Procedure on storing my S2 for a year???
06-13-2003, 01:27 AM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Procedure on storing my S2 for a year???
Hey guys, I am storing my S2 for the year and I was wondering what I should do to prepare its long park. I just bought a Honda civic for commuting, and WOW! is there ever a difference in insurance. I am going from $245amonth to $95amonth lol.
Thanks for all you help.
Thanks for all you help.
06-13-2003, 02:00 AM
#2
Instructor
As another fellow canadian (from French occupied Canada....oooops! did I let that slip out?), I have a few tips for you. Make sure your garage is heated (to a reasonable level, not too hot or the seals will dry out) and that there isn't too much humidity. If there is (and I know it rains in BC alot), you can buy Calcium Chloride chips at any hardware store/canadian tire and place some in small pans under your car. The chips will absorb moisture from the air and turn into a kind of sludge. Keep replacing them as needed (if you don't want to spring for a de-humidifier, that is). Change your oil and filter. Fill your tank with gas and add a bottle of GAS STABILIZER to the tank (again, canadian tire carries the STP brand. I just add the entire thing to my tank and be done with it). DO NOT engage the hand brake, or it might seize in the "on" position on you. Some people raise their car and support it with jackstands to avoid "flat spotting" the tires, but with today's tires, I don't think it's necessary. I just overinflate the tires. You may want to lube some of the suspension points, just to avoid any bushing drying out on you. Disconnect your battery, or buy a trickle charger from your Porsche dealer and use it (I sprung for the "aligator clip" kind, as I didn't want to have it plugged into my lighter for the year). Tape up the intake to your air filter and your tail pipe. Why? Critters are fond of crawling inside and building nests. You want to make sure they can't get inside your engine or exhaust system. I also remove all my spark plugs and apply anti-seize compound (the high temp stuff) to the threads and then re-install them. I also apply some dialectic grease to the rotor and the points on the distributor before re-assembling them for the long storage. Cover the car (dust can scratch your paint, believe it or not) and then go and visit it every other night. I hope this helps.
06-13-2003, 05:13 AM
#5
Drifting
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey George thanks a lot for your information! I will get on this ASAP. Yes unfortunately I am decommissioning the S2 for awhile. I may wait till the end of June hard to say. The wife and I are both starting really good jobs so until the money flow is back to normal I am going to putter around in the civic for awhile. 
The civic is really a fun car to tear around in hehehe. AND yes it will stay BONE STOCK!! with the exception of the odd type R sticker ;P. All honesty I feel like I am betraying my S2 
it saddens me.
Hey Rich hows the beast coming along?? Are you tearing around downtown yet?? or are you still tied down to the cavalier?
The civic is really a fun car to tear around in hehehe. AND yes it will stay BONE STOCK!! with the exception of the odd type R sticker ;P. All honesty I feel like I am betraying my S2 it saddens me.Hey Rich hows the beast coming along?? Are you tearing around downtown yet?? or are you still tied down to the cavalier?
Trending Topics
06-13-2003, 08:09 PM
#14
Advanced
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: City of champions
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by 944S2NUT:
<strong>Hey guys, I am storing my S2 for the year and I was wondering what I should do to prepare its long park. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">I have attached a write-up I did on the subject of "winter storing" for my local Porsche newsletter since it is a frequent question from members.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Winter Storage
I have a copy of storage procedures that I have followed over the years
without any adverse consequences. This is a compendium of information
gathered from other car owners, together with my own personal experience,
from having stored my own Porsches over the last ten years.
Please note that there are procedures included here, that I do not
personally follow, either because of our geographic location, specific
climatic conditions or because I just plain don't agree with the rationale.
I have however elected to include these procedures to make this as
comprehensive a document as possible.
If you have better procedures, suggestions or feel that I missed something
please send them to the editor, or me. I will be happy to amend future
versions of this document.
As a reference point, I store my cars in an unheated garage and the outside
temperatures routinely go down to minus 40C, this being Edmonton Alberta.
1) I wash & wax the car prior to the day I intend to store it, I then
drive the car a little in order to help evacuate water from brakes, nooks, &
crannies. BTW, washing and waxing is about as controversial a subject as
religion is and I will attempt to write my views on that subject at some
point in the future.
2) If you have an older Porsche, lube the electric antenna mast with
thin oil and retract. When I had mast-endowed cars, I used a BMW product
that was especially formulated for this purpose in the form of lube wipes.
Do not use WD40 - it will collect dust and bind the mast in short order.
3) I apply leather treatment to all leather surfaces, to prevent drying
and cracking. My personal favorite is "Leatherique" but I also use "Lexol". I also use Lexol's "Vinylex" product on my vinyl items. I do NOT use "Armourall" because it is
loaded with silicones and will invite every dust particle within a 30-mile
radius of the car. It is also water based and may induce dash cracks if the
water in the product finds its way into the body of the vinyl and the
temperature drops, freezing the trapped water.
