Does anyone know or have any suggestions on how to get a car ready for winter storage... Like should I put it on jacks all winter, drain the fuel and oil... you know stuff like that? Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

 

i put mine on stands, fill the fuel up. Letting the tank get low, will cause condensation in the tank, which will turn into rust. Having a gas tank rust from the inside out is not good. Put a cover on it, and a fabric softner sheet inside. Take the wheels off, and the battery out.

 

Is it going to be in a garage?

I'd just leave it on the ground, change the oil and check everything else that it's filled and toped off.

I dont know anyone who jackes up their car

 

Ya I think I'm gonna buy a FWD winter car this year.
Maybe an older Taurus.
My brother's 69 Camaro project sat for 5 years in a garage
and 10 years before that in another garage and started right up with a new battery.
Now that I have the space it sat in I'm gonna park my vert.
The jacking up the axles was to save the tires from getting flat spots but that doesn't happen anymore with modern tires.The Radial TA's on the 69 rolled true when we drove it.
You could add some gasline antifreeze which will mix any water into the gas.

 

Fill the gas tank then add fuel stabilizer, let it run for 10-15 minutes so the stabilizer gets into everything. Change oil. Just get 4 donuts and let it sit on those, take off the good wheels/tires.

 

Just do a search this topic has come up 3 times in the past month.


To recap, if in a garage...car cover, oil underbody with wd40, change oil and top off all fluids. Wash inside and out. Fuel stabilizer, full tank of gas, you can leave your wheels on if inside no big deal. They wont get flat spots unless it sits for a LONG time.


If outside, jack it up...my car wont fit in my garage so i have to jack the b!tch up. Oil it do all that is above plus a car cover.

 

It's good to take the weight off the wheels however, I would not let the suspension hang on its fully extended stops. You can put the jack stands under suspension. I also put Stabil in the fuel and run it for 15-20 minutes. A fresh oil change right before storage will also ensure the oil will coat all engine accessories better. I also have a breathable car cover and I put plastic on the floor of the storage unit to keep the moisture from the concrete to a minimum.

 

I've done this for 7 years, and it's worked great.
1) Do a filter and oil change right before you store it. That way any acids/corrosives in the old oil are gone.
2) Fill the tank with gas and put in some stabilizer. I use about half the recommended dose.
3) Put car in garage, and pull the battery. Store battery in the basement. That's it.
4) Roll car forward or back a couple of feet every few weeks to help prevent flatspots in the tires.

Fire it up in the spring, and hold the rpm's between idle-2000 for a minute or so, then it's ready to go. First fill up after the old gas out, I add a good fuel system cleaner, like Valvoline's synthetic stuff.

Dan

 

Just as Dan said, I too pull the battery and usually trickel charge it for 3 to 5 days every month.

I know there is some contoversy about starting the car every couple of weeks to charge the battery and move oil around etc. However, I don't agree with this because just letting the car run for a few minutes does not give it a chance to properly warm up. There is a lot of moisture created that does not get burned out, if you will, that will cause harmfull effects.

If you do as every one as said you will be all right.

I would like to add, if you have a manual transmission, when you get ready to start your car for the first time after it has been stored for a while to start it with the transmission in neutral. A few years back my Dad and I were getting his Z-28 out of storage, and when he went to start it, the car lunged forward and almost hit the wall. He had the clutch pushed down all the way and the transmission is 1st. gear. Dad put the transmission in neutral and the car start normally. After troubleshooting several items such as hydraulic clutch etc. I determined the clutch disc was stuck to the flywheel because of some rust.

We pushed the car out of the storage facility and cranked the starter with the ignition switch and the transmission in 1st. gear. The car rolled forward on the starter and the engine started. Dad drove it around in 1st. gear for a few minutes. When he depressed the clutch we heard a significant bang, which was the pressure plate/clutch disc seperating from the fly wheel. Everything has been fine since. This has only happened once to his car, and I have never had the problem with my car, just be aware of the possibility of this condition.