winter storage

[Bens340]

so up here in new england winter is approaching and im just curious what you seasoned charger vets do in terms of the fuel system? just run the tank low and throw in some staybilizer until spring? i picked up my charger the day after thanksgiving last year and as long as the roads were pretty clean and clear i drove it atleast once a week so it didnt really sit long enough to get the fuel system all gunked up, just trying to avoid that this year as i just painted the car i dont really want to take it out once the salt flys and itll be in the garage under the car cover until spring. any input is great, thanks fellas!

[workworkwork]

I always store my car with the tank completely full and fuel stabilizer in the gas. I was told keeping the tank full eliminates air vapor condensation. I also put a charger on the battery that keeps the battery up. I don't put a cover on it as I want the car to breath. I keep a small heater in the garage. Just enough to keep it above freezing, in the 40 to 50 degee range, so things don't crack. I treat the vinyl roof and the rubber parts to prevent dry rot. I don't use jack stands. I have never had a problem with the tires getting flat spots or anything like that over the winter. But the tires do loose some air and need to be pumped to full levels in the spring. If dust collects on the car I use a spray detailer.

Well that is just me. Not sure what others do. Also, I never never take it on the road after winter until I am certain a rain storm or two have washed the salt off the roads.

[Moparman01]

Winter storage is just part of life up here in the northeast I've followed what my father has done for storing cars for many years and it seems to work just fine. Yes we put close to a full tank of fuel in for the winter then add some Stabil, pretty simple but affective! We also put them up on jack stands to keep the tires off the concrete for the long winter hibernation AND since the tires are off the ground it allows us to start the cars up, put the tranny's in gear and keep everything moving while they can't get out on the road. We start them up every 2-3 weeks when a decent day pops up and let them run 20-25 minutes. I disconnect the batteries but i'll admit i don't ever take them indoors or anything, doesn't seem to hurt them and my garage is not heated either. That's my storage procedure, to bad it's just around the corner now....

[moparnation74]

I keep the tank full as well.  The best fuel stabilizer is Starbrites, startron enzyme fuel treatment.  I do a 50/50 mix premium/110 leaded race gas year round.  As far as tires.   I start them up each week and I have room to move forward/back by a foot. Leaded gas w/o ethanol has a longer shelf life and no phase separation problems.  I use to use aviation fuel.  Which was the best by far for long term storage but it is no longer available to the public where I am at.  That fuel lasts forever it seems.

[Ghoste]

Fuel tank full, stabilizer and get a stabilizer that can handle ethanol attacks.

[Dino]

I dump in the stabilizer when I fill it up.  Then I take it for a 10 minute drive before I park it in a storage unit.  I disconnect the battery and come back every 2 weeks to fire it up and drive it around the storage place.  No cover.

[War wagon]

Bounce sheets or moth balls to keep the critters out, tennis balls in exhaust pipes, car on stands, fuel stabilizer and full tank of fuel, trickle charger for battery, check strength of antifreeze

[RIDELIKEHELL]

Bounce sheets or moth balls to keep the critters out, tennis balls in exhaust pipes, car on stands, fuel stabilizer and full tank of fuel, trickle charger for battery, check strength of antifreeze

I use my battery tender & battery isolator after every drive regardless of season....like your idea of jack stands...hmmm

[myk]

Christ, I can't believe we're talking about this already.  Seems like New Year's was just a second ago...

[4cruzin]

Well I guess I am alittle different . . . I will typically fill the gas tank with some good gas, add the stabilizer, drive a few so it is through-out the entire system and then I will fog out the engine good and cover it up.  I will add some moth balls and pull the battery out for a trickle charge with the rest of my batteries from summer toys but once this is done, I forget about it until spring. 

[Dino]

Well I guess I am alittle different . . . I will typically fill the gas tank with some good gas, add the stabilizer, drive a few so it is through-out the entire system and then I will fog out the engine good and cover it up.  I will add some moth balls and pull the battery out for a trickle charge with the rest of my batteries from summer toys but once this is done, I forget about it until spring. 

Nothing wrong with that!   

[Aero426]

Fuel tank with a decent amount of gas (half to 3/4 full).    No fuel stabilizer.    Plan to get the car out of storage and run that gas through in the spring.      

I have a battery tender I will rotate from car to car in the garage periodically during the winter.  

[TUFCAT]

I don't think there's any reason to start a car over the winter.  I never have.