4) I increase my tire pressures to about 44-46 PSI. (Or about 8-10 PSI
higher than normal) to prevent flat spotting.
5) I add "StaBil", or other quality gas stabilizer additives to the
fuel tank and fully top it off to eliminate any room for moisture formation
through condensation within the tank. I run the car/engine afterwards to
mix and circulate the treated fuel throughout the entire fuel system.
6) I change the engine oil and filter just prior to storing. Fresh oil
will be free of contaminants that are the natural byproducts of combustion
and which are acidic and may attack crank bearings or other engine parts
that remain immersed or in contact with the oil during the lengthy storage
period. I use an oil weight appropriate for the season when the car will be
put back on the road. These days however, I just use multi-grade synthetic
oil like Mobil 1, 15W.50 that can safely be used year round in our climate.
7) If the Porsche is water-cooled, I check the antifreeze strength. I
only use the VW/Porsche recommended, phosphate-free antifreeze - "Autobahn"
brand, to prevent aluminum degradation. I have seen VW Vanagon heads that
were pitted beyond repair, because this recommendation was not followed.
Porsche engine components and heads are way too expensive to play Russian
roulette with.
8) I check the windshield washer fluid and make sure it is
winter-formulated to prevent freezing and cracking of my (expensive,
inaccessible) plastic windshield washer reservoir.
9) I coat door, hood, trunk and targa rubber seals with Rubber
protectant. My personal favorite is Black Magic Professional Protectant by
Blue Coral. Some people use silicone spray but I am not a fan of silicone
sprays.
10) Concours guys tell me that they only close doors, hood, and trunk to
the FIRST LOCK position so that the seals remain relaxed. If the battery is
not disconnected make sure, hood and interior door lights are not left on.
I do not do this - I prefer that my car is closed tight.
11) Place small index cards under wiper blades so they are off the
glass. I was told that rubber blades are prone to fusing onto the
windshield and some poor owner bent a wiper arm and screwed up his wiper
motor by not doing this. I have never seen this happen but I do this
anyway. I personally make two copies of this procedure and place the two
sheets under my wipers, thereby making this information readily available
for reference both at time of storage and more importantly at the time of
retrieval, besides my wiper blades stay off the glass as a bonus, voila!
12) If high humidity conditions are expected, leave a desiccant bag in
the car. Place the bag in a large plastic or metal foil tray preferably on
the floor to prevent moisture from seeping onto carpet/upholstery. I
understand it is not unusual for these desiccant bags to absorb copious
amounts of moisture. Personally, I have never done this because our
bone-dry Edmonton winter air is more likely to suck dry the desiccant bag
then to favor it with moisture.
13) Seal intakes and exhaust pipe/s with tape, steel wool or towels to
prevent rodent entry. I just use plastic sandwich bags secured with rubber
bands.
14) Close the heater flaps on rear engine cars to prevent rodent entry.
15) I drive and park the car onto a sheet of 4 or 6 mil plastic, in case
there are fluid leaks from the car - these are far easier to identify and
monitor in this manner. I also do this in case the floor is damp, in order
to prevent moisture from attacking the underside of my car.
16) I always remove the battery and store it OFF the floor in my heated
basement in a clear, heavy, open at the top, plastic bag, to freely allow
any potential explosive gas build-up to dissipate safely. Pulled batteries
should be stored in a cool, dry place, preferably on a piece of wood. I
place the battery in a highly visible location so I can keep an eye on it
(without having to be reminded to do so). It has always retained almost
full charge (even without a battery maintainer), though I still recharge it
out of habit, before re-installation.
17) Before you disconnect or remove the battery or fuses, make sure you
have the anti-theft codes for radios alarms etc. I record my radio code on
a yellow sticky and place it in with the battery in my basement - so that it
is readily at hand when I reconnect the battery.
18) For shorter storage periods some people leave the battery connected
and pull clock and burglar alarm fuses to prevent battery drainage. They
also slow charge every several weeks (I've had good luck with a small
Schumacher 1 Amp smart charger, which charges only when battery voltage
begins to fall - available at Walmart.). You can also use more recent
technologies, like the battery tender, which will automatically cut power to
the car (clocks, alarms etc.), before the battery level falls dangerously
low. It will retain enough power to at least enable the car to start a few
times. My car/s are stored at locations remote from my house so I cannot
utilize this kind of short-term storage methodology.
