A bit of advice for winter storage...

[IROCanSS]

As winter is upon us, there is going to be hundreds upon thousands of threads about how to "store" my Camaro for the winter. Now, you could take it apart, piece by piece and store it in your spare bedroom, but that seems a bit much... Some people will tell you to cover the garage floor, jack the tires off the ground, put fuel stabilizer in the tank, hook up a battery tender, put moth balls in it, stuff steel wool in the tail pipe...etc... etc... etc.

Yes, all this stuff can be done but is a TOTAL waste of time! If you park your car in the garage for the winter, its not "storage". Really, all you need to do is drive it in the garage, shut it off and walk away. You could disconnect the battery or put a tender on it, but thats only for your convieience in the spring not having to possibly screw with a dead battery. Even if it is dead, no big deal.... charge it up and hook it back up. Do NOT jump start it if you can avoid it, it could damage the alternator. Best to charge the battery, then start the car.

DO NOT START THE CAR just to "let it warm up". WHY? Its not alive... its metal. Once its cold, leave it cold. Repeated cold starts are hard on the engine. Resist the urge to go out and start it unless you are going to drive it and get everything warm and moved around. The oil can sit in the bottom of the pan a long time and be totally fine.

Here is an example of a car that was left, untouched for 33 years and started right up with 33 year old fuel in the tank. Maybe that wasnt the smartest but I think your car will be fine after a few months in the garage.

Don't over think it. Put the car in a barn, put the car in a mine, put the car in your garage.... cover it up and walk off. Go back and get it in the spring and enjoy! Thats what I have been doing for years, and with the exception of a dead battery the first winter on my C6 (after only 6 weeks) I have never had an issue. Apparently the C6 with the smart key kills batterys fast bc the car keeps searching for the key fob and kills itself in about 5-6 weeks.... who knew

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/24/1...h-just-13-mil/


I am sure people are going to come in and tell me that I am wrong and we need this and that.... thats fine.

[pincoin]

I agree with covering the garage floor, concrete seems to emit a mild corrosive substance. Just seems to me everything left on bare concrete seems to have some kind of staining or other issues.

[ChriSS84]

Agreed... I leave mine for 6 months at a time, and when I get back I just start it and go. No issues

[IROCanSS]

Originally Posted by pincoin

I agree with covering the garage floor, concrete seems to emit a mild corrosive substance. Just seems to me everything left on bare concrete seems to have some kind of staining or other issues.

What is going to stain... and by stain I assume you rust? The exhaust is stainless steel... the bottom of the car is primed, the suspension parts are painted black... nothing could rust or stain.

[austin]

If you put a tender on it, is it best to disconnect the battery first and then connect the tender or can you hook it up while the battery is still connected? On my motorcycle the tender is hooked up while the battery is still connected, but it doesen't have all the electronics that a '12 Camaro has. tia

[IROCanSS]

Originally Posted by austin

If you put a tender on it, is it best to disconnect the battery first and then connect the tender or can you hook it up while the battery is still connected? On my motorcycle the tender is hooked up while the battery is still connected, but it doesen't have all the electronics that a '12 Camaro has. tia

I hook mine up on the + teminal under the hood and the the - goes on the engine block. Never touched the terminals in the trunk. I only use mine if I know the car is going to sit for a few weeks. I hate dealing with a dead battey.

[austin]

That's how I'll hook it up then. It's going to be stored all winter so I don't want to deal with a dead battery in the spring. Thanks.

[lyndalu]

you still have to put a stablizer in that is specific for ethanol. We have had people that didn't drive their car for 3 weeks and the gas went bad. the problem is ethanol holds water and the new gas has a lot more ethanol in it.

[HufferSS]

I grew up in Maine and live in Augusta Ga now....damn I'm glad I don't have to deal with that winter bullshit anymore.

[Russell James]

The battery will last longer if you use a tender. Letting it go dead kills it's life span.

Concrete will do nothing bad to your car.

Nothing bad will happen if you start your car and let it run for a while. The engine, trans, and rear have many rubber seals that do much better if used/ran/lubed once in a while instead of just sitting there deforming and drying out. This also will give you a chance to move the car, get it to a different spot on the tires. I don't drive mine - no insurance, and don't want the salt dust all over it from the roads. I just pull it out of the garage, couple laps up and down the driveway, let it run 30/45 minutes or so - pull it back in throw the cover and tender back on until next month.

My winter routine is - Stabil, tires at 40, battery tender, wash, cover, run it once a month, fresh bait in the mouse traps. Has worked perfectly for years. Some past cars I've had I'd let them sit for 5/6 months without running ... and I ran into two cars in a row leaking oil like crazy from the rear mains and rear diffs. So I don't do that anymore. Also saw tons of spring time oil leaks on stored cars when I was a tech, so something tells me these mechanical things with rubber seals everywhere do better when run once in while. Saw some brand new cars that sat on the dealer lot for a year or longer when finally moved... problems. I know GM has a bulletin to dealers telling them to start/maintain their inventory regularly to avoid lot rot and dead batteries.

[rlucero100]

My wife had a PT Cruizer convertible (traded it in for the Camaro) and we stored it in the garage with no problems. I put cardboard under the tires to prevent the cold cement connecting the tires. It started every time when we wanted it too. I will do the same for the Camaro. No hard storage process needs to be done.

[DandD]

IROCanSS I pretty much agree with everything you say. My car is already in my storage unit, and once I am sure that I am done driving it for the year, I will pull the battery out of it and keep that inside a warm house for the winter. Then in the spring when I'm ready to have the rear end upgraded to a 9" unit I'll put the battery in it and start it up and drive it for the summer.

[Newportmedic]

Could I pull the battery out and put it on a tender at home? Then put it back in in the spring?? Is that the same? Car is stored somewhere else, not at my house.

[Wantconvertible]

Yes you can take it out and take it home