adams215

Any strong words of advice here? I'll have access to my garaged Cayman all winter, but I don't plan on driving it with the snow and salt that will likely be on the roads by mid December. I've heard a battery tender is a good idea. Any reason I shouldn't fire up the engine when the temp is in single digits? How about a car cover that anyone could recommend? Thanks everyone in advance.

996AE

lots of good threads on this topic

short list

tender or disconnect battery
change oil before winter storage or before spring drive
if you dont change oil before storage wash and dry car after long hard hot drive
car cover good idea

lots of pros and cons about starting car and letting it idle in garage - most say dont

Spokayman

Agree with 996AE. If you do start the car without actually driving it, at least keep it running for 20-30 minutes. The oil needs to get hot to avoid condensation and to adequately lubricate seals which is the whole point in starting the car in the first place.
Far better to drive it for an hour or so when winter conditions allow than to start and idle for only a few minutes, and I always manage to find 1-2 days per winter when I can do this with mine.

fnel1771

^ plus if the car is not going to move for extended periods over inflate the tires so that flat spotting is eliminated. I put 50 psi, but then again I don't move the car all winter

FlamsteadHill

Genuine Porsche car cover is about $300 with shipping. See Suncoast website.

After a bit of looking around I settled on an Optimate 4 battery tender.

Interesting idea to over-inflate the tires. I was thinking about putting the car on stands, but maybe that's overkill(?) I just know that when the car sits overnight at 30° the tires* are flatted enough to give you the shakes for a few miles.

*Michelin Pilot Super Sports

Macster

Change the oil/filter before you put the car away. With temps in the single digits use 0w-40 oil.

Be sure the car is clean and if you wash it be sure you drive it enough to get the brakes hot to thoroughly dry them.

Battery tender is a good idea. Unless the battery is very new the odds are it won't like sitting unused several months.

Do not put the car on stands. If you do not plan to use the car at all adding more air to the tires is recommended. Do not exceed the maximum tire pressure of the tires.

The traditional thnking is to avoid running the engine any. The problem is the oil in these cars while a good oil is not seal friendly. It has additves to address this and the additives work very well. (My 2002 Boxster's RMS -- replaced under warranty at the 25K mile mark -- is leak free with nearly 290K miles of use since then. The car gets used regularly though.) The problem is if the car is allowed to sit long periods of time the seals dry out and shrink.

If I were faced with being completely unable to use my Porsche during the winter I'd move. Just kidding.

Seriously, I'd arrange to start and run the engine for a while every so often. How often? Pick a number. I kind of like every 3 weeks.

(As an aside when I lived in the mid-west I managed to take my Boxster out on days when the roads were reasonably clear and the weather while cold was behaving. There is nothing like giving the car a nice drive. Actually I drove it in the snow some and with summer tires, too. Not advising others do this. Just pointing out these cars are not made of sugar they will tolerate harsh conditions just fine.)

But if you just can't take the car out start the engine and let it idle. It won't get completely up to temperature but it will get rather warm. If you have a Tip or PDK equipped car carefully put it into drive then reverse a few times to help circulate transmission fluid.

With the transmission in neutral after some idle time you can raise the RPMs to 1500 and hold for a few seconds then let the engine return to idle. The idea is to circulate the oil, sling the oil around, and ensure all areas inside the engine are "washed" with the oil.

At some point turn on the A/C to run the compressor. After a few minutes turn the compressor off and let the system continue to run, the cabin vent fan blow, to remove any condensation.

Running the engine circulates oil and wets all the seals. It causes fuel to flow through the fuel system. Running the engine especially long enough the T-stat opens stirs the coolant and circulates it through the cooling system. The hoses, radiators, heater coil, etc. will all thank you.

Working the A/C circulates refrigerant and compressor oil throughout the system.

Putting the Tip/PDK in drive/reverse helps circulate some fluid.

While the oil might pick up a bit of water it won't pick up much. Remember too the engine crankcase ventilation system will keep the crankcase at a lower pressure. The oil doesn't have to get to 212F in order for any water to boil out as the water will boil at a lower temperature under the reduced crankcase pressure.

Be sure you take proper precautions to guard against rodents getting into the car. Unused cars represent attractive environment for rodents. It doesn't take long either for a pair to set up housekeeping.

I'm not a fan of putting stuff in the car I prefer to arrange to make the area where the car is garaged unattractive to mice.

Clean floor with no boxes or other things stacked/placed against the wall. Use storage cabinets or shelves to put things in or on. If any mice enter the area they must be fully exposed. They hate that. If possible -- no pets or small children -- put down traps along the wall.

Come spring remember the gasoline will be a bit stale. Thus I'd avoid taking the car out on spirited drives right after winter breaks. Use up some gasoline -- even though you start off the winter with a fresh full tank of gasoline running the engine some during the winter will use some fuel so that's an added benefit -- then add fresh gasoline. While normally I prefer to run the fuel tank level down to nearly 1/4 tank in this case maybe at least a time or two fill up the tank when the level gets down to the half tank level.

Scooby921

I've parked and stored mine ('16 Cayman GTS) for the last two winters, and will be putting it up for a third this week. The dealer installed a battery tender when I bought the car (freebie), but I haven't used it yet. Pretty much echoing what has been said, this is what has worked for me:

1.) Wash and dry
2.) Pump tires to 45-50psi
3.) Park in garage and install cover (CoverKing Satin Stretch in my case)
4.) Once a month pull the cover up off the driver door and exhaust, start the car, and let it idle for 30 minutes to get coolant and oil up to temp.
5.) Roll the car forward or backward a foot so load is on a different part of the tire for the next month.


Battery hasn't gone dead on me. Engine hasn't complained post-winter when I start driving it, nor giving me any issues at the track in the summer. Tires haven't shown any signs of cracking from cold temps. I really like the cover. Made-to-order, so it takes a little longer to receive after ordering, but the fit is great.

nowakm99

A good rule of thumb for winter storage is the rule of 20s: Every 20 days, start the car for 20 minutes and move it 20 feet. This gets the fluids running through the system and allows things to warm up sufficiently. Moving the car 20 feet and then putting it in the original spot also avoids flat spotting.

I realize that this isn't always a possibility if the car is stored far from home, but it's not a bad concept if you have time and access to the car.

nowakm99

The rule of 20s should be combined with the advice provided by others above (oil change, inflate tires, etc.). I also throw in a few bags of mil-spec dessicant in the frunk and passenger compartment and store the car on top of a vinyl floor covering to avoid moisture absorption and condensation from the garage floor. Do NOT use cardboard as some advise, especially if you have a lowered car. This is a fire hazard!!!