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If you use one of the CTEK/porsche chargers, can't hurt to get one of the little quick-release adapters that allow you to hook directly to the battery, then you can run the cable out the back of the hood (near wipers), and close the hood if you need to (i tend to leave the hood cracked open, but that's just me)... anyway very clean and no cable pinching in the windows from cig lighter connection.
I too vote to drive it during the winter. No issues with snows on my car but AWD definitely helps keep me on the road year round.
No issues driving the 911 in the winter. I have been DD the 911 (RWD) with winter tires (Michelin Alpins) without difficulty, would AWD be even better? of course. I DD a MB C63 with winter tires as well with no issues. If there is more than several inches of snow I will take my E63 but the ground clearance is no different between the 2 vehicles.
The RWD 911 does fine, even pulling away from a slippery slope uphill that AWD vehicles with all seasons will struggle to climb.
I enjoy driving too much to park the car. The biggest difference is more car washes and rinsing off the cars.
Winter driving is great if you're set up for it (and a C4(S) is better set up than others).
But I'm guessing a lot of us have RWD only, as well as summer rubber. Lots of work/expense to make it winter ready.
And for me, there's something kind of cool about hibernating certain things in the winter. Close the cabin, close the pool, put the kayak and the road bike and the golf clubs away. Get out the boots and the skis. Light some candles, play some records and make the house cozy.
Then it's the anticipation of firing up that flat six again in the spring.
Throw bags of mothballs under the car, especially under the engine area. This keeps mice away. Or be a baller and put snow tires on and run it year round.
or you could compromise/put on a set of AS tires and drive when roads are clean and dry. Can get at least 20 -25 days that are clean/drivable in Chicagoland...usually considerably more. Do take it easy till she's warmed up a bit and stay aware of the AS's limitations but it's still fun to get out and drive. If i know a snowy polar vortex is coming in and she's grounded for a couple 2-3 weeks, i will plug in my CTEK via lighter socket.
Think it's good option for all involved including the 911. Their engines seem to really enjoy the cold air =).
Clearly lot's of different opinions on what's necessary. And some of it will depend on your circumstances. But I am increasingly of the school of thought of @asellus : for 6-7 months the only "need" is to maintain the battery. I don't think you need to worry about modern fuel. I have never had an issue with ethanol fuel in a modern car over one winter. Pre 2000 stuff is a different story. I have also never had good tires actually flat spot over one winter. If you change your oil on schedule, either by miles or annually, I don't think you need to do a special change over the winter. Mice prevention is heavily dependent on your environment. But if you have mice, I would definitely take some precautions. Traps aren't an effective deterrent, and no matter what you have to check them very regularly. I recommend drier sheets around the tires which will prevent the mice from climbing up. Swap them out once or twice over the winter. Stuffing the tailpipe is fine, but the key is keeping the mice off the car altogether. My garage is very clean and I'm still amazed how much dust can collect, so I like a wash and a light cover too.
I definitely agree that you should avoid starting it unless you are going to move it and get it up to full operating temp.
Finally, my car will usually sit for 2-3 months in the dead of winter, and I kind of like spending some time prepping it, so nothing wrong with any of the suggestions above it's a satisfying way to engage with your car. It's just that most of it isn't necessary.
I hate the winter so I hate winter driving. car cover, dryer sheets, mouse traps, tender inside my garage. oh, and the roads aren't the big issue, it's the idiot drivers in the city who came over from parts way, way east and think that they are masters in winter driving.
I have a small garage to store the 911 indoor for all the winter. The garage does not have any heating element and the temp could be as low as 22F - 25F inside the garage.
I take it the garage and garage door is not insulated because my garage sits at about 8C during normal outsides temps of -15C.
Originally Posted by greenbean911
Could I please ask what are the steps/procedures to do in order to prepare the car for survival? I heard of trickle charge to ensure the batt is coping with the cold but is there anything else?
Fill up with high greade fuel. I use V-Power 93. No additives required.
Engine oil and oil filter change.
Wash and dry the vehicle.
Pump up the tires to 40 psi.
Place cover on car.
And a cold garage is only bad for a battery that is discharged. The more it is discharged the easier it will freeze.
Connect a battery maintainer directly to the battery terminals and place it on a timer for a once a week charge of a few hours.
