How often do you start your vette winter months?
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,891
Likes: 0
From: Warren MI
These are interesting posts...I often wonder about this too. I work on a major road in the Detroit area. During the winter...when the streets are dry and clear...I always see large semi trucks going by. When they do there is an amazing cloud of "salt dust" that they kick up. It looks like a roostertail off a speed boat. I have taken to waiting until it not only warms up but rains a couple of times to wash that salt away. This area uses an insane amount of salt during the winter. Maybe I am paranoid but I can't help but think that salt dust is going to get under the car.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,512
Likes: 0
From: Self-Governing
WOW, I find it interesting but odd that there is such a variation of opinions regarding this question. I thought one person would answer, everyone else would say "
" or "
" and the thread would die.
Keep 'um coming...
" or "" and the thread would die. Keep 'um coming...
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,763
Likes: 0
From: Fayetteville NC
I've been PUSHING mine out of the garage and letting it sit in the sun for awhile before I start it if it has been in the "cold" for a few days. I do this if it's 45 to 55 degrees outside. I don't think it got out of the 20's here today. That's not normal thank goodness. My garage is not heated and stays pretty cold if the temperature has been down for a few days straight. Once I start the car, I drive it around for about 20 minutes. This is my first winter with the car so not sure how effective this is. It works for the lawn mower though.
People, don't send me emails because I compared my Vette to my mower. It's a double bagger with a Honda engine. Self propelled of course. Merry Christmas everyone.
People, don't send me emails because I compared my Vette to my mower. It's a double bagger with a Honda engine. Self propelled of course. Merry Christmas everyone.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,404
Likes: 791
From: Redondo Beach, California
When you start your engine, the exhaust immediatly makes water as a combustion byproduct. You need to run the engine long enought in time so that the exhaust heats up to temperatures way above boiing so that all the water from the early engine turn on is evaporated and expelled. Yes start your engine, but run it for a realitvely long time to heat it up and get rid of water byproducts.
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Verdad Gallardo
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 275
Likes: 13
From: South Bend, Indiana
Originally Posted by Paul Borowski
I disconnect the batteries(have battery disconnects in all four)and don't start them until spring. To me, and this is just my opinion, it's better to leave them in "dead cold storage". I've read enough articles that pretty much say if you can't start the car and actually "DRIVE" it for at least 30 minutes once you do get it started, you're doing more harm than good. For the first couple years, I used to start mine every couple weeks, but after reading all the articles on it that I did, I've been for the last 12yrs or so just checking the anti-freeze, airing up the tires if they need it & disconnecting all the batteries. Seems best for me.
I agree with you. I used to start up and let it run for 1/2 hour before I found out that isn't enough to rid the exhaust system of condensed moisture. Also the fact that extended idling (carb cars only) results in an excessively rich mixture that has its own several unfortunate results. You can easily guess what those are.
