Hey guys. I have a storage question for you. When you are storing your car through the winter, do you go out and start it every few weeks? I've heard reasons for and against doing this, and wondered what you all do?
winter storage question
- Thread starter cobra777
- Start date
I do to move it. Just in case flat spots wanna develop on my DR's. Plus I like to hear it. :rockon: I also let it run for at least 45 minutse, just to make sure its all warm and no condensation gets left. (Hopefully anyway)
6 years of this with no adverse sideffects. :beer:
6 years of this with no adverse sideffects. :beer:
I start it once a week. I take the battery out and put it back in everytime (mines outside though).
I love hearing it too on the cold starts. Has a really lopy idle like it has a monster cam. hahah! I even open the cutout to take it all in!
I love hearing it too on the cold starts. Has a really lopy idle like it has a monster cam. hahah! I even open the cutout to take it all in!
Start it once in a while and throw a battery tender on it to keep the battery nice and healthy.
No, this is the other school of thought.
Just throw a battery tender on it and let it hibernate til summer. :beer:
But you may want it on jack stands, some have had flat-spot problems, and some haven't. :shrug: :read:
First correct answer.
If you need to start it to hear it or move it. Nobody here is going to stop you but if you are interested in best thing for your car. Leave it until alone.
I only start mine when I plan to take it out. I filled the tires up to ~45psi, parked each tire over a carpet square, unhooked the battery, & put Stabil in the gas tank this year. Some years I put my spare set of wheels on it. Cold, dry starts seem worse in my opinion than leaving it alone.
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mine hangs out under a car cover until i am ready to drive it. I take it out usually ever 2-3 weeks during the winter; in between snow storms when the roads are clear of salt and snow melt and cruise it for a couple of hours. Gets the itch out of me to drive it too. I don't ever just start it and let idle and store it again, I heard it adds unnecessary wear and does not really do much good, but seems as if others in this thread have had no adverse problems, so its possibly just internet gibberish.
this may sound like a stupid question but where does condensation build if you start it for say 10 min every few weeks? and when you say use a battery tender, I'm assuming you mean with the battery off the car (disconnected)
they make battery tenders that you can just hook up with the battery still in the car.
I've had mine parked since September 10th, and won't get back to start it up till this spring.. (thanks to the Navy).. put a bottle of fuel stabilizer in it, filled the tank with premium from Chevron, locked the doors, disconnected the battery, shut the doors and hood, tied a good car cover on it with 200ft of line.. the same exact thing that I did back in 2006 when I was on deployment.. when I get back, cut the car cover off, unlock the doors, reconnect the battery and drive off.. (same thing that I did in 2006) 
I actually drive mine to work once every two weeks, as long as there is no snow/ice on the roads. I'm not a fan of just letting a car sit (esp bc mine is outside).
If you are going to start it periodically, let it run until it is up to operating temperature. If I get a clear day I will run it for ~ 1/2 hour, running it through the rpm range every 10 minutes or so. Then I usually do a few laps around the subdivision (no salt due to wells). This happens maybe once or twice over 6 months of storage.
The engine needs to get up to operating temp for a while to make sure all moisture (byproduct of combustion - ever notice water dripping from tailpipes just after startup) is evaporated. I've been doing that on all my cars for ~20 years with no problems.
Mike
The engine needs to get up to operating temp for a while to make sure all moisture (byproduct of combustion - ever notice water dripping from tailpipes just after startup) is evaporated. I've been doing that on all my cars for ~20 years with no problems.
Mike
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Mine is in the garage under the cover w/stabil in the tank, cardboard under the tires & the battery disconnected. She will stay this way until Spring.
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