JJB82

My C6 has been sitting in the garage and it hasn't been started for approximately six weeks now. I forgot to winterize it. I haven't done anything aside from simply putting it in the garage. Is it too late for me to winterize the car including putting a fuel stabilizer in? The car has about half a tank of fuel. I plan to take the car out in late March or early April. Would I'd be OK with simply starting it up or should I take the necessary steps to have it properly stored?

LMB-Z

Put some stabilizer in it, start it up and let it run about 10-15 minutes, and it should be good. Keep it on a battery tender.

KB9GKC

Hello,

Never store your car with 1/2 tank of fuel, you're asking for condensation to take place and then you will have water in the fuel.

Douglas in Green Bay

JJB82

How much fuel should I have in the car?

JJB82

I should also mention that the car is in a heated garage with the average temperatures about 65°

mikeCsix

I would fill the tank(s) with Chevron, even if I had to use gas cans. As for the fuel stabilizers, the last I heard is fuel stabilizers have a tough time with E-10 fuel. If you can fill it with straight gasoline, that would be better, then add Techron. I would then run it for an hour every few weeks just to keep the gasoline circulated, then top off from your fuel can. Don't forget a good Battery Tender.

The heated garage will help, but that depends on your local climate which is tough to know since you don't have a location in your avatar.

TTZ06VETTE

For 13 years I have just added fuel stabilizer at the station the filled with non ethanol gas, drove 5 miles home and stored for the winter. Kept battery charged during winter months. Never had a problem.

Jughead

Many storage places around here won't store your car with more than 1/2 tank of gas.

That said I stored my 2012 SHO several years without any fuel stabilizer and never paying attention to how much gas it has. Never had a problem.

My 70 sat for over 2 years without stabilizer in my garage and started right up, with some convincing....it's a solid lifter with hefty cam.

My 2012 GS is in storage right now without any stabilizer. I just disconnected the positive battery terminal too.

CadVette

In stored climate controlled conditions you should be o.k. and should not have to worry about condensation in your fuel tank. The gasoline itself should be o.k. If it has been sitting without a full tank add some stabilizer and top it off.

RichKiss

My car is in a climate control garage as well with about 1/4 tank of fuel. I start it about once a week and it's also on a battery tender. First thing I will do when I take it home is fill it with fuel and then drive it like I normally do. No stabilizer either. It should be fine.

Mad*Max

You'll be fine

Smitsd

(IMO) It's just to easy to fill the tank and add the stabilizer for peace of mind than not too.

KyJim

It is NOT recommended to just start your car and let it run. If you start it, it needs to be driven at full operating temperature to prevent condensation build-up in the motor.
Per the mechanics I have talked to, I put 38 to 40 pounds of air in the tires and park on sections of carpet, fill the tank, plug in my tender, put on my cover and leave it till spring. Mine is stored in an unconditioned garage and I have never had a problem.

orca1946

From what I have read, it is not good too just start your car then turn it off after a few minutes. run it for 15+ or just leave it alone.

psheldon

Add stabilizer and start it to get it warm and get the stabilizer/fuel mixture into your fuel line. Do not make a habit of multiple dry starts when your Corvette hasn't been running at all for a while as any oil lubricating the engine has gravity fed to the bottom of the block. Either pull your battery or leave installed, but put it on a tender (I use a CTEK US Multi 4.3). As for how much fuel to have in the tank, I would leave at least a 1/4 or 1/2 so the spring start isn't sucking who know's what off the bottom of the tank. As for condensation in the tank if it is left with less than half full---that is true if you have an older Corvette with a vented fuel cap. Modern car fuel tanks (with gas caps that click) are sealed and do not vent to the atmosphere. The only way you are going to get water in a sealed C-6 fuel tank is to either pour it in the tank or let the gasoline/ethanol mix sit so long that it separates in your tank (a problem in boats that sometimes sit in storage for several months with no stabilizer in the fuel). This is why marinas are starting to sell nonethonal fuel and if you look hard you can find it at gas stations.

joliett

I go to Mexico every year for 4 months. I keep my Corvette, Porsche and John Deere in an outside unheated garage. I have 3 battery charges on all three set to trickle charge. I fill the gas tanks on the C & P. And that's it.

Been doing that for at least 6 years...with zero problems.

Start the cars for a few minutes and drive off.

LDB

You have a few common misconceptions. In the unusual cases when a water layer separates in your gas tank during storage, the source of the water is neither your car’s gas tank breathing, nor the simple act of sitting for a long time, nor is it any more likely to happen if ethanol is present. Most of the time, there is very little dissolved water in gas you buy. As long as that is true, you won’t get a water layer in your car’s tank no matter how long it sits, and no matter whether the gas does or doesn’t contain ethanol. That’s why so many people report no problems even though they don’t use a stabilizer in storage. Most of the time, you don’t need a stabilizer. But sometimes, your luck runs out.

The problem is that sometimes, somewhere in the distribution system, the gas picks up some dissolved water. This can happen if it’s in a storage tank with a leaky roof, or is shipped in a barge or ship whose tanks haven’t been properly drained after washing or ballasting, or from lazy operators who never tend their water draw boots. If you are unlucky and the tank of gas that you buy right before storage contains dissolved water, and if during storage, the temperature cools off, then you will get a water layer in your car’s tank. It happens because as the temperature cools, not as much water can dissolve in the gas, so the excess drops out. This can happen both with and without ethanol. The only difference with ethanol is that if it happens, a bit more water will drop out because a bit more can be dissolved in the first place. The main benefit of stabilizer is that it prevents water dropout as the temperature cools down, even if you have dissolved water. The stabilizer is usually not needed and is usually wasted money because you usually don’t get dissolved water in your last tank of gas before storage. It’s strictly an insurance policy in case you are unlucky and do get a last batch of gas that has dissolved water.

As a final caution, do not use an IPA-base stabilizer like Sea Foam for storage if the gas has ethanol. IPA based stabilizers do not prevent water drop out if ethanol is present. So since the whole reason you buy stabilizer for winter storage is insurance against the unluckiness of a last tank having dissolved water which drops out, that would be like buying a fire insurance policy with an asterisk and some fine print that says it won’t pay for damage caused by flames.

Red08

No, its not too late, but what you need to do is put in that amount of stabilizer for the tank size, which I think is 18 gallons, then add fuel to fill the tank. Drive around for a few miles to make sure the stabilized fuel is thoroughly mixed and into the injectors etc. Put a battery tender on it also. Since your car has been warmed up, change the oil/filter if you didn't do that prior to storage.

hrt vlv

You are a wealth of knowledge. I always enjoy reading your post. Thank you, Sir