19) If you propose to do this type of storage - IMHO, do NOT start the
car unless you plan to drive it long enough (at least 20 miles or 20minutes
in our winter climate) to guarantee complete warm-up. This ensures that the
engine oil will become hot enough to burn off the moisture, that is a
natural by-product of the combustion process, which is corrosive if left
suspended and unburned in the engine oil. I am not an advocate of
periodically starting a car to keep seals and running gear lubricated
because of the above. Do NOT run the car in an enclosed/attached garage
under any circumstances, because of the danger of monoxide poisoning.
20) If the car will be exposed to direct sunlight, cover glass to
protect the interior or cover with a QUALITY car cover which will allow
humidity & moisture passage. Porsche dealers sell a relatively inexpensive
well fitting cover for most models or alternatively, go to your local
Canadian Tire store and buy a good generic cover. I own one of those
expensive khaki poly/cotton covers with the non-scratch flannel backing,
which fortunately came with one of my earlier cars since I could never
justify paying the $200+US for something like it today.
21) For annual storage, raising the car on jack stands is NOT
recommended as the wheels will droop and shock absorber pistons will be
fully extended, exposing moving parts, which can cause corrosion and
binding.
22) I do NOT engage the emergency brake. You want to have all of the
brake components relaxed.
23) I do not put the car in gear, unless a permanently leaning shift
lever or weak spring in the gearshift mechanism is desired.
24) Say Goodbye.
Remember before you re-start the car in Spring:
* To avoid a dry start - disconnect the coil from the distributor and
crank the engine (low rpms) to prime up the oil pressure before actually
starting/firing the car.
* Better yet, pull the DME relay (Fuel pump relay), which is what I
do, because I am told it is safer and less likely to fry the brains in the
newer cars.
Champ
<strong>Hey guys, I am storing my S2 for the year and I was wondering what I should do to prepare its long park. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">I have attached a write-up I did on the subject of "winter storing" for my local Porsche newsletter since it is a frequent question from members.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Winter Storage
I have a copy of storage procedures that I have followed over the years
without any adverse consequences. This is a compendium of information
gathered from other car owners, together with my own personal experience,
from having stored my own Porsches over the last ten years.
Please note that there are procedures included here, that I do not
personally follow, either because of our geographic location, specific
climatic conditions or because I just plain don't agree with the rationale.
I have however elected to include these procedures to make this as
comprehensive a document as possible.
If you have better procedures, suggestions or feel that I missed something
please send them to the editor, or me. I will be happy to amend future
versions of this document.
As a reference point, I store my cars in an unheated garage and the outside
temperatures routinely go down to minus 40C, this being Edmonton Alberta.
1) I wash & wax the car prior to the day I intend to store it, I then
drive the car a little in order to help evacuate water from brakes, nooks, &
crannies. BTW, washing and waxing is about as controversial a subject as
religion is and I will attempt to write my views on that subject at some
point in the future.
2) If you have an older Porsche, lube the electric antenna mast with
thin oil and retract. When I had mast-endowed cars, I used a BMW product
that was especially formulated for this purpose in the form of lube wipes.
Do not use WD40 - it will collect dust and bind the mast in short order.
3) I apply leather treatment to all leather surfaces, to prevent drying
and cracking. My personal favorite is "Leatherique" but I also use "Lexol". I also use Lexol's "Vinylex" product on my vinyl items. I do NOT use "Armourall" because it is
loaded with silicones and will invite every dust particle within a 30-mile
radius of the car. It is also water based and may induce dash cracks if the
water in the product finds its way into the body of the vinyl and the
temperature drops, freezing the trapped water.
4) I increase my tire pressures to about 44-46 PSI. (Or about 8-10 PSI
higher than normal) to prevent flat spotting.
5) I add "StaBil", or other quality gas stabilizer additives to the
fuel tank and fully top it off to eliminate any room for moisture formation
through condensation within the tank. I run the car/engine afterwards to
mix and circulate the treated fuel throughout the entire fuel system.
6) I change the engine oil and filter just prior to storing. Fresh oil
will be free of contaminants that are the natural byproducts of combustion
and which are acidic and may attack crank bearings or other engine parts
that remain immersed or in contact with the oil during the lengthy storage
period. I use an oil weight appropriate for the season when the car will be
put back on the road. These days however, I just use multi-grade synthetic
oil like Mobil 1, 15W.50 that can safely be used year round in our climate.
7) If the Porsche is water-cooled, I check the antifreeze strength. I
only use the VW/Porsche recommended, phosphate-free antifreeze - "Autobahn"
brand, to prevent aluminum degradation. I have seen VW Vanagon heads that
were pitted beyond repair, because this recommendation was not followed.
Porsche engine components and heads are way too expensive to play Russian
roulette with.
8) I check the windshield washer fluid and make sure it is
winter-formulated to prevent freezing and cracking of my (expensive,
inaccessible) plastic windshield washer reservoir.
