Magnetic K

Winter is closely approaching us souls in the North. Each winter, I put away my Cayman S for indoor winter storage. By the end of the month, I am adding a 991 GT3 to my stable. While I have not had any issues with rodents in the past, I certainly do not want rodents getting into my "just in time for winter delivery" of a new 2015 GT3. My Porsche service dealer showed me recent pictures of a rodent nest in another customer's air filter. Yuck!

Does anyone have a successful solution for preventing rodent penetration into their stored Porsches? I have researched the option of total car covers. Looked at the Rhino Shelter, Car Jacket, Car Capsule, etc. To prevent moisture buildup in a totally sealed car bag, the first two car cover options can be used with desiccant packs, while the later uses an active blower. I assume that the car battery maintainer cord can be threaded through the zipper of the first two, but not the car capsule? Any issues with gas fumes or a sealed battery in a sealed total car cover?

Any suggestions welcome.

My routine for winter storage:

Wash Porsche
Oil Change
Car Cover
Add Sta-Bil Red (Blue if gas has ethanol)
Inflate tires > 50 psi to prevent flat spotting (Porsche recommends against placing suspension on jack stands)
Battery maintainer
Remove collision insurance on Porsche
Pray for an early spring
Try not to forget to renew collision insurance for spring

Dans911C

Where is your Porsche going to be stored?

LexVan

Pussycat.

Peppermint oil.

Electronic sound emitters.

Eliminate opportunities for intrusion.

Magnetic K

Just had a new free standing garage built. So, the Porsches will be stored indoors. I will need to look for any potential openings along the garage base, and seal them with silicone, but rodents always seem to find entry into garage structures. I shall try peppermint oil. Tried mothballs, but that does not work. Old fashioned mouse traps and mouse poison (Brodifacoum) work, but not effective in preventing rodents from entering the Porsche.

swb3

Living in Minnesota I have long used dryer sheets and put them in the engine bay, trunk, and on the floor. I think they work because I have never had any problems and some of the places I have stored cars are not the nicest.

Just remember to remove all of them on the spring, or you may find yourself putting fuel in the car one day and smoke will be coming out from under the hood and you will think the car is on fire and it's a dryer sheet burning. (Yes it happened)

LexVan

FIFY.

swb3

Good catch!! Lol

Magnetic K

Yes, I have seen a bunch of posts about the effectiveness of "Bounce" fabric dryer sheets. Should place dryer sheets in the tail pipes too. Thanks for the tip. May be more convenient and less expensive than a car condom.

Oh, and putting desiccant in the cabin helps to prevent moisture build up during winter storage. I usually just buy some from Wal Mart or a Marine Store. I keep the windows completely closed. There is no problem with closing the car door on the battery maintainer wire. I usually run the wire from the front corner of the window/car door junction.

I have ordered the mice poison and traps from doyourownpestcontrol or doityourselfpestcontrol.

Magnetic K

A fiery upgrade!

LexVan

What is your floor?

Park on a thick mil plastic painter's tarp from Home Depot. Keeps moisture away from the sensitive underside and suspension.

I like using desiccant too. In cabin and frunk.

Magnetic K

I have a standard concrete garage floor. Since it is a new garage, the concrete floor will likely still be releasing moisture all year long. I wonder if covering that section of the still green concrete garage floor with a tarp, will be a problem? Do you see moisture buildup underneath the plastic painter's tarp in the spring?

I usually park the tires of the Porsche onto old carpet remnants, to keep the salt and moisture away from the tires, yet still allows the moisture from the concrete floor to evaporate.

I've attached a picture of my new Porsche toy house.

swb3

Very nice!!

Monetthecat

I also stuff steel wool up the tail pipes for rodent prevention

chuck911

Skip the steel wool, save your Bounce for removing love bugs, and get one of these for rodent control.

waiting for PDK

I vote for Rataway. There's no foolproof way to make your car rodent-proof but it makes it less appealing than the alternatives. Since I started using it I've had no problems. (Prior to use, I once found a pizza slice an energetic rat had hauled up onto the engine--I'm a half block from a Chicago alley.)