Any thoughts on this:

I am storing my 01 Vette in an underground heated parking garage for the winter (Nov-Mar). Is it better to start it up and run it around the garage (like going around one short block) once a week or let it sit for the 5 months? Advantages and problems of each option are appreciated

Thanks for the help

 

If your going to drive once a week, it's better to drive it enough miles to completely warm it up. Otherwise let it sit. Short trips cause the wear.

 

I just took my Z out of 7 months of storage last week(deployed to Iraq) with no problems. Here's what I did:

Washed and wax the exterior. Cleaned the interior.

Changed the oil immediately prior to storing her.

Filled the gas tank and added an appropriate amount of fuel stabilizer (Stabil)

Over inflated the tires to avoid flat spotting. I also placed the tires on thick carpeting.

Added silica packs to the interior to avoid moisture/mildew.

Attached a battery charger (4 stage 'float' charger) to maintain the battery.

Covered all inlets (air, tailpipes, etc) as well as any opening I can find to prevent any critters from making my Z their summer cottage. Also added mothballs in the engine compartment, on and around the tires, and around the vehicle for the same reason (critters). As far as starting it on a regular basis I have always been told that unless you run her up to temp, it's best to not run her at all.

That's about all I did. She started right up after 7 months. I also changed the oil again immediately upon taking her out of storage because I remember reading somewhere that moisture does build up over long periods of inactivity. Either way it's cheap insurance.

Hope this helps, Chris

 

This is important putting a charger on the battery.
I strongly recommend a VDC Electronics Battery Minder or
a Deltran Battery Tender Plus. You can leave either of these
on indefinately with no fear of battery damage.

 

Park mine clean, with fuel stabilzer, battery tender hooked up, covered , in my friends heated shop. I don't start it until rollout in the spring. Never had any problems. I agree with previous posts, that if you run it, do so in a way that you can get all fluids up to operating temps. Just my .02 worth.

 

The only time you should ever start up your engine during the storage period would be if you are able to take it out for a half hour drive and get the oil up above 180F for a while, to get rid of any moisture in it. When you first start up your engine a lot of moisture gets into the oil.

Plus, if you start up your engine cold the air/fuel mixture is very rich, and idling it during this time will build up more carbon and put fuel into your oil.

 

How much did you over inflate the tires by? I am storing mine next weekend for 6 months

 

Thanks for the ideas - a charger for the battery and let it sit. Its clean with a fresh oil change and no critters

 

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/tech/care/storage.html
Check it out.

 

Wow sounds like the guys have you covered. Great advice. I take the battery right out. The first year I left it in with the battery Tender but since then I have just removed it and had the battery on the Tender. I also put the car on four pieces of 2" extruded styrofoam to stop the tires from flat spotting. Works great and light and storage when not in use is easy. My .02

 

all good advice here. I go and start mine 1 time a month , let it get up to operating temp,,then take it out for a semi-long cruise..if there happens to be no salt or snow in the forecast,,then I might even drive it a few days..I have done this with my C5 and when I had my Z28 and never had any problems. Last year I left the battery connected, no tender,, and as long as I started it once a month and drove it it was fine..but If I hadn't been able to drive it or start once a month I would have put the battery tender on for sure.

man, I am gonna miss the vette

 

I wish i had an underground heated parking garage. My poor car stays in a dark, heatless garage. Maybe ill get a nite light for her