9) I coat door, hood, trunk and targa rubber seals with Rubber
protectant. My personal favorite is Black Magic Professional Protectant by
Blue Coral. Some people use silicone spray but I am not a fan of silicone
sprays.
10) Concours guys tell me that they only close doors, hood, and trunk to
the FIRST LOCK position so that the seals remain relaxed. If the battery is
not disconnected make sure, hood and interior door lights are not left on.
I do not do this - I prefer that my car is closed tight.
11) Place small index cards under wiper blades so they are off the
glass. I was told that rubber blades are prone to fusing onto the
windshield and some poor owner bent a wiper arm and screwed up his wiper
motor by not doing this. I have never seen this happen but I do this
anyway. I personally make two copies of this procedure and place the two
sheets under my wipers, thereby making this information readily available
for reference both at time of storage and more importantly at the time of
retrieval, besides my wiper blades stay off the glass as a bonus, voila!
12) If high humidity conditions are expected, leave a desiccant bag in
the car. Place the bag in a large plastic or metal foil tray preferably on
the floor to prevent moisture from seeping onto carpet/upholstery. I
understand it is not unusual for these desiccant bags to absorb copious
amounts of moisture. Personally, I have never done this because our
bone-dry Edmonton winter air is more likely to suck dry the desiccant bag
then to favor it with moisture.
13) Seal intakes and exhaust pipe/s with tape, steel wool or towels to
prevent rodent entry. I just use plastic sandwich bags secured with rubber
bands.
14) Close the heater flaps on rear engine cars to prevent rodent entry.
15) I drive and park the car onto a sheet of 4 or 6 mil plastic, in case
there are fluid leaks from the car - these are far easier to identify and
monitor in this manner. I also do this in case the floor is damp, in order
to prevent moisture from attacking the underside of my car.
16) I always remove the battery and store it OFF the floor in my heated
basement in a clear, heavy, open at the top, plastic bag, to freely allow
any potential explosive gas build-up to dissipate safely. Pulled batteries
should be stored in a cool, dry place, preferably on a piece of wood. I
place the battery in a highly visible location so I can keep an eye on it
(without having to be reminded to do so). It has always retained almost
full charge (even without a battery maintainer), though I still recharge it
out of habit, before re-installation.
17) Before you disconnect or remove the battery or fuses, make sure you
have the anti-theft codes for radios alarms etc. I record my radio code on
a yellow sticky and place it in with the battery in my basement - so that it
is readily at hand when I reconnect the battery.
18) For shorter storage periods some people leave the battery connected
and pull clock and burglar alarm fuses to prevent battery drainage. They
also slow charge every several weeks (I've had good luck with a small
Schumacher 1 Amp smart charger, which charges only when battery voltage
begins to fall - available at Walmart.). You can also use more recent
technologies, like the battery tender, which will automatically cut power to
the car (clocks, alarms etc.), before the battery level falls dangerously
low. It will retain enough power to at least enable the car to start a few
times. My car/s are stored at locations remote from my house so I cannot
utilize this kind of short-term storage methodology.
19) If you propose to do this type of storage - IMHO, do NOT start the
car unless you plan to drive it long enough (at least 20 miles or 20minutes
in our winter climate) to guarantee complete warm-up. This ensures that the
engine oil will become hot enough to burn off the moisture, that is a
natural by-product of the combustion process, which is corrosive if left
suspended and unburned in the engine oil. I am not an advocate of
periodically starting a car to keep seals and running gear lubricated
because of the above. Do NOT run the car in an enclosed/attached garage
under any circumstances, because of the danger of monoxide poisoning.
20) If the car will be exposed to direct sunlight, cover glass to
protect the interior or cover with a QUALITY car cover which will allow
humidity & moisture passage. Porsche dealers sell a relatively inexpensive
well fitting cover for most models or alternatively, go to your local
Canadian Tire store and buy a good generic cover. I own one of those
expensive khaki poly/cotton covers with the non-scratch flannel backing,
which fortunately came with one of my earlier cars since I could never
justify paying the $200+US for something like it today.
21) For annual storage, raising the car on jack stands is NOT
recommended as the wheels will droop and shock absorber pistons will be
fully extended, exposing moving parts, which can cause corrosion and
binding.
22) I do NOT engage the emergency brake. You want to have all of the
brake components relaxed.
23) I do not put the car in gear, unless a permanently leaning shift
lever or weak spring in the gearshift mechanism is desired.
24) Say Goodbye.
Remember before you re-start the car in Spring:
* To avoid a dry start - disconnect the coil from the distributor and
crank the engine (low rpms) to prime up the oil pressure before actually
starting/firing the car.
* Better yet, pull the DME relay (Fuel pump relay), which is what I
do, because I am told it is safer and less likely to fry the brains in the
newer cars.
Champ