[Dino]

I don't think there's any reason to start a car over the winter.  I never have.

There is, so I can feel good hearing that rumble.  I don't care about the car itself, it's all about me!   

[Aero426]

I don't think there's any reason to start a car over the winter.  I never have.

Unless you are going to get the car up to temp and drive it, you are probably right.   I think it is more of a feel good thing for people.     I have been guilty of doing it.   

[mightywing7]

How many of you guys actually put your cars up on jackstands? Though rare, I've heard horror stories regarding house fires where people were unable to roll their cars out of the garages because their cars were on stands.  I've been doing the jackstand thing for years now, but not sure if the risks outweigh the benefit of not having flat spots on tires.

    Thoughts?

[EccentricMagpies]

I drive the car with whatever gas it has left.  Put it in gear and shut it off


In the spring I pump it about 3 times, fires right up. 

[Aero426]

How many of you guys actually put your cars up on jackstands? Though rare, I've heard horror stories regarding house fires where people were unable to roll their cars out of the garages because their cars were on stands.  I've been doing the jackstand thing for years now, but not sure if the risks outweigh the benefit of not having flat spots on tires.

  Thoughts?

Every action can have a consequence.    You cannot foresee every possible problem either.    Be sure to unplug all your rechargeable tool batteries that might be charging alongside your stored cars while you are at it.  

[TUFCAT]

I don't think there's any reason to start a car over the winter.  I never have.

Unless you are going to get the car up to temp and drive it, you are probably right.   I think it is more of a feel good thing for people.     I have been guilty of doing it.  

Exactly my point. If not brought up to normal operating temp and off choke, waking up a sleeping engine might do more damage than actual "good".  Engine coolant may not circulate all the way through the block, carbon/moisture is created in the combustion chambers, and the block and tailpipes sweat from condensation if not allowed to hot enough.

Because the fuel mixture is rich on cold start, the oil needs to get hot enough to burn off contaminants and soot introduced into the oil from incomplete combustion. The less air that is present in the mixture (on choke), the more soot and contaminants collect in the oil.  That's why oil needs to be hot - to burn it off.  

Its important to note that oil temperature and coolant temperature [engine temp] are two different things.  The coolant reaches normal operating temperature before the oil does.

For those especially concerned about gaskets and seals drying out, IMO fresh quality oil before the slumber contributes to gasket/seal life better than periodic short blast starting.    

Here's another dilemma...if the engine got hot enough to provide a benefit, I'd have to let it cool off for at least an hour before cover it up.  

[imabozo]

I've only had my Charger for one winter and did a little research on this time last year. I filled the tank, added fuel stabilizer, ran it for a few minutes. Then I fogged the engine. No jack stands but I added air to the tires, 50psi I think to prevent any flat spotting. I also treated the vinyl and placed a desiccant product on the floor to absorb any moisture. I can't remember the name but I bought it a Canadian Tire, it's for storing RVs etc. It was stored in an insulated garage with a few construction heaters set to just above freezing, 5 degrees C maybe. I pulled the battery and put it on a battery tender at home. I also kept the windows down and opened the trunk and hood slightly for a little air circulation. I live in Newfoundland and it gets a little cold in the winter. This worked well for me last year. Remember you should be more worried about moisture from freeze/thaw cycles, not just the cold. A think a little heat to burn off the moisture is key, at least in my area.

Just don't forget to drop the air pressure in your tires in the spring.

Hope this helps.

[Bens340]

this is a big help thanks for all the info guys. i think ill end up going with a full tank plus some good stabilizer, take her for a spin around town,  bump up the tires then park it for the following cold, miserable, chargerless months. ive always had summer vehicles that didnt get driven during winter months but they were all fuel injected and with this crappy fuel nowadays i wanted to take special care storing the 73. thanks again!

[TUFCAT]

As you can see, many of us have different opinions and methods.... I suggest using this advise to decide what's best in your own situation. 

[lloyd3]

We had snow here last night and a killing frost. That doesn't mean that there won't be a few more drives in the next month or so , but.....

[Ghoste]

Already?  Wow. 

[lloyd3]

It wasn't a lot (slightly less than an inch on my deck this AM), and it's supposed to be in the 80s on Sunday. Typical Colorado.  Last Fall was long and wonderful. I was hunting pheasant in early December in the low 70s.  This year looks to be a bit different.