Adamant1971

Mumbles

I fill up the tank to remove any possibility of condensation happening to a tank that is only partially full

Dave O

While this will be my first winter storing a Porsche (968) I have stored another car during the winter months. I have used many of the suggestions listed here. Here's one I use that was not listed. If you are worried about mice or rodents definitely use moth ***** and dryer sheets. (I get the dryer sheets at the Dollar Store, the smellier the better but not unpleasant.) The additional thing I pick up are 4-6 bottles of black pepper.. I use one bottle per wheel surrounding the tire and an additional bottle or two to surround the perimeter of the car. Now you may think this is crazy but think about mouse behavior. They're always sniffing the ground as they wander about. When they hit the pepper they get a nose full and will back off. Again a bottle is $1 at the Dollar Store so you're spending an additional $5-6, well worth it if it helps keep the little buggers away. I have yet to have any critter problems (5 years now) even when other cars stored in the same building have had problems My car is stored in a concrete floored metal barn like building. Its not heated and I'm pretty sure critters can get in.

I also do things like wrap the windshield wipers with plastic wrap so they don't stick to the windshield, park on a plastic tarp, keep windows closed, open glove box and put in dryer sheets in it, put the car in neutral and don't engage the E brake (chock a wheel if the floor isn't level) and stuff aluminum foil in the exhaust and air filter intake. Oh yea I use a car cover, don't lock the doors and I remove the battery and take it home and shelve it with a battery tender.

In the spring everything I've done is removed. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is something I do before firing up the engine. I remove the fuel pump fuse and turn the engine over for about 10 seconds. This recirculates the oil in the engine at low RPM (got this from a Miata site). Then I plug in the fuel pump fuse and fire up the engine.
Hope these suggestions help.
Dave

brad@tirerack.com

Tomcat chunks all over the garage. Cut up Irish Spring soap bars are supposed to repel also. I like to put a small fan inside a footwell also to keep air moving.

jumper5836

Not from what I can tell. Bait is slowly killing them all off. Very little feeding anymore before when I first started they were eaten up every two days. Also I don't bait by the car I bait the corners of the building. We aslo use them outside. Rather them try there first and not even look for the ones inside.

ronnie993tt

Over 42 years of car storage I've found the only thing that works on mice is poison bait and the old Victor traps baited with an unsalted sunflower seed. I prefer the traps because you can dispose of the mouse and re-use the trap. You also know what the population is by the trap kill rate. Mice like the dark so I never use a car cover.

9964runner

recently has a problem with mice at the cottage, used a combo of bait boxes and snap traps baited with one piece of dry dog food and a drop or two of maple syrup got our first two kills in 20 min. according to the pest control company that came in mice don't like peppermint so crushed up peppermint candy around possible entry points should help keep them away. Guess I'll be going through our girls Halloween bags for coffee crisp and peppermint candy this year.

Jamie140

SToronto

Buy peppermint essential oil. Much more potent. I soaked up cotton ***** with it and placed in our BBQ cabinet. Worked for that entry point.

New Directions Aromatics has a good price.

Mumbles

I never get a problem with rodents when these 3M notes are posted around the car during storage

Mumbles

And for the stubborn ones

911boy

Mice?? Fill a bucket about 1/3 with water........punch a hole in the end of a pop can and run a string through the can....attach string to each side of bucket so it acts as a spinning barrel. Cover the barrel in peanut butter. Mice go for a lick and spin into bucket and....expire. If in unheated area use antifreeze instead of water.....they can't swim but they can skate.
I've been told by car, boat and snowmobile guys to always use stabilizer. Shouldn't be anything wrong with 6 month old gas if stabilizer used.

Henley1

I know the mice can be a pain. but the bait/trap n drown seems kinda ****ty.

Imo000

I've seen this contraption in action at a hunting camp. Works like a charm but instead of filling it water, fill it with antifreeze so it doesn't.......freeze.

Imo000

You guys want to hear what I've done to my 5.0 Mustang that I have in Europe since '95 and only gets used maybe every 2 years? I pull the battery and give it to a buddy to use since it will be junk by the time the car gets used again and THAT'S IT! Never had ANY issues starting it, even when it saw for 4 years unused. Half this time it spend in a garage and half outside. I do the same to my 928, except I keep the battery. Cars are tougher than people think.