Winter for my 308 - any tips?

Overall souds good, I use Stabil.

Only thing I coud add is to use non ethanol blended fuel if you don't already.

 

Why non-ethanol?

I asked because 99.9% of the stations here in colorado have ethanol added, I think its mandatory because of the altitude and ozone concerns.

James in Denver

 

Don't forget to overinflate your tires....~40lbs so you don't get flat spots.
Other than that, make sure to periodically go out and have a beer with her over the winter while she sleeps.

JIM

 

Ethanol's tendancy to absorb moisture.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=175381&page=2

 

Do you run the engine after you add Stabil and, if so, for how long?

 

Definately go with rodent control, that's probably one of your largest threats actually. They can eat fuel/water lines and do thousands of $$$ damage to the wiring loom.......

I found a red rag full of pinion nut shells under the spare tire of one of mine, from Portland OR.......

 

And another Ferrari, they bit into the window washer tubing, to drink that....LOL!


Chomp....chomp.......

 

Ants....ants seem attracted to the electrical field of some components.

Then you get two colonies at a turf war, thousands of dead ants in your carpet..........

 

Don't fill to the brim with fuel. Allow for some expansion. Read the thread mentioned above by Meister. Good thought about the rodent control. Any suggestions from anyone? I friend of mine uses dried cows blood in little containers around the garage perimeter. I have also seen people use moth balls. I'm not a huge fan of poison since the bodys of the dead mice often get eaten by pets that end up getting poisoned. I guess that's one way to keep the neihbors kitty from leaving paw prints on your freshly waxed car. My fav has always been the good old fashioned spring mouse traps. Let us know what you have found that works or doesn't?

 

The boxes with the adhesive floor are the way to go, enclosed so pets don;t get them, when you look in there and see a crowd, toss them out and get new....

Cats are worthless....my ranch cat slept on top of the car while the field mice ate all the carb fuels lines.....

Then the dogs ate the car cover!

Tough neighborhood, I tell ya!

 

Michael,

You can certainly do all that's been mentioned here, but my advice is to drive it whenever you can during the winter months. I've been doing just that since I bought my car in January, 2002 (snow and sleet all the way from Long Island on the day of purchase). You'll be happy with the improved performance in cold weather. Just make sure you don't have summer tires mounted.

Barry

 

I don't worry about storing cars for the winter here in Florida, but I do use Stabil in my emergency generator because I can go up to 6 months without starting it. I add the Stabil then run it for a good 15 minutes to make sure it gets mixed thru the fuel line and carb. Have never had a problem when it comes time to start it up again. Would think the same would be true for a car, might run it a little longer. By running the engine after you add the Stabil I think you help prevent the gum deposits from forming in the lines/carbs/injectors.

 

Actually, add stabilizer, then fill up, then drive for a few minutes (gas station to home should be enough). Putting the stabilizer in before you fill allows it to mix as the fuel is stirring up the tank. If you are only storing the car for a few months, it's not all that critical as the fuel is not likely to go bad in that short amount of time. Long term storage (well over 6 months, or for a year or more), then there are other things that need to be done. But a few months over the winter are not that critical, especially if you plan on starting the car every now and then.

BTW, even if you are using a battery cut-off switch, it's not a bad idea to use a trickle charger to keep the battery fully topped up. And changing the engine oil before putting it to bed is good to, as you get all the acids out of the crankcase. Same with coolant, if your car is due for that as well.

 

Correct. I only run things about 5 minutes though...

I just broke out the snowblower for the first time yesterday, it had been sitting since last March. The thing started in 1/2 a second (electric start).

I know some poeple have had problems with fuel stabilizers, but I totally believe in the stuff. I think most problems occur with over useage, ie..wrong mixture.

 

Filling it up with Aviation gas for the winter storage will also help to not absorb moisture, no ethanol content, and you don't really need a stabilizer, so if you have a little airport by your home and several gas cans you might look into that.

Plus it will smell really, really good when you start her up in the spring.

 

Drive your car as much as possible over the winter it has a heater , leaving a car sit like that is not good for it and besides that they are just as much fun in the cold,but do put it on a battery tender.

 

If this winter is like most others on the East Coast there is a one - two month period when there will be too much sand and salt on the ground to want to take out the car. But other than that, you'll have plenty of driving opportunities. I think my car was locked down for maybe 40 days last year.

 

My Indie Ferrari mechanic told me to just dump a bottle of Chevron Techron that treats 16 gallons of fuel - it really doesn't matter if you have a full tank of gas, or not. If the fuel stablizer is in there in sufficient quantity, you'll be just fine for three short months....I would recommend a battery trickle charger to keep your battery alive.

 

Just a note AVGAS is low-lead. Not a good idea for cars with Catalytic converters.