Winter storage - To do list

Do not start the car unless you are going to get all fluids to full operating temperature, which is hard to do unless you drive it. Modern tires don't flat spot, but you can't hurt it moving it some. I'm in the Army and have had to store my Corvette many times, the longest was 13 months and the tires didn't flat spot. Everything else they said is spot on. 4-6 months of proper storage is nothing for a modern car.

Some people like to change the oil before storage. The thinking behind this is that contamination that cause acid build up in the oil is what is bad for your bearings, the good news is that synthetic oil is better at reducing acid than dino oil. I use Amsoil Signature Series and after a year of use (~5,000 miles) and stored last winter for 5 months the oil analysis said the oil was good to go.

 

Don't start it unless you're going to drive it.

 

put it on jack stands dont over inflate the tires

Keep moisture out of the garage with heat. Condensation is the absolute worst thing in cold winters. Been there done that

Park it in your living room on jack stands for the winter

 

Hi Fab. I guess it depends on how far you want to go but what I did was look at some of the posh car storage places over here in the UK, check out their highest rated tariffs, and just replicated that. I guess we can each do as we please but they all have the car run about once a month, all the way up to operating temperature, and, as has been said, every switch and electrical circuit operated, especially the motors for your lights and windows.

I store mine in one of these with a dehumidifyer inside set to hold a constant Relative Humidity of 50%. http://www.carcoon.com/ Some may well say it's OTT but it keeps your car in perfect nick and the dehumidifyer ensures that rust isn't an issue, also not bad for the electrics to keep things relatively dry. The units come with a battery conditioner as part of the setup so everything is pretty much taken care of.

All of the above said, my car has just been away having a completely new interior fitted. She sat with the battery disconnected for 8 weeks. When she was done, I flicked the battery back on and did an ECU relearn - she fired on the turn of the key and idled perfectly. All electrics are fine and driving her you wouldn't know she had sat around for a bit, even my gear shifts are totally slick which I was worried about as they weren't when I got her.

 

Don't worry about the tires. A few months of rest won't hurt them. Jackstands aren't worth the trouble either. If the springs didn't sag from driving, they won't during the Winter.

 

Yes, and who wants the suspension at full drop a place it wasn't designed to be at for very long?

Clean and dry, fresh oil and gas with sta-bil, and a battery tender that's really all that's needed.

 

The problem in Ontario is not the bad weather but the liquified salt the city puts on the roads every time the temperature drops below 0. I used to drive the car once a month in years past but no more as the roads are never salt free.

There is no problem starting the car during the winter but its a very bad idea to run the car for only 10 minutes......you will fill the motor with moisture and make the oil acidic.
The reason one starts the car is to protect the rubber timing belt (its NOT a corvette with a metal timing chain). If you leave the car parked for 5 or 6 months with out starting the motor you are damaging the rubber timing belt.

When you start the car idle it till it reaches full operating temperature.....this will take 15-20 minutes....once both fans cycle on/off a few times you have vaporized the water in the oil.
Then you fast idle the car for a few more minutes.....the car will get super hot and then you are done.
Park the car again for another month.

 

I would not put the car on jack stands.......this is something our parents and grand parents used to do and is not a good thing for modern cars (and is damaging to the suspension).

 

+1

Plus you burn at least half a tank of that gas you put in , until the fresh stuff goes back in for may.

Make sure you pump the brakes a bit too, and the clutch to roll out of the garage Abit, I use the heater too, and head lights ....every 4-5 weeks is ideal for a 25 minute idle.

 

I rev mine...20 minutes and over is good as you need the car to get nice and hot ...avoid condensation in the cats as well if you have them in the car. Bumping the brakes and clutch is just as important, to avoid any type of seizing come spring time....open both doors, if not too cold, roll the windows ...make sure sure over the winter you don't have the windows closed tight ...best to keep them open, just a crack so they don't stick to the rubber. You could start getting very detailed and rub some light grease on all the rubbers in the door jams, lids, wd40 all your hinges.
Ps. I have never used stabilizer in my fuel ...just use a fuel with less ethanol.

 

Point taken, but how does not starting damage the belt, the timing belt can't be that different than the accessory drive belt on my Vette that sat for 13 months.

 

Tires won't get destroyed, but you will get temporary flatspots in them if the car is left idle for a while. The steering wheel will probably shimmy or you might think your alignment is off until the tires warm up and work out the flat spot. You can avoid this by putting FlatStoppers in your garage and parking on them. They are pricey little ramps, but a much simpler solution than jackstands or anything else kinda crazy like that.

I bought mine off of eBay, but here's a link with a picture:
http://www.raceramps.com/flatstoppers.aspx

I'm new around here, this is my first post and I haven't yet bought a Ferrari. But I do have another garage queen that does not get driven regularly and so I'm familiar with long term storage and keeping it running well with infrequent use. I do religiously use Sta-bil when I put the car into hibernation and put the battery on a Battery Tender.

 

The belt when sitting for long periods of time then form. It does not stay as elastic, and the bearings themselves can also get rusty and not spin as freely....at which point , more than likely will start to ooze out the grease. This has been discussed at great lengths for many years in here, it's a known fact not to leave a Ferrari untouched for long periods of time.

 

That makes sense, maybe I shouldn't buy one until I get out of the Army???

 

If you're worried about flat spots, get some of those car dollies - they run about $100 a set and are curved to fit the tires. The side bonus is you can move the car around if you like to make more room in the garage. I have a set for my car but can drive it pretty much year round so it only goes on them if I want to move the car to a corner of the garage to work on something else.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/big-red-1000-lbs-car-dolly-1161639

 

- the tank is a modern build and it doesn't matter if it's full or not. it won't corrode. ethanol may be an issue but I leave that to someone else to answer.
- yes, I overinflate them. worked great - I didn't even move the car
- trickle charge is a must
- I never started the car during winter. no problems.

I usually put it in hibernation for 6 months.

 

Ok I'm a professional auto tech and I'll just share my opinion on this stuff.


Like others have said, there's no need to start the car if your not going to drive it. Condensation is left in the exhaust and oil, and it breaks everything down.

As far as the fuel stabilizer, I personally believe that it is a waste of money unless you are storing the car for over a year or you are storing it in a VERY moist area. Half the time I store my car with only half a tank of gas, and I've never had a problem.

Radial tires don't need special attention when being stored. Just make sure they're full, and you're good to go.

The trickle charger is a good idea though.


Of course this is all just my opinion from my personal and professional experiences.



Bill

 

I understand it's not a good idea to start the car periodically while is storage, would it be a good idea to turn the engine over from time to time to rotate the belts?

 

I don't start unless there's at least 10 miles of fun afterwords

 

Store it in a climate controlled facility like every other exotic owner in your area.

 

When belts are new, they are stored with several bends in them. It doesn't harm them at all. I wouldn't be worried about it.

 

That makes sense I never thought of it that way.