Who stores their F for the winter?
10-31-14, 01:41 PM
#1
Who stores their F for the winter?
For those of you who "store" your car for the winter, what are the steps that you take to ensure the car stays healthy while it is sitting? I've read a few articles online and many of them give a rather large list of things to check off before the car is ready to sit for an extended period of time. Other articles give a shorter list if the car is going to be started up and driven for 25-30 minutes once or twice a month. Here's a few things that were consistent in all lists (not in any particular order):
1. Fuel additive for gas tank. Example: Sta-bil.
2. Brake fluid flush.
3. Complete coolant flush.
4. Disconnect battery. Or trickle charge it (not entirely sure what this means).
5. Treat all rubber seals with silicone.
6. Place large piece of plastic on ground under car to prevent moisture from rising.
7. Place car on jack stands underneath control arms to prevent tires from flat spots and to keep the suspenion compressed.
8. Car cover.
I have no problem doing any or all of these, I'm just wondering what everyone's opinion is on what is necessary. I already knew to do many of these, but things like the brake and coolant flush I did not think about. I'm also not a fan of disconnecting the battery for that long of a time.
The car is not going to be driven NOV thru probably APRIL and it will be inside a clean garage.
1. Fuel additive for gas tank. Example: Sta-bil.
2. Brake fluid flush.
3. Complete coolant flush.
4. Disconnect battery. Or trickle charge it (not entirely sure what this means).
5. Treat all rubber seals with silicone.
6. Place large piece of plastic on ground under car to prevent moisture from rising.
7. Place car on jack stands underneath control arms to prevent tires from flat spots and to keep the suspenion compressed.
8. Car cover.
I have no problem doing any or all of these, I'm just wondering what everyone's opinion is on what is necessary. I already knew to do many of these, but things like the brake and coolant flush I did not think about. I'm also not a fan of disconnecting the battery for that long of a time.
The car is not going to be driven NOV thru probably APRIL and it will be inside a clean garage.
10-31-14, 01:51 PM
#2
For those of you who "store" your car for the winter, what are the steps that you take to ensure the car stays healthy while it is sitting? I've read a few articles online and many of them give a rather large list of things to check off before the car is ready to sit for an extended period of time. Other articles give a shorter list if the car is going to be started up and driven for 25-30 minutes once or twice a month. Here's a few things that were consistent in all lists (not in any particular order):
1. Fuel additive for gas tank. Example: Sta-bil.
2. Brake fluid flush.
3. Complete coolant flush.
4. Disconnect battery. Or trickle charge it (not entirely sure what this means).
5. Treat all rubber seals with silicone.
6. Place large piece of plastic on ground under car to prevent moisture from rising.
7. Place car on jack stands underneath control arms to prevent tires from flat spots and to keep the suspenion compressed.
8. Car cover.
I have no problem doing any or all of these, I'm just wondering what everyone's opinion is on what is necessary. I already knew to do many of these, but things like the brake and coolant flush I did not think about. I'm also not a fan of disconnecting the battery for that long of a time.
The car is not going to be driven NOV thru probably APRIL and it will be inside a clean garage.
1. Fuel additive for gas tank. Example: Sta-bil.
2. Brake fluid flush.
3. Complete coolant flush.
4. Disconnect battery. Or trickle charge it (not entirely sure what this means).
5. Treat all rubber seals with silicone.
6. Place large piece of plastic on ground under car to prevent moisture from rising.
7. Place car on jack stands underneath control arms to prevent tires from flat spots and to keep the suspenion compressed.
8. Car cover.
I have no problem doing any or all of these, I'm just wondering what everyone's opinion is on what is necessary. I already knew to do many of these, but things like the brake and coolant flush I did not think about. I'm also not a fan of disconnecting the battery for that long of a time.
The car is not going to be driven NOV thru probably APRIL and it will be inside a clean garage.
I store my car, all I do is
-car cover
-top up gas
-over inflate tires to 45 PSI. Never had issues with "flat spots"
-disconnect battery
It's a car, not my child.....
10-31-14, 04:12 PM
#3
I fill up the fuel tank full, to reduce condensation.
Put on an old set of winter tires, while it sits in the garage
Attach a battery minder (throws random current at the battery to keep it active during storage).
Start and drive it every few weeks to keep the brakes from seizing
That's it.
Digger08
Put on an old set of winter tires, while it sits in the garage
Attach a battery minder (throws random current at the battery to keep it active during storage).
Start and drive it every few weeks to keep the brakes from seizing
That's it.
Digger08
10-31-14, 04:13 PM
#4
Pole Position
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ontario
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Those steps OP named are overkill imo. I've stored my car every winter since I bought my car in 2009. All I do is top up my gas and install a trickle charger. A trickle charger is simply a device that charges the battery slowly and keeps it charged afterward (google for pictures). That's it and never had an issue. The car is only stored for about 5 months so don't over worry about this.
