just drive it around the garage if you want to drive it. Adrian Strathers says don't start it over the winter.

 

Adrian is right. About the worst thing you can do is take it out for a spin to warm it up. Starts up another cycle of condensation and rusting of bits, plus cold starts are the worst thing for an engine. Just leave it sit.
Some others have given good advice on what to do. I also throw a large piece of cardboard under mine to keep dampness and condensation down.

 

There's actually a section in the owner's manual on how to store the car for the winter. If it's still the same from 2007, they recommend not to drive it, but instead to let it sit through the winter. My regimen is to:

1. Wash, polish, wax
2. Clean the interior
3. Place moisture absorbent pads in the interior
4. Over inflate the tires to 44psi (or whatever the max allowed PSI is of the tire on the car)
5. Disconnect negative terminal of battery (sometimes, I'll take the battery out and hook it up to a CTEK charger)
6. Cover the car
7. Let it rest until the spring

If there's a stretch of really nice weather in the forecast, I might take the car out, but the potholes, salt chunks and debris that accompanies a nice spell of weather in the winter usually preclude bothering with taking it out.

 

[QUOTE=fc-racer;8921688]
1. Wash, polish, wax
2. Clean the interior
3. Place moisture absorbent pads in the interior
4. Over inflate the tires to 44psi (or whatever the max allowed PSI is of the tire on the car)
5. Disconnect negative terminal of battery (sometimes, I'll take the battery out and hook it up to a CTEK charger)
6. Cover the car
7. Let it rest until the spring
QUOTE]

Yes and add stabiliser to a full tank of gas.
Little drives are bad for it........

 

Another good idea is to put plywood down in your parking space, helps keep the moisture down and it is easier on the tires as well. I concur with the others and say just leave it and don't start it up over the winter.

 

Big controversy on driving occasionally if you do a bit of research but I think as long as you take it for a good run, it's better than letting it. Probably doesn't really matter one way or the other. No need to disconnect battery and in ECU equipped cars, you can screw up your programming. Trickle charger is least hassle and risk. I'm not sure how the odd cold start can really be that bad since there are lots of cars that are driven all winter.

 

Not unless you're in Quebec! Just drive it like a Carolla and the tires will be fine. John Hulley at Pfaff told me they do test drives all winter on the stock tires without problems.

 

If there is a concern about rodents, consider steel wool in the tailpipes and mousetraps around the car. Put a note on the steering wheel to remind you to remove the steel wool in the tailpipes when Spring arrives!

All I do is wash it, throw in fuel stabilizer, drive it onto some rubber pads and cover it with a Battery Tender on. I don't even overinflate the tires and have never had any problems.

 

I'm driving it all winter

 

I do the same as PB. Way to much over analysing on this one sometimes but to each his own ..

periodically starting an air cooled car with heavy weight oil at sub zero temperatures ? how can that possibly be ever better than leaving it all winter and not starting it at all and waiting till spring .. no controversy in my mind. Engine wear damage is done when starting. period ..

 

These are cars we love and tend to be a bit annal about their care. I think you figure out over time they're quite robust and it's pretty hard to do much damage outside of salt and the track....

 

Pay for storage someplace else with a battery maintainer and that's it. Don't try driving the car every week in bs weather! You would have to adjust the tire pressure every time, the car would get dirty and much more...

 

the car would get dirty oh no. get some winter tires and drive it all the time

 

There are summer cars, and winter cars, and all season cars.

My Boxster S to me is a summer car. My Jetta is my 'all-season' car. While I've owned it, my Boxster has never gotten 'dirty'. Rained on - sure - rarely, but no muddy or salty roads.

I don't think driving the Boxster in the winter would be enough fun to balance the heartache of getting it salty or stone chipped.

My Jetta has all the stone chips.

 

my GTS will be my "summer" car as i have my WRX to be my all season car. I really never have 2 cars especially a dedicated summer car so i'm not really sure what to expect or do. researching about it leaves me even more confused as there are different schools of storing a car during the winter with each backing it up with personal experience.

to be honest, I'm still confused as to what to do...but it looks like a number of people here on rennlist do not start their cars during winter