Esteemed Rennlist owners best practices for putting your 997 in hibernation for the winter months / extended sleep period?

My starter list (with some coming from threads on this site):
1. Oil & filter change
2. Fuel stabilizer added & tank topped off
3. Add air to tires (how much?)
4. Wash car
5. Disconnect battery (will be curious on feedback of this v tender)
6. Leave frunk unlatched (block it so it can't close)
7. Car cover installed

 

Put on battery tender unless no access to power. Even disconnected it needs to be on tender.

 

3. Max out the tire pressure. It's printed on the sidewall of your tires. This will minimize flat spotting. I also roll the car a few inches each month to move the spot it's sitting on. Easy to do with the manual transmission and I don't have to start it up.

5. I never disconnect the battery. No need. Just hook up a battery tender and let it do what it was designed to do. I also keep the trunk unlatched just in case. The interior light turns off after a couple of hours, so that electrical draw goes away.

7. This one has always had me undecided. Even breathable covers can trap moisture, but it's nice having no dust buildup. In the end, I don't use a cover. I'd rather deal with dust than the other possibilities. Plus, who doesn't like looking at their car every now and then?

 

Disconnecting the battery will lose the radio and computer memory and would have to be re-learned once reconnected.

 

My preference is to do drive it occasionally in the winter when the roads are clear, but that might not be possible from where you are.

- wash the car, but drive it for +30 mins afterward to get rid of all the moisture to prevent corrosion
- keep the battery on a tender, if not, disconnect the negative and leave the trunk unlatched
- for just one winter, just fill it up with premium gas from a high traffic top tier gas station. IMO i dont think fuel stabilizer is worth the trouble for just a few months
- top up the tire to max pressure (50 to 55 psi typically) and/or use one of those anti-flatstop ramp
- if you are living at an older home or might have possible rodent problems, leave some mouse trap near the car.
- I personally dont bother with car cover in my own garage. this also allows me to pop the hood and trunk to check things out every once a while.

 

Some thoughts here from a recent Rennthusiast pod. EDIT: go to around 9:30. For some reason my time-stamped link didn't work.

 

C-Tek Tender recommended

 

First year for me storing the 997 here in NH probably until Mid April or so.

My approach is probably overkill:
- Fresh oil change coming this week regardless of miles
- Fresh full tank of fuel with Stabil 360
- Inflate tires an extra several psi
- Into the Car Capsule in the Morton Building (don't want to deal with mice etc.)
- Battery tender
- Don't touch it until Spring

That is my plan.......

 

I agree with all of these, however I like to lock the car when parked for any length of time. When locked for an extended period (1 week or more I believe?) the car goes into a "sleep" mode. I also air up the tires and I use Flatstoppers from Race Ramps. In my cold weather climate I like the that the ramps also are a separation from the cold concrete.

 

My winterization procedure is one step: Switch to Winter wheels and tires.

 

What’s winter?

 

Just went through this process yesterday - I leave mine on a tender. Last year I went no cover, but this year I found a good deal here on an indoor cover so decided to give that a try. Washed and detailed on the outside. As for the inside, I conditioned the leather and placed a moister absorber on the back seat. Also cracked the passenger window slightly to further prevent any moister inside.

 

Do not use dessicant or moisture absorbers in the closed up car. They will pull all the moisture out of the leather, dry it out, and shrink it.

Some of my cars sit for months between drives.

If I was storing one for 5 or 6 months, here's what I'd do.

1. Change oil and filter so it gets stored with fresh oil in the engine. As oil wears it becomes acidic and acid eats metal.
2. Put Stabil 360 Marine into the fuel at the gas station when filling it up and drive it home so it goes through the whole fuel system
3. Wash it and make sure it's fully dry, drive it around the neighborhood to clean the surface rust off the rotors
4. Pump up the tires to 50 psi to prevent flat spots
5. Hook it up to a battery tender
6. Distribute some Bounce Fabric Softener sheets on the carpets in the interior, the drink, and the engine bay - rodents do not like the smell of these. Put rodent bait traps away from the cars in the corners of the garage.

 

It’s a Porsche they were designed to be driven in all conditions
I drive all my Porsches till they salt my roads stupid **** idea
I go all season tires and have fun till it’s not

 

I'm hoping for one more warm spell. Would like another/final washing and long drive.

It went below 30 F last night and I caught 3 mice. I've filled her with 93 octane (always) and used the Techron fuel treatment. O'Reilly has a 2 for 1 sale going on ($11.99).

Once I thin the mouse herd I'll load her up with bounce sheets, hook up the trickle and inflate the tires.