Idoktr

I am putting the C2 into the garage for the winter next month. I will not be using the C2 since the winters here in New England are severe and snowy and I have a SUV for the winter.
Which battery device is best, the trickle charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter, the trickle charger that attaches to the pos and neg battery terminal, or is there another device? Also where is the best place to purchase such a device in the US?

I will be starting the car weekly while in storage, or should I just let it sit?

Thanks,
Strewart

bhensarl

Adrian's book has a few pages devoted to storage. If you don't have it, well, you know what's coming. As far as the battery situation is concerned, his book suggests removing it altogether. Then you can just put it on your workbench. Also, it might be a good time to remove the carpets so they don't get musty. Finally, his last note says, "Under no circumstances start and run the engine while in storage." Exactly why this is, I'm not sure, but if the battery's removed, you won't have to worry about it.
Brian

Eli K

There is a nice post on pelican concerning winter storage. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showt...winter+storage
Towards the bottom of the first page Grady Clay has an extensive description of what to do.
Good luck!

Idoktr

looking for other opinions.....

ltc

I have 2 Porsche Tequipment cigarette style trickle chargers, one for the 996TT and one for the Cup car. They work just fine. You can guy them from Gert at Carnewal.com, Suncoast or your local Porsche dealer.

I never start mine once stored, they are in a heated garage.

springer3

I winterize a boat every year, and have pretty good success getting it to start in the spring. An air-cooled engine is easier, because there is no water to freeze and damage things.

Add stabilizer, and fill the tank with fresh fuel. Run on a long trip before the final shutdown. That drives all the moisture from the oil ,and leaves all the metal surfaces well run in. Take the battery out. The "chipped" battery preservers supposedly work better than a trickle charger. I used one on the boat, and the battery lasted 5 seasons. Your tires will be fine for three or four months, but it is even better if you can push the car to a new location every few weeks. A dry place works best. A dessicant or heat lamp in the the interior will keep things dry. A low-wattage light bulb near the engine and transaxle will ensure they do not suffer from condensation during ambient temperature changes.

I strongly recommend against starting the car and then not driving it for a long distance. All you do is condense acidic combustion gas in the engine and exhaust system. You need a long hot drive to get the acids back out again. Sliding metal surfaces everywhere in the car last longer if they are run-in after each start. Every cold start does microscopic damage, but the damage is polished away during a long run. Microscopic start-up damage accumulates if there is not a long run period after each start. This lesson was learned for emergency generators that were tested monthly, but never run for long periods. The bearings would fail at a small fraction of the expected service life. The problem was solved by running the engines under load for several hours each time they were started. The 964 has the same bearing materials and technology as engine generators, so I am sure this lesson applies.

A fresh oil change within a month or two of storage will ensure that the oil is acid-free, and the buffers and other additives are still in good shape. Take it easy for the first 5 minutes after the restart, and you should have no trouble.

Jay H

I use a Schumacher 1.5 amp trickle charger with a chip in it to avoid overcharging. My car sits way too much (I drive it once a month on average)and this charger keeps the battery fully charged. $25 at my local retailer. I've connected the charger's cables directly to the battery terminals. I unplug the 120 volt extention cord right at the unit and leave the unit in the car (inside the spare tire) when I do drive it.

I've read many times that the cigarette lighter battery charger units work well. I personally want a direct connection to the battery, and want to have the least amount of wiring (or circuits) to go through to charge the battery.

But, for winter storage (Oct to May), I yank the battery and put it in the basement. I trickle charge it once a month with a 2 amp charger.

I agree with Springer. Don't run the engine until spring. Idling the car in the driveway or garage will never warm up the engine to proper operating temps...

I've got a checklist for winter storage that I've used for years now. PM me if you're interested...

Jay
90 964

andrew911

I use the Porsche Charge-o-mat battery "maintainer" which simply plugs into the cigarette lighter. I put a couple of extra PSI in the tires, and don't start the car until she's ready to go. I also use the fuel stabilzer, full the tank and drive a few miles to get it circulated. Since I only drive the car 2,500-3,000/year, I do my oil change (which is annual) in the fall.

I re-check the tire pressure and go in the spring. Also, at some point in the spring I throw in a bottle of Chevron Concentrated Techron with a fill up.

I know others do things like pull out the battery, push the car around, etc. For me this works and is easy. I've been doing this for about 14 years now with the few weekend sports car's I've had and never had a problem.

Check online- the charge-o-mats are a little pricy, but I picked a new one up for my cousin for his 993 for about $65 the other day on ebay (including shipping).

tafkai

there are solar powered trickle chargers available if you have a window in the garage !!!

there are also special storage oils available , though i wouldnt go to this trouble unless the car was going in storage for years !!!

better to take the car off the ground , on axle stands .

dehumidifyers can be a bad thing !!!
as can heated garages .

constant temp , constant airflow is the way to go .

