I was just at the dealer and forgot to ask. What has to be done for winter storage? Climate control? Remove battery? Leave on Battery tender? Start monthly? I think my tires are not supposed to be used under 40 degrees. Do I need to do anything with tires in winter? I'm in MN so it gets cold. I thought I would store by the end of Oct. Maybe sooner.
Some ideas here... http://ferrariclubofamerica.org/fusetalk/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=1939 355s, but likely also relevant to Cali... http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355-sponsored-bradan/387883-winter-storage-do-list.html Can get some more ideas by Googling... ferrari winter storage site:www.ferrarichat.com One thing I didn't set in your list was fuel stabilizer. I've seen people suggest that for winter storage. I would think that trickle charger is a definite to-do. I have also seen people suggest over-inflating tires. Not certain why. I guess to reduce possible flat spots. I've not had my Cali over our admittedly mild Texas winters yet, but I have MPSS on my 997.2S. if you have summer performance tires, I would not use them much below 50 F, and no aggressive driving. Auto + normal mode for GT winter driving, while daydreaming of spring and grippier and twistier roads! 😀 Just my two cents...T Edit - I think it goes without saying, but no fancy cars in frozen precipitation. You're cool, but other people drive like maniacs! 😬
I just leave mine in the garage after putting in some STA-BIL fuel stabilizer, drive it for a few kms to circulate it. Maintain at least 1/2 tank of gas. Winter garages work better at slightly above freezing temperatures, well below house temperatures. The idea is to avoid condensation of atmospheric water from snow and ice you might drag into the same garage with your winter beater. I purposely avoid sealing my garage from all draft. A slight bit of constant air exchange ensures that temperatures are never "too warm" and that the air stays dry. You do not want heat cycles on any car sitting in humid air. If your garage can simply stay just above freezing, it will be perfect. As for your beater, it's also better for it if it can cool down quickly after you park it inside the garage. I place thick rubber mats under my tires and pump them up slightly to avoid flat-spotting (remember to lower them in the Spring). I do not start my car unless it needs service before the driving season and then I only flatbed the car. The car stays on the battery tender. My car which has the HELE option uses a more sophisticated learning program than the regular car and I lose valuable data if I disconnect the battery. The car must then be reprogrammed by putting it through a relearning process so I don't bother unhitching the battery. Don't drive your car over a Minneapolis Winter. Park it as soon as temperatures linger around 7-8°C. Summer tires can slide around like hockey pucks at those temperatures if you hit a wet patch. The roads will also collect very nasty debris even if you experience a thaw. I never drive my car before they sweep the roads here in early Spring. Having a fun car for a beater will help you avoid driving your baby in marginal weather and keep you entertained while you wait for Spring.
Hopefully your garage is heated as 4th recommends. He is also correct, PZero's are extremely dangerous in even 1/16" of snow! MPSS are equally bad. Salt on roads is also very slippery. If you want to drive it in the winter then do what I do, buy an extra set of wheels and a set of SottoZero snow & ice tires, then drive the crap out of her all year which is what I do with both my T and my FF. Otherwise, fill it with gas, park it, plug in your Ferrari trickle charger and let her set. I only plug the charger in if I know it will sit more than two weeks.
Rick, I actually recommend AGAINST heating your garage and it would help if the garage can be kept cool and dry. If your cars collect snow and ice as well as road salt and grit the heated garage would rapidly thaw the wet stuff, dissolve the salt, coating the car body and may encourage corrosion. IMO, it's better to just let the car sit at slightly above freezing temperatures for the entire Winter. However, I do concur with the SottoZeros on separate rims.
I'm just 150 miles north of you and this is what I've done for the past 25 years clean inside/out car cover full tanks premium non ethanol fuel with correct amount of stabilizer. fresh oil Battery tender (on cars with computers/ecu's, old school corvettes I just take it out) heated 50+ degrees is nice, but not necessary count down the days till mid may I never periodically start and/or let the car idle. that does far more damage than help. Depending on where your car came from (where you bought it), make sure it has the correct antifreeze in it. It's very rare, but some people do still run just straight water and that will obviously cause issues if your space is not heated.
I rented a place that keeps it above 55. It has an outlet next to car, so I can plugin battery tender. I purchased in Calgary, so it should be good with antifreeze. Thanks for advice.
Unfortunately I have a 2,000 sq ft heated/air conditioned "garage" that I also use to work on model airplanes. In the winter I keep it about 64 degrees. It helps climbing into a somewhat warm car in the morning. I agree on the potential for corrosion and there are plenty of parts on a Ferrari that are not well protected but driving down salty roads, sloppy wet with melted snow and salt, and the new crap they insist on spreading, brine, all are not good for the Ferrari. By the way, speaking about slippery crap, BRINE is way more slippery than snow when first spread on the roads. Even SottoZero's have trouble with fresh brine.
So Rick, I see where your Fcars stand when it comes to your model airplanes. I haven't thought about how slippery brine gets but you're right, it is a lot worse than straight water. Which is probably why they also throw so much dirt and fine gravel on the roads here. Makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it.
If you don't want to drive it during winter, it's pretty easy to store it. 1: Fill your tank with 91 AKI or higher gasoline. 2: Add Sta-Bil Fuel stabilizer at the gasstation. 3: Drive home. 4: Clean car inside and out. 5: Park the car on some small sand bags or thick rubber pads. 6: Inflate tyres to 45 PSI when cold. 7: Put it on the charger. 8: Cover it if you wish to do so and kiss it goodnight.
What DK said. Might want to warm up car and go around the block briefly to dry off water caught under hood, in door jams and on suspension/exhaust between steps 4/5.
Depending on where you live, I'd consider putting some mousetraps in the garage and even under the car. You do NOT want vermin nesting in there....even if the traps are never triggered, at least it's early warning if you have them around.
