Nurburger

I don't use my 951 during the Winter & I'm wondering what the general concensus is on starting your car every week while it's not in service. I've heard both arguments:

1) start it, let it warm up to full operating temp & drive it backwards & forwards to keep the fluids/clutch/brakes from sitting too long.
2)Put it up on jack stands, fuel stabilizer, cover it & leave it the hell alone....

I've started mine a few times when the weather temp has raised above freezing, but I noticed the oil pressure taking a while to come up & wondered if I'm doing more harm than good.

Interested in anyone's advice specific to the 951.

Thanks

bscpanther

Its normal for oil temp to take longer to build in the winter. I would definatly start her up regularly in the winter if she isn't being driven, I was unaware there are arguements against this practice.

Acetylene

^ Agreed. I have never heard anyone advocate letting it sit when there is an option. I would follow the advise in number one every two weeks if it was mine.

blodstrupmoen

Why start it ? Cold starts it what wears an engine the most anyway.

Change oil and filter before you put it to storage, oil that is used contains gasoline and is rough on the bearings.
Cold starts will leave more condensation ( water) inside youre engine .
Disconnect the battery and make sure you chrge this once and awhile.

When spring comes check all fluids , disconnect coil wire and run the car on the starter some turns before you start it up

PorscheDoc

Because if the oil seals are not warmed up on a regular basis, they will dry up and not seal correctly, causing leaks. Garage queens are notorious for being oil leaking pigs because they are not started regularly.

When not being driven, I start my car once a week and let it get up to operating temp.

adrial

Cover it and leave it the hell alone, cold starts are the worst thing you can do for it...same goes for the extended periods of idling you do to bring the engine up to temperature.

Dan87951

I just leave it in the garage take the battery out and she sits until spring. Been doing this for 7 years plus without any problems so far. I have always heard its better to let it sit than perodically start it. Good Luck.

944CS

I doubt 2 months is enough time for oil seals to dry up. I would put it up on jack stands, cover it, Stabil it, and leave it. Before you get it out for the spring, remove the DME relay and crank it until you build oil pressure

EdC

Don't start it. Leave it asleep for the winter. Charge the battery. Clean and polish it up. if you have the chance. But don't start it. Too much wear starting in cold weather for any preceived benefit. It takes too long to idle it up to proper operating tempoerature without driving it, and you will introduce more condensation into the engine, exhaust sywstem and oil that can't be a benefit. I have NEVER had a problem over the long term with a no-start winter storage policy. Seals are not going to dry out over a short winter layover. Storing for years is a differeent situation.

special tool

yep

Jeremy Himsel

I can't speak for anyone else but when my car sees limited use and the winter overnight temperature plummets to 45 degrees, I start it up once a week and let it run until the cooling fans cycle twice and turn the AC on every couple of weeks to keep the seals from leaking.

EdC

"winter overnight temperature plummets to 45 degrees,"
Now that is COLD.

When it gets that warm around here at night, it must be Spring.

PorscheDude1

If you do start it, turn on the ac as well to keep those seals from drying out.

Just drive every it on the good days. It could not be bad weather or roads all winter.

EdC

I won't put mine back on the roads until spring and after a good rain washes off the roads. The salt sticking on the dry northern roads can coat the undercarriage. Too much trouble to get it off the alminum parts which wil otherwise corrode. There is also sand used in snow and ice removal also plays havoc with the paint on the nose and rocker panels. If you want to keep a northern car nice, park it for the winter. To each his own, but I'm too lazy to make the spring clean up more than it needs to be.

FRporscheman

Move to California where the winters are just slightly colder summers. And it rains sometimes.