Do u start in winter?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 123
From: CA.
Do u start in winter?
got into a conversation with some friends about if you should start your car once in a while through the winter months. i personally do not. friend says if you dont things can stick or seaze up. any truth to this? i would have a poll but i dont know how, Nutsy.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
Some of the guys were discussing this a few weeks ago. Their advice was that if you are not going to drive it, so that all parts are brought up to operating temp., you should just leave it alone. I started mine up this weekend and was amazed at how much moisture came from the exhaust. Since I drove it about 30mi. it dried up the moisture rather than it sitting in the exhaust and rusting inside. mike...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,070
Likes: 5
From: N.Richland Hills Texas
My training / experience on air cooled motors... If you are going to start them, run them enough to heat up and take the moisture out of the oil ect. Which means up to normal operating temps and pressures... Not just idle ... Idle will leave the conditions right for setting up a ideal scenario for "little clouds" in the engine and the begining of rust / corrosion ....
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,359
Likes: 57
From: Mundelein Illinois
No start during winter, wait till spring, squirt oil into each cylinder, get oil press up and let her rip. Then change plugs once warmed up.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
I only start it to drive it. Last winter, there was one freaky warm day (like 50 for a high temp) in December when I was on staycation, and another on a January weekend. It hadn't snowed yet, so there wasn't any salt on the road. I started the car and took it out for a 20-30 mile ride each time, mostly just because I missed driving it.
The last time my engine ran was 11/28/10, so it has already been more than 2 months since it turned over. I don't think this is a big deal, and won't start it anytime soon given the weather. Eventually, I will need to turn it around in the garage, and I will start it for that even if I can't drive on the street, but I'll let it get fully warm before shutting it down for the above reasons. That's kind of how I play it, start for a reason = yes, start it just to start it = no.
The last time my engine ran was 11/28/10, so it has already been more than 2 months since it turned over. I don't think this is a big deal, and won't start it anytime soon given the weather. Eventually, I will need to turn it around in the garage, and I will start it for that even if I can't drive on the street, but I'll let it get fully warm before shutting it down for the above reasons. That's kind of how I play it, start for a reason = yes, start it just to start it = no.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,505
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From: Butler Pa
Don't listen to anything this guy says. He has no idea what he's talking about. I'd just stay away from him, unless he's a relative, then you don't have a choice.
I leave a trickle charger on my battery all winter, but never start it unless I'm going to drive it. Most of the wear in an engine happens on cold starts.
I leave a trickle charger on my battery all winter, but never start it unless I'm going to drive it. Most of the wear in an engine happens on cold starts.
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I only start the cars when I am able to take them for a good drive. Most winters I am able to do that. This year, forget it. It snows every day.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 264
Likes: 1
From: west central INDIANA
every month or two, I go out and start it, let it run on fast idle (1600 rpm) for a half hour or so. I prefer the oil be up in the top end, and in the cylinders. I don`t know if this is a good thing, or not ? Cold garage, no heat, only indoors, never seen rain.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 252
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From: Fredericksburg Va.
Start it up , bring it up to temperature , let it run another 5 to 10 minutes at two grand , shut it down and this will never hurt a thing. If weather permits always best to drive it 5 to 10 miles.
Le Mans Master
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From: Butler Pa
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: staten island new york
St. Jude Donor '10
i had to start it a couple of weeks ago to move some furniture out of the house and back through the garage. the vette actually touched snow. i've been meaning to post pics of this.....i always try to start it and take it for a drive 7-10 miles. like what other people have said bring it up to temp and drive it through all the gears. this winter is not co-operating
Melting Slicks
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From: SUFFIELD CT USA 2023 C8 CORVETTE UN-MODIFIED FINALIST
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One reason 'FOR ALL OF THIS " is that water vapor is a by-product of combustion and this will introduce water into your exhaust system and crankcase if you don't do all of this. The car needs to be brought up to and sustain normal operating temperature in order to burn this off. Taking the car for a drive thru all of the gears is also good for all of the
seals and the brakes if your car is the original non o-ring type. Some people prefer not to start the car at all if it cannot be driven for at least 20 minutes.
I recently fried my Harley when a battery charger went bad AND I am now so shell shocked that I prefer to start my
HARLEY, Mustang, and Vette to charge them normally. I realize this is rare but I'm sure its happened to others. Some storage facilities have rules about leaving electrical devices plugged in which takes trickle chargers out of the equation.
seals and the brakes if your car is the original non o-ring type. Some people prefer not to start the car at all if it cannot be driven for at least 20 minutes.
I recently fried my Harley when a battery charger went bad AND I am now so shell shocked that I prefer to start my
HARLEY, Mustang, and Vette to charge them normally. I realize this is rare but I'm sure its happened to others. Some storage facilities have rules about leaving electrical devices plugged in which takes trickle chargers out of the equation.
Last edited by BPHORSEGUY; Feb 2, 2011 at 04:32 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Western NY
To circulate oil to the seals and gaskets, to keep them from drying up, preventing half of the valve springs from being under tension for extended periods, and getting the A/C circulating for the same reasons....and that's why I do it, and have been doing it since I started storing specialty cars in 1977....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
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From: Paoli, IN
St. Jude Donor '17, '19
This all seams to be advice for a cold storage. If the vette is in a heated garage, or a temperature controlled storage, does the turning it on and driving it around once every few weeks still need to be done?
How often should you run the car up to temperature?
How often should you run the car up to temperature?