Hey guys,

Age old question, but i just bought my vette this summer and im wondering what things i should do to make sure my car will last the winter. Im storing it inside but it's not heated. Other than unhooking the battery and making sure the fuel is topped up, what other things should i be concerned about??

Thanks!

-Aaron

 

I would...

1) Make sure you have non-freezing windshield washer fluid;

2) Use a fuel stabilizer;

3) put rags into your tailpipes and any intake openings to keep rodents out; perhaps some moth ***** inside the car as well.

4) Some people store cars on jack stands to avoid flat-spotting the tires, but others claim this is hard on the suspension, to go for so long without a load on the components. Depends how you feel about it.

5) Check the tire pressures periodically, especially if your car is not stored on jack stands. Colder weather can lower the tire pressure and promote flat-spotting (or so I am told). I don't know how big this effect really is.

6) Check your fluid levels... coolant level and oil level... opinion seems split on whether one should change oil before, or after, winter storage, but either way keep the oil in there. I'm inclined to change the oil beforehand, because I don't like the idea of dirty oil from the driving season sitting around in there for 6 months.

 

Though my garage doesn't fall below freezing I park the car on carpet swatches (for no good reason). I don't use a fuel stabilizer because I sneak out on nice (clean street) days. I do charge my battery twice a week with my Ctek MULTI US 3300. In spring it's an oil change and new air filter element.

 

Is it winter already in Edmonton?

I guess living in the desert I don't realize how quickly the seasons change north of here.....

Regardless - check out this article on winter storage....

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/tech/care/storage.html

 

This is the earliest I have ever seen this topic brought up here. Can't you wait a little while.... please.



FYI: flat spotting of tires was mentioned above. THAT is a thing of the past with old bias ply tires. Won't happen with today's tires. If a tire should flat spot after sitting for two years, it will be perfectly round again in about 2 miles...

 

1. ensure winshield washer and anti freeze are good to 10 degrees colder than you expect it to get.
2. change the oil this fall beforeyou put it to sleep
3. leave the battery connected and hook up a battery float charger
4. put a heavy duty plastic tarp on the concrete as a vapor barrier
5. inflate the tires to their side wall max to prevent flat spotting
6. Use a fuel stabilizer
7. put some damp rid or other dessicant inside the car and completely close the windows. ( i use drierite cannisters that are rejuvenated in the stove, Any gun shop will carry them for keeping gun safes dry)
8. treat weatherstripping with a protectant like Aerospace 303.
9. rodent proof the vehicle and garage( traps, bait etc)

 

I hate going from Hot to Cold

 

winter who's talking about winter bit your tongue

 

clean car inside and out... overinflate tires... stabil in gas let it run for a bit... unhook negative battery cable

car sits in a garage and isnt touched for 4-5mths and it deff gets below freezing

in spring hook battery up it fires right up and inflate tires and roll

 

If it's not snowing,,Drive it!!!

 

Mines going into storage next week Til April...

But ya, most of what the others have posted already.

 

All good suggestions above except you do not want to unhook your battery, for a couple of reasons. Just leave it hooked up and buy one of the float battery chargers such as the Battery tender or the C-Tek, I've got a Battey tender plus for mine, it comes with a little harness that you just leave connected to the battery. It's long enough it will make it to the cowl so you don't even need to open the hood to disconnect or connect. The couple of reasons that you don't want to disconnect your battery. One, it will eventually go dead just sitting if not hooked up to a charger periodically and this will shorten the life of the battery. Two, I think if you disconnect the battery for a long period of time you will loose all your presets for the radio and memory So if your going to have to charge it periodically you might as well get one of the float chargers and leave it hooked up. If you don't want to spring for the $50-$60 for the name brand float chargers get one from Harbor Freight, besides the Battery Tender Plus, I also own 4 of the Harbor Freight brand, these sell for $9.95 but you can get them on sale for $5 or $6. I use one on my C3, my lawn tractor, my snow machine and a spare battery I keep on the bench.

 

All that needed re-setting on mine was the clock. The radio was fine.

 

It's too early for this question.

I refuse to read the replies!

Dave

 

Way too early for this, even in Minnesota. However, here's my list that I use each year...never had an issue in the Spring.

1) Change oil.
2) Check radiator for leaves, blockages, etc. I always get a bunch of leaves up there in the Fall. I check it while it's up on the rack getting the oil changed.
3) Check, clean, or change, the intake air filter, as it applies to you.
4) Fill the gas tank.
5) Put Stabil, or some such fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank.
6) Check all fluid levels.
7) Ensure all tires have at least the normal tire pressure (for example, 30psi in a C5).
8) Vacuum, dust and clean the interior of the car.
9) Wash and wax the car.
10) Clean and polish each wheel.
11) Apply tire dressing to each tire.
12) Park on plywood pieces to isolate the tires from the ground or cement.
a. This will keep moisture from leaching into the tire’s rubber.
13) Apply silicone (i.e. Sylglide) to all rubber seals on windows, doors and hatch. Leave windows just a bit down so as to ease seal compression.
14) Remove the battery and place it on a “maintainer”, NOT a trickle charger.
15) Place Bounce fabric softener sheets in each tailpipe, inside the car and in the engine compartment, to keep the rodents out.
16) Place a cover over the car.
15) Place mouse glue traps, on the floor, at all four corners of the car.
17) Start dreaming about the next Corvette season, all the while remembering that each day is another closer to Spring!

Ed

 

Change your oil, put StaBil in the gas, air up the tires a bit more than normal, and hook a battery tender to the battery - no need to take it out of the car that way. I always used an indoor car cover too - kept the dust off the paint.

 

I am patrial to the first post where they state they would rather change the oil prior to storing. I do the same thing.

 

Each to their own, I guess. I realize that many just hook up a tender and do not remove the battery. However, the battery is simple to remove and all I ever have to reset are the radio presets and the main computer resets itself after a few miles of driving. I just figure there's less chance of a fire in case anything were to malfunction, under the cover, over the course of a winter. Also, if the tender were to malfunction and go into a continual charge mode, no fumes would be trapped under the cover.
Ed

 

Tuesday Aug 18th:

I think you broke the record

The soonest I have ever seen this asked before was Sept 5th

Peace
Chip

 

Cut a bar of Irish Spring into quarters.

One under each seat. One in the boot. One under the hood.

NO MICE. They hate the smell of the stuff. Much better smelling than moth *****