Bringing car out of winter storage, any advice?

[C586]

Originally Posted by LoneCynic

Warm it up and drive it some, then have the oil change done soon after. It isn't good to just let a vehicle sit like that all winter. I too had mine put up for the winter, but once every two weeks I went out and started it up, and let it idle for about twenty five minutes or so before shutting it off again.

If I caught a day where the snow had melted off briefly for a couple of days before it snowed again, I'd take her out and run her around the block once then park it and shut it off again. These measures are a good idea for you for next year.

We let a vehicle sit for close to eight months once without driving it years ago and had a bunch of problems soon after we started driving it again. Always good to run them semi-frequently to avoid major problems.

Running it like that is worse than letting it sit for the winter. Letting it idle like that will allow water to condensate in the oil. Not good. Idleing does not get the oil warm enough to get rid of the water in the oil or exhaust.

[2010victoryredss_ron]

what if the car is in a heated garage? will there still be that much moisture in it after running it? because starting it with a cold block i could see, but mine is already warm. and what about oil contamanents from it sitting, should i be concerned.

[IronToss]

Originally Posted by 2010victoryredss_ron

what if the car is in a heated garage? will there still be that much moisture in it after running it? because starting it with a cold block i could see, but mine is already warm. and what about oil contamanents from it sitting, should i be concerned.

I stored mine in a heated garage (well above freezing) all winter. I started mine up every month or twice a month, never had to boost, started normally every time. I only have 1000 miles (17000 kms) on mine.

If it's stored somewhere warm (ie: heated garage) I can't see moisture being a critical issue.....

[Russell James]

I had two LS motors in a row leak from the rear main seal and screw up the clutch after a long winter storage with no starts. '01 Camaro SS and then an '04 Z06, both real low mileage. Then, on my next 3 LS powered toys, I've started them once a month for a half hour during storage - no more rear main leaks. A friend of mine just pulled his '09 Vette out of his garage from winter storage - no starts, rear main leaking like a siv.

Run it once in a while, move it a bit too to move the tires to a fresh spot. The trans and rear also has seals that possibly could benefit from a little use once in a while instead of just sitting in one spot.

[ITGuy11]

The car was stored with a full tank of gas along with fuel stabilizer. Technically i don't need to change the oil, as the car only has 2000 miles on it and i have already changed the oil twice, but I am anal so I will take it for a short drive then change the oil again since it sat for so long.

Originally Posted by newagemuscle

Me too... and I live in Macomb Twp. also. Looks for a Rally Yellow tomorrow. I'm at 21and Card... where are you located?

We are very close I am at 23 and Card, look for a red SS if there is no rain :-)

[garfin]

Originally Posted by 2010victoryredss_ron

what if the car is in a heated garage? will there still be that much moisture in it after running it? because starting it with a cold block i could see, but mine is already warm. and what about oil contamanents from it sitting, should i be concerned.

If you want to find out if condensation is taking place and moisture is getting into your oil, a thought might be to look at the underside of the oil filler cap.
Many years ago, I used to think it was OK to fire it up and let it idle for 15-20 min during the winter - until 1 day I took it in for it's annual "after winter storage" oil change and the tech showed me the underside of that cap which it had a huge amount of this wet, grey, oily sludge sticking to it. The tech was wondering if coolant was getting into the oil! (which it wasn't),
I put that down to condensation from starting the car and just letting it idle for 15-20 min. every week or 10 days, without properly driving it and getting it up to m\normal operating temps that way.
The sludge never reappeared after I stopped the idling practice.

Best regards,

Elie

[heRS]

Special Instructions for driving your Camaro after winter storage.
1. ENJOY YOURSELF!
End of Special Instructions for driving your Camaro after winter storage.

[2010victoryredss_ron]

i do check under the oil cap, and have not seen any moisture there.....but i run it till it comes up to temperature, then shut her down, and at that point there is no moisture coming out of the exhaust either....

[010 Camaro SS]

Got my baby out last weekend...Started it let it warm...Got a oil
change done check tire pressure and the permagrin began...Gottta
love these cars...

[newagemuscle]

Originally Posted by ITGuy11

The car was stored with a full tank of gas along with fuel stabilizer. Technically i don't need to change the oil, as the car only has 2000 miles on it and i have already changed the oil twice, but I am anal so I will take it for a short drive then change the oil again since it sat for so long.




We are very close I am at 23 and Card, look for a red SS if there is no rain :-)

I understand... mine is a garage quenn also. She has only seen the hose once. I did have it out over the weekend. Lots of cars on m-59 over the weekend. I had two new 5.0 try to race me within one hour. I keep my eyes open for you. You can't miss my car being yellow with the dark gun metal wheels.

[skar]

I got mine out Friday.
Did see mice droppings around the car
I had mice traps in the garage over winter and got 3 of them.
? what to do next year.

I live next to woods on one side and went lands in back.

[hot_rod]

Fresh fuel ASAP, the blended fuels that are around now have a very short shelf life. They also experience "phase separation", where the water and the fuel separates and the water then promotes corrosion in the fuel system.

