I am going to be storing my car for about 3-4 months this Winter (live in WV). The manual says to inflate the tires to 58 psi. My car came with MPSC and the sidewall reads 51psi as max. Any comments or thoughts? It is probably a moot point as after 5000 miles, I have probably no more than a mm of tread before the wear bar. Also when using a trickle charger, is it best to take the battery out of the car or use the charger with the battery in place in the car? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have filled the tank and the car is squeaky clean .... any other things I should do? This is the first time I have stored a car. TIA.

 

If you want to go a little further, just lift it of the ground! and depends on where you store it, put the car inside a Bubble!!

 

I store all of my cars for 3 - 6 months at a time:

If you feel more comfortable, inflate to 51 psi - pumping up the tires keeps them from from flat spotting. Just plug the trickle charger into your cigarette lighter (no need to take the battery out). Add fuel stabilizer to your gas otherwise it turns to varnish after 6-9 months.

 

I've been storing my cars as Frank 993 says above for years, no problem. You might want to be a bit paranoid about jacking it up. Tough sledding, if ( Heaven forbid) a fire breaks out and you want out asap.

Bill

 

Do NOT lift it off the ground, you will ruin the shocks if they aren't compressed.

I just stored my 997 GT3 away for the winter and I wondered about the 58psi. it says in the manual as well. I've been inflating my 996 TT's P-Zero's to 10lbs. over normal when I store it without any problems after 4 months of storage but I inflated the GT3's tires to 58 as per the manual. I don't think 7 lbs. over is a problem.

I've been storing Porsche's in NY for years without problems by doing the following.
1. Add "Stabil" fuel stabilizer, fill the tank and drive it for at least 5 miles before storing.
2. Connect a "smart" battery maintainer either through a 12 volt socket or plugged into the battery directly. Do Not remove the battery from the car, you'll lose memory settings and I don't think it's good for the ECU to be without power. Make sure the battery is topped of with distilled water (don't overfill). This is the one i use. http://www.pacificbattery.com/batteryminder.html
3. Add air to tires.
4. Clean car inside and out and cover making sure exhaust outlets are covered.
4. Some people change the oil and filter before storing but I change the oil, filter and brake fluid in the spring.

If your in a very humid area you might want to add moisture absorbing gel packs to the interior.

I've done the above for many years without any problems including no flat spotted tires. The car starts after 4 months just like you drove it yesterday.

 

In addition to above, I put a small tray of moth ***** in the trunk, passenger compartment and engine compartment to ward off mice.

 

On the Battery charger I bought the CTEK #3300 it is the exact same maintainer as the Porsche brand. It looks like the same devise. Porsche wants $120.00 I bought the same unit on E Bay store for $65.00. I agree with other posts. Put 50 plus pounds in the tires, use a maintainer, try to move it once a month anyway. Hell I just like to sit in it from time to time during the Ohio Winters.

 

Thanks for all the great advice. I am not sure if my charger can plug into the lighter. I had read that the car should not be jacked off the floor because of the shocks. I had not planned on covering the car because of potential scratches and moisture concerns. Do most buy a custom cover?

Is the Stabil fuel additive available at AutoZone type stores or do I need to order it?

 

I use an Indoor cover made of real soft cloth, It feels like a large undershirt. keeps dust dirt and light out.

 

I agree with GJ - make sure and do something about mice. I lost a 3.2 motor to a mouse nest one time. Fortunately, the insurance company covered the loss, but I would rather have not gone to all the hassle and down time. I am not sure moth ***** are the best, but you should do something. Sticky mouse pads around the garage and on the inside of each tire at ground level has worked for me.

 

To add - no joke about covering your exhaust. I once ended up with a mouse nest in my exhaust. It was a terrible mess when I started up the car.

 

How do you know this? And is it true for all shocks? I didn't see anything about it in the owner's manual. Maybe I missed it.

 

I added a Sears Kenmore dehumidifier to the garage to keep the moisture down. By removing all trace of food smells the mice have nothing to search for. Had a mouse in my Beech Baron once and the worry was really how much wiring had he eaten. Also if you set a trap make sure you remove him before he dies. Also the form fitting dust covers are a great plus for keeping exterior dust to a minimum.

 

I read (not sure where) that if the shock is fully extended for a long period of time the shaft which would be fully exposed can corrode.
I would also think that parts that are normally under a load should remain that way.
What would the advantage be to raising the car to store it?

 

Only advantage is no flat spots on those big tires. But it was also stated not to do this on the 993 fourm a while back.