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Long term storage in garage - how best to avoid flat spotting tires?
I'm looking to park my C5 for awhile, a year or two, in a garage. It's in northeast so temps will swing cold and hot. Is it best to park tires on some sort of carpet or rubber floor tile? Or does it matter? Flooring is concrete with epoxy.
Also, is it best to disconnect battery or run a battery tender? I will have very infrequent access to the car so I dunno if good idea to hook something up electrical.
If I had a jack and stands I might put it up on those.....but truth be told....modern tires dont flat spot like vintage steel radials did.
Your choice on DCing the battery.....wont hurt anything if you do, after the first 40 miles or so the tables get repopulated with mixture data and you re back to full power.
If I had my CTech battery charger I'd leave it on that though.....keeps the battery healthy.
Also, maybe leave the windows cracked a half inch (equal humidity inside and out equals no condensation), and of course Techron or SeaFoam in a full tank of gas......no problem you'll be good to go.
Yep, what ^^^^ he said only in my case, based on my experiences I'd go with a Battery Tender Plus.
Plus put some mothballs around, dryer sheets inside (mice hate 'em) and I'd probably even put some aluminum foil ***** into the exhaust tips so nothing can crawl up there as well.
Change the oil, put Stabil in, fill up with gas and park it.
If it's available in your area, fill the fuel tank with ethanol free marine gas. It's only 90 octane but way better for storage than the normal pump fuel. I agree with adding Techron while in storage
Actually modern tires do flat spot, just not as often or as bad. I had one flat spot after 6 months storage and it took several weeks of driving before it smoothed out. Tires lose a pound of pressure for every 10 degrees drop in ambient temp. So over inflating by a few pounds will help keep them firm. The fact is, modern tires can flat spot and usually it's because they are underinflated. It probably won't happen, but it's a pain in the A when it does.
I would do what has been suggested as far as fuel and oil. I'd pull the battery and have that stored where someone can check on it periodically.
As for tires, I agree that new tires don't flatspot like old bias ply tires. I personally park on carpet squares. I've heard others use the foam pads that people use for gardening.
Dryer sheets are good. Mice don't like the smell of peppermint either. I buy peppermint extract and put it on some cotton ***** which are placed throughout the car. I prefer the smell of peppermint over moth *****.
I would not leave the windows open. If you want, put a container or two of damp rid in the car.
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All excellent advice. When I store my car, I hook it to a Battery Tender Plus, put in a bottle of Techron and fill up the tank, park itnon carpet squares and put sheets of Bounce inside the car and in the engine compartment. I then put a car cover on the car.
I use 2" pink styrofoam cut into squares to park on. And as far as damp rid or something like it, be careful where you put it. I hung a bag on the coat hook of my wife's Grand Prix. Sometime over the winter it leaked on to the leather back seat and left some residue that I can't get off. Anybody have a suggestion how to get it out of the seat?
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Wouldn't leaving the car up on jack stands unload the car's suspension? Personally, I wouldn't do that for a year or two. If worried about flat spots (which I don't for 5 month storage) I would just move the car a foot or two forward or backward by hand every six months. The C5 can easily be pushed by hand.
Other things I do, full tank of ethanol free gas mixed with Sta-Bil. Inflate tires a extra few pounds as they seem to loose some pressure over my 5 month storage. In your case, I would check the tire pressures every time you move the car, inflate as needed. If worried about mice, do as others have recommended. Since you'll only have limited access to your C5, Id unhook the battery and take out of car. Do not put the battery directly on concrete (not sure why, Dad just told me not to do that, lol). I also tell my insurance agent to take collision off my policy as it saves me $. Not sure I agree with leaving windows cracked open. Of course, put a soft cover over it. Kiss it goodnight.
I think if I had to put mine into storage for a few years I'd put it on some wheels dollies. That's the only different thing I'd do. Not sure how wide they are though.
Last edited by mstromquist; 05-20-2018 at 01:37 PM.
I've been doing the "winter storage routine" for several cars, since the late 1970s. I never put it up on stands, because in case of emergency, I may need to be able to move the car....QUICKLY!
I inflate the tires to 40-42 lbs. of air pressure, and put 2-3 pieces of carpet squares under the tires....plus the fuel preservative in the tank.
I think if I had to put mine into storage for a few years I'd put it on some wheels dollies. That's the only different thing I'd do. Not sure how wide they are though.
these are the ones have and they have no sides and are great
Actually modern tires do flat spot, just not as often or as bad. I had one flat spot after 6 months storage and it took several weeks of driving before it smoothed out. Tires lose a pound of pressure for every 10 degrees drop in ambient temp. So over inflating by a few pounds will help keep them firm. The fact is, modern tires can flat spot and usually it's because they are underinflated. It probably won't happen, but it's a pain in the A when it does.
Correct.
My car is a garage queen and sometimes it's down long term simply because I'm going through the entire car (upgrade/refresh) mechanically.
The tires DO flat spot but usually go away after a couple drives/heat cycles.
lifting the car up some wont hurt anything....2 yrs? Just get a new battery they are like 100 at Walmart.
Mines been down for 2 yrs, didnt hurt anything. Fresh gas, new battery fired it right up. Its not that long to sit, dont worry about it.
cuisinartvette beat me to it. I'd disconnect the battery and buy a new one in 2 years or whatever if needed, rather than having a tender hooked up for 2 years.
Lots of good ideas here, one more thing is if you can arrange for it to be started occasionally, especially since it's cold, non-climate controlled storage. You wouldn.t want some valves open for two years, allowing humidity and things that crawl into the cylinders, you might get grudge rings where rings rust to the cylinders even if you oil them. Even starting it once a quarter year would help. Probable investing in a cheap humidity guage on it's roof as well. Humidity is it's mortal enemy.
05-20-2018, 12:37 AM
Long term storage in garage - how best to avoid flat spotting tires?
