Winter storage
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 5,348
Likes: 3,317
These makes sense if occasional use is possible during the winter.
In my end of the world the car goes into storage when the snow stays on the roads (the average date is November 22) and stays my hilly quarter-mile driveway is snow free, along with the roads. Dropping liability and collision is a simple email to my agent and saves a couple of hundred dollars. Unfortunately, my motorcycle policies do not allow the same.
In my end of the world the car goes into storage when the snow stays on the roads (the average date is November 22) and stays my hilly quarter-mile driveway is snow free, along with the roads. Dropping liability and collision is a simple email to my agent and saves a couple of hundred dollars. Unfortunately, my motorcycle policies do not allow the same.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 67
Likes: 13
From: Lebanon, Ohio
Adding to what others have said about "warming up" a car occasionally...here's why it must be driven:
You all remember from high school chemistry that burning hydrocarbons releases primarily carbon dioxide and water (plus relatively small quantities of other stuff we call pollution). The problem is that until the oil gets up to around 212F, some of the moisture in the exhaust gasses are absorbed into the motor oil. Above this temperature all moisture is vaporized... the oil can't hold moisture above its boiling point.
But, you must drive the car in order to get the oil up to this correct operating temperature of around 212F; it will probably never get there just idling even if the coolant gets to its operating limit. Add to that the fact that when cold, engines operate on their "fuel-rich" open-loop program, which exacerbates the moisture problem. Plus, the catalytic converter never "lights off" at idle because EGTs are too low.
You all remember from high school chemistry that burning hydrocarbons releases primarily carbon dioxide and water (plus relatively small quantities of other stuff we call pollution). The problem is that until the oil gets up to around 212F, some of the moisture in the exhaust gasses are absorbed into the motor oil. Above this temperature all moisture is vaporized... the oil can't hold moisture above its boiling point.
But, you must drive the car in order to get the oil up to this correct operating temperature of around 212F; it will probably never get there just idling even if the coolant gets to its operating limit. Add to that the fact that when cold, engines operate on their "fuel-rich" open-loop program, which exacerbates the moisture problem. Plus, the catalytic converter never "lights off" at idle because EGTs are too low.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,071
From: Guelph, Ontario
Keep in mind, you don't need to get your oil up to 212F in order to remove the moisture, even though that's the boiling point of water. A lot of Corvettes will never see oil temps that high even if driven for hours on the highway. I know that mine will not go over 190F unless I'm stopped in traffic or driving it hard. But if I start it up cold and jump on the highway the oil temp won't go anywhere near 212F. But the key is, even below 212F the moisture will be removed, it just takes a little bit longer. But idling it in your driveway would probably take an hour or more to remove all the moisture from the oil, but a half hour drive with the oil temp reaching 180-190 should do the trick.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 582
Likes: 170
From: Indiana
Adding to what others have said about "warming up" a car occasionally...here's why it must be driven:
You all remember from high school chemistry that burning hydrocarbons releases primarily carbon dioxide and water (plus relatively small quantities of other stuff we call pollution). The problem is that until the oil gets up to around 212F, some of the moisture in the exhaust gasses are absorbed into the motor oil. Above this temperature all moisture is vaporized... the oil can't hold moisture above its boiling point.
But, you must drive the car in order to get the oil up to this correct operating temperature of around 212F; it will probably never get there just idling even if the coolant gets to its operating limit. Add to that the fact that when cold, engines operate on their "fuel-rich" open-loop program, which exacerbates the moisture problem. Plus, the catalytic converter never "lights off" at idle because EGTs are too low.
You all remember from high school chemistry that burning hydrocarbons releases primarily carbon dioxide and water (plus relatively small quantities of other stuff we call pollution). The problem is that until the oil gets up to around 212F, some of the moisture in the exhaust gasses are absorbed into the motor oil. Above this temperature all moisture is vaporized... the oil can't hold moisture above its boiling point.
But, you must drive the car in order to get the oil up to this correct operating temperature of around 212F; it will probably never get there just idling even if the coolant gets to its operating limit. Add to that the fact that when cold, engines operate on their "fuel-rich" open-loop program, which exacerbates the moisture problem. Plus, the catalytic converter never "lights off" at idle because EGTs are too low.