Gold Eagle, the maker of Sta-Bil has a lot of information linked from their website:

http://www.goldeagle.com/engine_care/411onethanol.aspx

[Capthowdy]

Originally Posted by BackinBlack

Did you change the oil before you put it away for the winter? I hope you did. If you park it with clean oil it will be fine after 5-6 months of storage. If you start it once a month or every other month it will be just fine. Moisture is the real danger when letting an engine sit. Modern cars aren't as sensitive as the older ones were to long periods of down time. Just get 'em all clean inside and out, fresh fluids, and park 'em.

If you parked it with dirty oil then change it right away. Check/change all the fluids, belt and accesory drives, etc. etc. and you'll be good all summer. Sythetic oil should be changed after 12 months regardless.

The only thing you really need to do is inflate the tires back up to 36psi, and drive it around to take care of those 'flat' spots. Highway miles are great for the car, but go easy and keep it under 4000RPM. Then when it all warmed up let it rip.


If anything goes wrong, take it to your dealer. It does come with a new car warranty.

thats why you put it up on jack stands to keep the tires from flat spots....if your sitting for 5-6 months at a time..if you drive it every couple its ok..

[rjcamaro]

Basics of good long-term storage:

1. Vehicles are always better off being driven on a regular basis.
2. If you must store, store indoors where the wind can't get to your car.
3. Car covers are ONLY for indoors use out of the wind, no matter what they advertise!
4. It is better to let a car sit for months than to run it once a week for a few minutes. The reason is that you can't get the engine and other drivetrain parts warmed up enough to do any good and you will create condensation in the crankcase and exhaust that will help kill your car.
5. Give your car a bath and good coat of wax including chrome trim before storage. Use a product like Wurth Rubber care on the seals/rubber trim, and Vinylex on tires.
6. Clean the interior, use Lexol on the leather and Vinylex on the vinyl before storage. No need to go overboard and leave it dripping, just a normal treatment.
7. A pan of charcoal bricks (not the type with fuel in them though!) in a pie tin on newspaper inside the car will help soak up odors. Leave windows cracked just a little to let some air circulate and let window seals relax so they seal better in the spring.
8. Remove important papers from the car/glove box. Try to leave the HVAC system in OFF mode to help keep critters out.
9. Give the car a good run and get it fully warmed up right before storage.
10. Fresh fluids at this point are a good idea. Oil and filter, anti-freeze, power steering fluid, tranny fluid and brake fluid should all be changed right before storage. A week or two before storage is OK except the oil, make that as fresh as possible.
11. Once the car is parked where it will sit, remove the battery, store in a cool dry place and trickle charge it once a month. Be sure to check the water level and fill if necessary. Fill the gas tank before storing with fresh quality fuel. If you drive your car so little that last years gas is still mostly in the tank, then siphon it off and use it in the lawn mower or dispose of properly! Fresh gas will last a full year if kept at a fairly stable temperature below 80 degrees. Filling the tank helps prevent condensation which helps rust tanks and fuel systems. Fuel additives for storage are not needed if storing for less than a year.
12. With carburetor equipped cars, it sometimes helps to disconnect the fuel pump (plug the line so it doesn't drain) and run the car till the carb is dry. BUT, I have stored cars for many years without draining the carbs, and taken the carbs apart and found no deposits or "varnish" in the fuel bowls. Fuel will evaporate out of the carbs within a week anyway. On fuel injected cars, there is no bowl as such so don't worry about it.
13. Do NOT put your car on jack stands or blocks under the frame. This lets the suspension droop and puts the springs and bushings in an unnatural state. If you want to prevent flat spots on tires (not a problem with modern radials anyway) support the car at the outermost points of the suspension so the springs and shocks/struts are in a natural state. Be sure to keep tires (remember the spare) at the correct air pressure and try to keep them away from electric motors or high heat. It's a good idea to put mouse bait/traps out in any garage. If you don't they will get under your car cover or sheets and make nests (usually near the base of the windshield), you will see their little pee spots on your hood! Left to run amok, mice can build nests in air intakes (seal them off with bags if you can get to them, and check airboxes/air cleaners before first starting), and even in the glove box or inside the seats.
14. When starting the vehicle back up after storage, remove all your covers, bags over pipes, intakes, pans of charcoal, put the freshly charged battery back in and check all fluid levels. If possible disable the ignition (or just don't set the choke on carb equipped cars) and let the engine crank to build oil pressure. I like the idea of a few cranks at slow speed with no oil pressure rather than the first few cranks at 3000 rpm with no oil pressure! Try to get the engine to a slow idle as soon as possible till things warm up. Of course on modern computer cars, you have no control over this. Make the first mile or so at slow speed and keep the rev's low till things warm up. Test the brakes before you get on the highway. Drums and disks WILL rust some unless you store your car in one of those sealed bags (not a bad idea, but I have found it unnecessary if you have a good garage) but that will go away after the first few stops.