How do you winterize your cars?
10-02-2018, 12:23 PM
#1
Track Day
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How do you winterize your cars?
Hey Guys,
looking to purchase my first 944, however living in Michigan, the car will not see the road from November - March(ish) most years. How do you guys go about winterizing your car? I've read a ton that 944 do better when they are ran often. Would you suggest not a full winterize but instead let it run for an hour or so once a week or what? It will be stored in my garage that is fully insulated and actually stays very warm considering the temps outside. I don't think I've ever seen it dip below 45 unless it's been below 0F for days on end. Any help would be great.
Thanks!!!!
looking to purchase my first 944, however living in Michigan, the car will not see the road from November - March(ish) most years. How do you guys go about winterizing your car? I've read a ton that 944 do better when they are ran often. Would you suggest not a full winterize but instead let it run for an hour or so once a week or what? It will be stored in my garage that is fully insulated and actually stays very warm considering the temps outside. I don't think I've ever seen it dip below 45 unless it's been below 0F for days on end. Any help would be great.
Thanks!!!!
10-02-2018, 12:34 PM
#2
Rainman
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
set it on jack stands (or put anti-fatigue floor mats under the tires), helps prevent flat spotting.
starting it, letting it run up to temp, vary the throttle a bit, run it for maybe 30 minutes? every 2-4 weeks should be plenty.
put a cover on it if you have one, keeps the dust and garage critters off.
unhook the battery.
i dont winterize my car but it has sat many times over the years for a few months at a time without any prep, when it's ready to go again i just hook up the battery and fire...
starting it, letting it run up to temp, vary the throttle a bit, run it for maybe 30 minutes? every 2-4 weeks should be plenty.
put a cover on it if you have one, keeps the dust and garage critters off.
unhook the battery.
i dont winterize my car but it has sat many times over the years for a few months at a time without any prep, when it's ready to go again i just hook up the battery and fire...
10-02-2018, 12:52 PM
#3
Track Day
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set it on jack stands (or put anti-fatigue floor mats under the tires), helps prevent flat spotting.
starting it, letting it run up to temp, vary the throttle a bit, run it for maybe 30 minutes? every 2-4 weeks should be plenty.
put a cover on it if you have one, keeps the dust and garage critters off.
unhook the battery.
i dont winterize my car but it has sat many times over the years for a few months at a time without any prep, when it's ready to go again i just hook up the battery and fire...
starting it, letting it run up to temp, vary the throttle a bit, run it for maybe 30 minutes? every 2-4 weeks should be plenty.
put a cover on it if you have one, keeps the dust and garage critters off.
unhook the battery.
i dont winterize my car but it has sat many times over the years for a few months at a time without any prep, when it's ready to go again i just hook up the battery and fire...
10-02-2018, 02:37 PM
#4
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Location: Motorcity, State of Great Lakes
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1. give it a good wash
2. put fuel stablizer in the tank and run it until its warm.
3. put the summer tire in the basement where its heat control (I have 2 set of tires)
4. hook up to the tackle charger.
I will put several drop of oil in the spark plug hole if I decided to store it longer than a winter. I will also plug the intake box / exhaust/ cabin fan area depends on on how much insets wildly grow in my garage.
2. put fuel stablizer in the tank and run it until its warm.
3. put the summer tire in the basement where its heat control (I have 2 set of tires)
4. hook up to the tackle charger.
I will put several drop of oil in the spark plug hole if I decided to store it longer than a winter. I will also plug the intake box / exhaust/ cabin fan area depends on on how much insets wildly grow in my garage.
10-02-2018, 02:38 PM
#5
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Is there any benefit to disconnecting the battery verse running a trickle charge? I'll definitely be looking into jack stands. I would prefer that over the anti-fatigue mats just due to how cold the ground gets. it frequently can his -15F or colder in my region so the more prepared I am the better off it will be. Thanks!!!
10-02-2018, 08:57 PM
#7
Nordschleife Master
As you can tell, I'm across the big puddle. I've been storing my summer car for a while now.
Wash & wax.
Run the gas tank as far down as practical, then fill it up with fresh right before parking it.
Treat fuel (I use SeaFoam, but others work well too). I put the treat in when I fill it up and then drive it to the storage to get treated fuel all through.
Pump tires up a bit. I go to about 40 psi. I also park on pink 'wall insulation' foam. The tires press down into it in a curve. It helps reduce flat spotting. There are cradles out there that work well, but they aren't cheap. I prefer to not put it up on stands, leaving the suspension at 'full droop' isn't the best for the shocks.
Disconnect the battery & put a float charger on it. Yes, I do both. I understand the idea that one or the other is good, and there have been years where I didn't have the charger on it.
Change oil. I wait until I won't be driving it any more, and then drain the oil. I will leave it drip for several days before putting the drain plug back and filling it up. I like the idea of completely fresh oil while it's parked.
If critters are a potential problem, mothballs, traps & dryer sheets (supposed to repel mice), along with plugging the intake with steel wool (I have found chewed up air filter elements and housings full of nuts & seeds a couple times).
Lower the windows an inch or two and put a dust cover over it. I use an old parachute.
Do NOT start it up, unless you plan on running and driving it. Just letting it sit and idle isn't good. Unless you get the oil up to full temp, the moisture that is a byproduct of combustion will accumulate in the crankcase & exhaust system. I leave mine sit until it's ready to bring out in Spring.
Wash & wax.
Run the gas tank as far down as practical, then fill it up with fresh right before parking it.
Treat fuel (I use SeaFoam, but others work well too). I put the treat in when I fill it up and then drive it to the storage to get treated fuel all through.
Pump tires up a bit. I go to about 40 psi. I also park on pink 'wall insulation' foam. The tires press down into it in a curve. It helps reduce flat spotting. There are cradles out there that work well, but they aren't cheap. I prefer to not put it up on stands, leaving the suspension at 'full droop' isn't the best for the shocks.
Disconnect the battery & put a float charger on it. Yes, I do both. I understand the idea that one or the other is good, and there have been years where I didn't have the charger on it.
Change oil. I wait until I won't be driving it any more, and then drain the oil. I will leave it drip for several days before putting the drain plug back and filling it up. I like the idea of completely fresh oil while it's parked.
If critters are a potential problem, mothballs, traps & dryer sheets (supposed to repel mice), along with plugging the intake with steel wool (I have found chewed up air filter elements and housings full of nuts & seeds a couple times).
Lower the windows an inch or two and put a dust cover over it. I use an old parachute.
Do NOT start it up, unless you plan on running and driving it. Just letting it sit and idle isn't good. Unless you get the oil up to full temp, the moisture that is a byproduct of combustion will accumulate in the crankcase & exhaust system. I leave mine sit until it's ready to bring out in Spring.
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10-02-2018, 11:42 PM
#8
Racer
In Phoenix winterizing is a new set of wipers (If you didn't replace during the monsoon) turning off the air conditioner and working on all of the things that you put off when the summer temperature was 120° (where just touching your car in the sun gives you 3rd degree burns).
10-03-2018, 09:35 PM
#9
Drifting
10-07-2018, 09:38 PM
#10
Racer
I do the trickle charger, cover the car, start it every couple of weeks and roll it around to avoid flat spots on the tires. If no salt a quick trip around the block.
