(DIY) Winter Storage

[Vi3tboy]

Get your nice cars off the roads and keep them salt free! Had a few people ask me so I thought I'd make a thread about it.

Simple steps I have been using over the last few years to store my cars and have had great success.

Might have more pics later for updates.

Start with cleaning your car very well inside out. You don't want anything sticking for 6 months over the winter.




Then start cleaning where you will be storing your car.
I lay a tarp down to prevent moisture coming up from the ground. THen I lay down this thick cardboard stuff and carpet squares to prevent flat spots on my tires.



Park your car on there.
Put dryer sheets down everywhere in the car. This helps keep mice out of the car. I also put some in the bay and trunk as well.

Cover your exhuast(s) as well. Don't want shit going in there.

Make sure you fill your gas tank full, add extra air to your tires and then lastly add stabil into your tank for good measure. Let your car run for a bit to get stabil thru the system



Some people take their batteries out, I choose to run a battery maintainer. I leave my battery in and just connect it to the maintainer. Can be bought at stores for 20-30 bucks.



Then purchase a nice car cover that fits. Not too big or too small.


Sit back and enjoy your new winter beater



Keep an open mind, everyone has their own ways of doing it, some do extra steps, some don't. This is what I do every year. I haven't had any issues using my methods. If there is something you'd like to add lmk.

I'm sure I have missed some steps writing this DIY. I will add more when I remember.

[Famous_K-OS]

good ideas dana... i didnt think about the carpet and dryer sheets.... mine is going to be stored possibly in the backyard so def gonna think of some other things

[aojtin]

Good stuff Dana. Almost exactly what I do with mine. I like to put a few extra thick blankets on top of the car cover, just invade something is to land on it during the winter.

If you take all of these precautions it is more than enough rewarding in the spring and I garuntee you will love your car more.

[aojtin]

Originally Posted by Famous_K-OS

good ideas dana... i didnt think about the carpet and dryer sheets.... mine is going to be stored possibly in the backyard so def gonna think of some other things

A good thing to do for outside is to lay a tarp on the ground. Than drive your car on it. Then put another tarp on top. But don't make it air tight. You want it to breath so moisture doesn't stay trapped and rust stuff

[Vi3tboy]

The only problem with the extra blankets on top of the cover is moisture could build and get trapped. The cover is made to be breath to prevent that.

[aojtin]

Originally Posted by Vi3tboy

The only problem with the extra blankets on top of the cover is moisture could build and get trapped. The cover is made to be breath to prevent that.

True. I leave room Under the bottom and the car cover is somewhat loose. So air does flow around it. I just get concerned about the roof

[AlexD]

cool write up. thanks dana, ill sticky this

[AlexD]

edit,... already done! people, feel free to add in stuff as well!

[Famous_K-OS]

yeah andy i was already planning on throwing a tarp down and driving on to it... and then plugging all holes.... but who knows.... it may go into my cousins garage or my father inlaws garage... not sure yet.... gotta figure that out... im waiting on the baby beater/winter ride..., gotta see what the status is on it...

[Charlie Moua]

yes i do basically the same.


You can get a large plastic tarp at home depo/menards for $6-8....(the ones use for tents)

I get a trickle charger at autostores or find one on craigslist. It should not cost you more than $30

car cover is a must & fuel stablizer is highly reccomended




Some people never start their car through winter.
I personally start my car once every other month. Last time i didn't do it and my altenator pulley sized on me... lol

[Vi3tboy]

I don't start my car in the winter.

They say starting it once a month is hard on the motor. Bone dry starts aren't ideal. So only doing it one time in the spring time is better.

The last few years i've never started it thru the winter.

[aojtin]

Originally Posted by Famous_K-OS

yeah andy i was already planning on throwing a tarp down and driving on to it... and then plugging all holes.... but who knows.... it may go into my cousins garage or my father inlaws garage... not sure yet.... gotta figure that out... im waiting on the baby beater/winter ride..., gotta see what the status is on it...

yeah. thats usually what i do in the winter. its good to keep it elevated outside too. makes it harder for critters to get into it. take off the wheels and put it on cinder blocks.
this winter on of my cars is outside under an overhang. it should be okay since theres no motor in it.

for charlie and dana. I just pull the battery and bring it inside. that way it stays in its proper temperature. I see no reason to have it trickle charging all winter if its not getting used.

[aojtin]

Originally Posted by Vi3tboy

I don't start my car in the winter.

They say starting it once a month is hard on the motor. Bone dry starts aren't ideal. So only doing it one time in the spring time is better.

The last few years i've never started it thru the winter.

your car is new though. our cars are 20+ years old

[inspector01]

Good write up, ill add this to it:

Be careful with the cover, many people will get the cheap ones that don't breath well, and that is worse than no cover at all. I personally don't use a cover because mine is inside.

I also leave my battery in the car, just disconnect the negative, hook it back up in the spring and I've never had an issue. Make sure you have enough anti-freeze in if it is exposed to the cold, some people get too much water in there system throughout the summer.

As for spring time, I don't start mine throughout the winter normally, I pull it out, connect the ground, change the oil, turn it over to build pressure, than start it.

[GSR_Racer_Chick]

I leave the battery in the car and just disconnect it as well. Never start it either, I just let her sit all winter and wait for spring. Also because my car is outside I always make sure to keep brushing all the snow off and shovel around the car so air can still move around and under the car.

[brad]

Why do some people say to start it every now and then and others say not to?

[Vi3tboy]

Some people are afraid of things seizing up I suppose like charlie's incident.

Others theory is that the motor is so dry from sitting for a month. The dry startup is very harsh on the engine, then moisture is collected in the exhuast piping if the car is not ran long enough. I don't really know but the whole not starting it at all in the winter has worked for me.

[HondaNINE]

NIce write up... Is that your new dd?!

[GSR_Racer_Chick]

I've heard about the moisture building up and you hydrolock your engine because it's not running/moving enough to get all the water out. For me it's just easier to not worry about it and let her be. It's worked on the Integra for 6 years so I must be doing something right.

[Charlie Moua]

Well to be honest when my alternator pulley seized on me during storage it was probably because I didn't have a tarp on my garage floor & at the time my first house i bought the garage was on the side of hill so it collects moisture.

Because it collects moisture from the ground up & I didn't have a tarp under the car I think that's why my pulley got seized. The tension from the belt pressing on the pulley and moisture on the pulley don't go well together.


But this winter since my garage doesn't have much moisture I'll try it with out starting.

[Vi3tboy]

I have a tarp under and has seemed to work. Plus tarps are cheap enough at walmart. I think I bought mine for 8 dollars or something.

[jimy]

-Half tank of gas
-fuel stabilzer
-wax and detail car
-change all fluids
-on jacks
-car cover

usaully I have my wheels off the car, but this year, I decided to keep them on. Do you think that's to much pressure hanging on my suspension? What about the gas tank? Will moisture build inside since its only half full? I've done the half tank for 2 years now and no problem. I also just let my car sit all year long with the battery in the car unplugged.

[Vi3tboy]

fill up your tank imo is better

i leave my car on the tires.

[hamman_25]

If it's on stands, I would imagine pulling the wheels would be better.

[GSR_Racer_Chick]

I always fill my gas tanks so no moisture can get in there.