Jay H

Ian: Just curious...and not being disrespectful... Why do you feel taking the car off the ground is good?

I've read that putting the car on stands is not good for the suspension. Internal shock parts may get exposed from being stretched out, and then corroding, causing premature failure. Isn't a car's suspension designed to be stored with the weight of the car on the suspension?

Jay
90 964

springer3

very expensive, but great if you don't power run to the garage

What possible harm comes from a dehumidifier (other than the cost)? Why do you need constant air flow? That would be bad if it was warm humid air contacting a car still cold from the previous night's chill. I agree a heated garage is not helpful - too dry - rubber and interior materials get brittle faster.

Bill Gregory

Here's something I penned:

There's a minimum set of activities you should complete prior to winter storage, and others that are optional:

Prior to storing your car, run the gas to almost empty, dump in some fuel preservative, like Stabil, that you can find at the local hardware store, fill with gas and drive around just enough to ensure the gas+preservative is all through the fuel system. The preservative helps prevent the gas from breaking down and causing rough running when you start it up in the future. You don't want to drive around alot, however, as you want as little air space in the gas tank as possible. This is to limit condensation forming while in storage.

Speaking of starting it up, there are two schools of thought: do and don't. If you do start the engine periodically, be sure and run it until it reaches normal operating temperature, so you burn off water vapor and combustion by-products in the crankcase. For an idling Porsche, that can be a long time. The other school says don't periodically start it, which is what I've done for years with no apparent problems.

Change the oil just before putting it into storage. This cleans out all the acids and crud carried in the dirty oil so they're not sitting against your aluminum sump for months. I don't change the oil filter at this time, rather, I put a new oil filter on just before starting it in the spring.

Two approaches on the battery: take it out or leave it in. If you take the battery out, store it on some scrap wood, and not on a concrete floor (it will discharge if directly on concrete). I take mine inside and put it in the basement on two 6" 2x4's. Either put a trickle charger on it or make a point to put a battery charger on it periodically (I charge it approximately on the 1st of each month). If you have a newer Porsche with a security code that may get scrambled by removing the battery, you may want to consider leaving it in place and hooking up a trickle charger to it.

Add extra air to the tires so they don't flat spot. Maybe 45+ psi. Some people also periodically move their Porsche back and forth a bit while in storage.

If your air intake is open, stuff something in it to keep a critter from finding a new home. Also stuff something in your muffler outlet opening.

Some people use a small piece of wood to raise the windshield wipers off the glass.

Some people use talcum powder or rubber preservative on the rubber seals surrounding the doors.

Crack the windows for a bit of ventilation. Some people put baking soda in a yogurt cup to absorb any odors.

Wax the paint, clean the wheels (get that corrosive brake dust off the aluminum), use rubber, vinyl, and leather preservative as needed, then cover it up.

If you're storing it for a really long time (as in a year or more), consider flushing the brake fluid out and replacing it with a silicone-based brake fluid. A silicone-based brake fluid won't absorb water over time, protecting your brake system from rust. When you recommission your 964, flush the brake system again and use a non-silicone brake fluid. Although you can drive with silicone-based brake fluid, many don't like it's compressible feel.

Make a list of everything you just did and leave it on the drivers seat. So, for example, months from now you'll remember to remove the t-shirt from the muffler opening, and install a new oil filter (if you didn't earlier).

If you disconnected your battery, and your Porsche has a programmable DME, like a 964 for example, after reconnecting the battery, be sure to drive at least 30 minutes in a spirited manner to retrain the DME (that lost it's memory when you took the battery out). Reprogram your stereo's security code, if it has one.

DarrylH

Funny how many right answers there are to this dilemma. My mechanic figures the seals drying out, leading to leaks, is the worst result of storage, so he's convinced me to try to drive the car through the winter - on nice days, dry roads, all the expected caveats. I did that last year, which meant the longest the car sat without driving was about 2 1/2 weeks, even in a Canadian winter. I only started it if I could get it up to operating temp through driving (usually about 30 or 40 miles) - he figures all the systems need to be "exercised" - and I didn't drive it hard, since the tires never really get warm on the cold roads. But I get to drive it this way, which is worth something to me, rather than just leave it to sit. So if some of the bits wear out a little quicker as a result of this, I'm still content. Just my two cents.

darth

I seen a recent episode of "Shade Tree Mechanic" or Two Guys Garage" and they said there are 2 types of trickle chargers a good one and a bad one - can't remember the details but I think they said the one that constantly charges the battery is detrimental to the life of the battery as opposed to the one that senses the battery is charged and shuts off and then starts up automatically when it senses the voltage has dropped to a certain level.

Bill
90C2

Richard Curtis

One other tip (among the many good ones here): Spread some mothballs around the interior (and also the engine compartment). This will keep various varmints, who don't like the smell, out of the car. Remember to remove them in the spring.