10-31-14, 09:09 PM
#6
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: ON
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've stored my fun cars every winter for a couple of decades. I always use Sta-bil in a full gas tank, give the tires another 10 lbs of pressure, change the engine oil just before storage, unhook the battery and cover the car. I don't know about your area for fuel, but here we can get Shell premium with no ethanol, so that would be a bonus. You don't want old gas with ethanol in it gumming things up if you can avoid it.
Cleaned/waxed and rubber seals treated with Shin-etsu grease is done throughout the year anyway in my case as is flushing brake fluid, so I don't bother much with these.
My storage place is miles from my home in a barn storage facility so I can't even trickle charge it like I would prefer. My '07 IS350 still has the original battery going strong so it doesn't seem the worse for wear for not doing that. The '08 ISF I bought used more recently stays at my house in the garage covered and trickle charged.
I never start them once stopped until spring, about 5 months. If you start a car from storage it needs to be running for a long while to burn off any moisture so I prefer to leave them.
When fetched from storage in the spring, the battery needs a quick boost (if not trickle charged) and the tires are usually pretty flat spotted for a few miles of driving, but it all straightens out fine.
You guys are lucky that can enjoy them year round.
Cleaned/waxed and rubber seals treated with Shin-etsu grease is done throughout the year anyway in my case as is flushing brake fluid, so I don't bother much with these.
My storage place is miles from my home in a barn storage facility so I can't even trickle charge it like I would prefer. My '07 IS350 still has the original battery going strong so it doesn't seem the worse for wear for not doing that. The '08 ISF I bought used more recently stays at my house in the garage covered and trickle charged.
I never start them once stopped until spring, about 5 months. If you start a car from storage it needs to be running for a long while to burn off any moisture so I prefer to leave them.
When fetched from storage in the spring, the battery needs a quick boost (if not trickle charged) and the tires are usually pretty flat spotted for a few miles of driving, but it all straightens out fine.
You guys are lucky that can enjoy them year round.
Last edited by ChiroBLD; 10-31-14 at 09:14 PM.
Trending Topics
11-02-14, 04:55 PM
#12
Lexus Test Driver
I dont have an F but I have other cars as well as motorcycles and i cant tell you that you can knock that list in half if its ONLY winter storage
1. Fuel additive for gas tank. Example: Sta-bil. A must when storing for more than 3 months
2. Brake fluid flush.
3. Complete coolant flush.
4. Disconnect battery. Or trickle charge it (not entirely sure what this means). A MUST when storing the car with out starting for extended period of time. My batteries would die after a month not starting
5. Treat all rubber seals with silicone.
6. Place large piece of plastic on ground under car to prevent moisture from rising.
7. Place car on jack stands underneath control arms to prevent tires from flat spots and to keep the suspenion compressed.
8. Car cover. A must if your storing in a less ventilated area where dust can settle easily
Brake fluid and coolant don't really go bad just sitting (let alone for 3 months) so if you are doing this once a year, you are wasting money. So I would knock out 2 and 3. Silcone on the rubber seals is really a personal preference and ive never really heard of anyone doing #6 for winter storage. #7 Placing a car on jackstands YES does prevent flat spots on tires but if only storing for 3 months/winter season, you wont notice a difference. If the car sits for LONG periods of times, like 6+ months at a time then I would say yes
1. Fuel additive for gas tank. Example: Sta-bil. A must when storing for more than 3 months
2. Brake fluid flush.
3. Complete coolant flush.
4. Disconnect battery. Or trickle charge it (not entirely sure what this means). A MUST when storing the car with out starting for extended period of time. My batteries would die after a month not starting
5. Treat all rubber seals with silicone.
6. Place large piece of plastic on ground under car to prevent moisture from rising.
7. Place car on jack stands underneath control arms to prevent tires from flat spots and to keep the suspenion compressed.
8. Car cover. A must if your storing in a less ventilated area where dust can settle easily
Brake fluid and coolant don't really go bad just sitting (let alone for 3 months) so if you are doing this once a year, you are wasting money. So I would knock out 2 and 3. Silcone on the rubber seals is really a personal preference and ive never really heard of anyone doing #6 for winter storage. #7 Placing a car on jackstands YES does prevent flat spots on tires but if only storing for 3 months/winter season, you wont notice a difference. If the car sits for LONG periods of times, like 6+ months at a time then I would say yes
11-02-14, 05:40 PM
#14
I also store my F in winter but when the road is clean and dry i will take the car out to drive in couple of miles for refilling gas when it goes down. Because in winter the road does not look nasty all the time so why don't take the car out for a drive as long as we miss it too.
11-02-14, 05:52 PM
#15
I bought car cover for my F not actually for the F model but fit perfectly from front bumper to rear bumper.You can check in Farm and Fleet car cover for CUV in large size just about 40- 50 bucks.