to idle during storage, but a lot of people disagree with me.

Check the antifreeze.

Wash and wax before storage is a good idea. Make sure nothing is left in the car that will freeze or attract rodents.

Some people advise leaving windows open so the car can breath. There may be some wisdom to this, but I close mine up as tightly as possible to keep out our furry friends.

[auburnseeker]

I don't start them once they are away for the winter. You can't really run them like they need to run to burn off all the moisture. I'm sure you probably build more in the engine and exhaust than you get rid of. And if it's cold that oil is like molasses so you aren't getting oil to everything super quick.

I do the mousetrap deal in my shop where I keep a couple of my cars. if you close them up tight they sell the dsicant bags. You could throw a couple of them in for moisture control. I store my cars that are in unheated buildings with cardboard underneath them. If they are wet you're just asking for trouble anyways. It's a great moisture barrier. That's of course if the buildings are fairly dry. If they are wet your just asking for trouble anyways

I'll argue this up and down but do not drive them in the winter once the roads have been salted. That salt dust gets everywheres and there is always the chance of hitting the unavoidable puddle full of liquid white death.

No matter how clean your car looks rub your finger on it after a trip out in the winter then taste your finger. Yup that's salt dust now stick that car in a garage with it's undercarriage all lightly coated with salt dust, add a few of those teperature change days where the car sweats like mad because of a crazy humid warm day after 0 for a week and you might as well dunk it in the Atlantic. Of course just my opinion but cars I have had for 20 years still look as good or better than the day I bought them. Even ones with body work that was starting to go still look like the day I got them. Moisture is the enemy and salt the weapon.

[Guest ken bogren]

I should have mentioned that I put a 10x20 sheet of plastic on the floor under my cars when I store them, even though the floor is concrete. The place is dry as far as I can tell, never seen any significant moisture on the floor, but I use the plastic sheet just to be safe.

I also put a few dryer sheets in the cars to keep the mice away, if there are any. Seems an odd choice, but it works in my garage at home, so I use it at the storage place too.

[Dauphinee]

Do I still do the cardboard and plastic under the car if it has a dirt non heated storage area?

I heard that if you place newspapers around the car that also helps.

[Richard1]

Don't start it unless you will drive it 20 miles or so. the moisture will build sludge and acids. Or winter is not too cold to drive my Corvair, even though it does not have a heater, although if it is below freezing sometimes I'll take the BMW in the morning and the Corvair in the afternoon.

If you are not storing it inside, any cover must be able to breathe.

My cars get "stored" just because I live in two cities and sometimes am away 4 months.

[John_Maine]

Mine are in my unheated garage. I put them up in November, depending on the weather. I put Stabil in the tanks, then run down to the gas station and fill them up. I figure that gives the Stabil a chance to circulate. Then I just back them in the garage, cover them up and call it good. I've never had a problem with critters in my own garage but in the past, I have used mothballs and also put them in the air cleaner. I don't usually start them until I get them out in the spring. Before I had my garage, the storage facility I kept them at also disconnected the battery. I don't know that that's necessary.

[bhclark]

I do much the same. Sta-bil, full tank, cover.

I keep the red top batteries on a Deltran battery tender.

Unheated garage with no history of critters.

[RDMSTER]

I once purchased an old XK Jag which had been stored in a metal building. Upon starting it spit acorns and mouse nesting material out of it's tail pipes for an impressive distance. Since then I seal off the exaust pipes each winter,and so far have remembered to remove it before starting .

[dbirchmire]

I fill the tank and put some sta-bil in there. Bat. tender pluged in and stored in my pole barn. In South Jersey if there is no salt on the road I take her out for a drive once a month or so.

[ted sweet]

the daily starting and not driving it is causing harm.

[DAVES89]

I change the oil, jack the car up, set it on car dollies, put the fitted car cover on it and push it into the corner of the garage with a trickle charger hooked up to the battery.

Fire it up only in the spring when I get it out.

Time stored? Mid Nov. to April 1st. 4.5 months...

[michel88]

In Maryland we usually have some moderately warm days during the winter. I don't put my cars up for the winter but wait for a day above freezing and drive the cars. If the roads have been salted I wait until a soaking rain has washed off the salt. It is best to drive at least 15 miles so the engine is fully warmed up. When an engine is not started for months my theory is the oil drains off the cylinders and rust could start forming. Driving it also ensures the transmission and rear end gears are coated with lubricant. I try to drive the cars at least once a month.

This may not be practical in the extreme northern climates.

[Barry Wolk]

I do nothing. They always start in the Spring.

[poci1957]

I don't put my cars up for the winter but wait for a day above freezing and drive the cars. If the roads have been salted I wait until a soaking rain has washed off the salt. It is best to drive at least 15 miles so the engine is fully warmed up. When an engine is not started for months my theory is the oil drains off the cylinders and rust could start forming. Driving it also ensures the transmission and rear end gears are coated with lubricant. I try to drive the cars at least once a month.

That is what I do too, plus the mothballs, StaBil, and Battery Buddy listed previously. My riding lawnmower and 4 wheeler get the same treatment (except for 15 miles, that is). I have a Battery Buddy with two leads and rotate it among the vehicles all winter. The battery in my Miata lasted 15 years and probably could have gone further. Soon we will see if I am so lucky with a repro antique Delco battery. Todd C