Storing car for the winter

[ss~zoso~ss]

I'm garaging my camaro for the winter, is there anything i should do besides parking it on carpet squares (to prevent dry rot), and adding fuel stabilizer?

[ss~zoso~ss]

i'm sure i'm not the only one in this situation

[Daves99Formula]

This is what I do:
-Change the oil & filter
-Top off gas tank and add some fuel stabilizer
-Park on wood squares (carpet should do) and over inflate the tires
-Wash car and underneath (wax paint, if it needs it)
-Wipe down the inside and put some silicone grease on all the black seals (t-tops, ect)
-Diconnect the battery and put it on a battery tender (there are cheap one's you can buy)
-Cover it up till the spring (don't start it, unless you plan on driving it)

Hope this helps you out.

[ss~zoso~ss]

is it a good idea to start it up every week and let it run for about 15 minutes? to keep everything oiled and loose?, also keep the fuel system active and the battery charged?

[Z06rule]

Over the years I,ve owned vettes that I have stored for the winter. There are always something that cars do not like about storage. There seems to be something that will fail once you take a car out of storage. I love my camaro with traction control. I drive it throughout the winter in north New England. The only thing that is required is snow tires and frequent washes.

[ss~zoso~ss]

i'm going to have to say no to the driving it through the winter, my driveway is a slight hill and i cant even get out even if i dont give the car any gas

its just not reliable in the snow (imo)

[ss~zoso~ss]

? any other opinions

[badass67]

I store my Camaro by just cleaning it really well and changing the oil. But I do take it out on Nice days. We do get some good 45-50 degrees days each month, and I can take it out and check things.

Other then that, what DAVE99 said.

[ss~zoso~ss]

why do u change the oil before hand, i thought it would be pointless becasue it would just get old, i plan on getting my oil changed after i take the car out of storage

[99HUGGRSS]

3 years ago i stored my ss for 14 months. the only problem i had when i got back(work out of country) was that i had a bad battery and 4 flat spots on all 4 tires, until i went to a gas station to fill them up.i still work out of the country and i don't see any problems when i return.

[ss~zoso~ss]

i just got my oil changed (penzoil Full senthetic), tank topped off with premium fuel (93) w/fuel stabilizer,
anything else i should do?

[FantaZGuy28]

Store it with a full tank of gas. But before you fill it up, add some gas stabilizer to the tank just prior. You'll want to drive at least 10 minutes after this to insure the stabilizer is all through the fuel system.

Completely drain the coolant system and put in fresh antifreeze with at least -20 freezing point. Don't forget to put some antifreeze in your windshield washer fluid holder as well.

Change the oil & filter. This will give the internal engine maximum rust and corrosion protection.

Brake fluid - if more than two years old (or dark honey colored): flush it & refill with new fluid. This should be done every spring. Silicone brake fluid is recommended..

Transmission and Differential should be topped up, it will displace any moisture.

WD40 (or equivalent) sprayed on all the hinges (hood, doors, trunk, etc.) will also help.
Wash and wax your vehicle just before storing it.

Clean the interior, dress all vinyl and rubber.

Store your vehicle in a dry place.

Put the top up and leave the windows down about 1/2" down to allow air to circulate in the interior.

Jacking the car up will remove the weight from the springs and prevent flat spots on the tires (more common on older bias ply). Spray the rubber bushings with a good quality spray to prevent rot.

If you cover your vehicle use only soft cotton or comparable materials that breathe and allow air circulation.

Descant is a good absorber of moisture. Go to a hardware store and get 3 or 4 bags of descant. Put a couple of bags in the interior of the vehicle and 1 or 2 in the trunk. This will help minimize condensation & rust.

Disconnect the battery while the vehicle is in storage. (You'll need to put you battery on a trickle charger like the Optimate Battery Charger.)

Place a rag/steel wool in the exhaust and air intake to keep moisture and small animals out.

Do not start your engine for short periods. This causes condensation and promotes rust.

Leave it in Neutral/park, hand brake off. In humid environments there can be a problem of the clutch disc becoming stuck to the flywheel and pressure plate. A wood dowel cut to the right length could be wedged between the clutch pedal and drivers seat to keep the clutch depressed.

Place a vapor barrier between your vehicle and the floor of the building where your vehicle is stored. The vapor barrier will help keep the moisture away from the under carriage of your vehicle. I also place plywood under each of my tires as the concrete is not the best for tires.

INSURANCE: Keep your comprehensive insurance paid up, but you may qualify for a discount when the vehicle is "stored" Just remember to reactivate PRIOR to the first spring drive.

If you have to store your vehicle outdoors, use caution about heavy tarps. Moisture trapped underneath them have lead to "bleached" spots in the paint. Also the wind whipping the tarp will tend to dull the paint as any dust between the tarp and paint will act as fine sand paper would.

Oil breaks down over time so when you get your vehicle out of storage run the engine for a short time and change the oil & filter again.

I usually take some "rust check" and go over all the seems and weld spots of the car.

I then place several moth balls in containers around the undercarriage.

Article by usa94z28 on Z28.com

[ss~zoso~ss]

seems a little extreme but thanks

[FantaZGuy28]

seems a little extreme but thanks


It all depends on how much you love your car.

[Brianss1]

I do nothing but top off gas and drive it on every decent day you can,thats all you really have to do.Been doing that for many many years.The key is drive it as much as possible.Mine is coming out today its above 32.

[ss~zoso~ss]

eh its off the insurance

oh and to fantaguy I'm in love with my car

[Brianss1]

Do you actually change your oil before and after winter even though it does not get driven ? and you better not put antifreeze in your windshield washer fluid holder as well.That would be not good for the paint.Everything else seems ok to do.A heated garage also helps,my baby is kept stored at 50-60 degrees.Ventless hanging wall heaters that operate off of propane are not that expensive and will take care of 99.9% of your winter storage problems.

[sg5492]

I just drive mine a little when it is nice and it is in a heated garage all winter. No prob's yet

[langss]

Unfortunatly due to circumstances beyond my control, my 2000 SS has had to sit in my driveway under a variety of different kinds of car covers. Other than the paint wear on all the high points, the car has survived extremely well.Now that I have moved,the car will be Garaged and I will be able to drive it more, but other than the tires flat spotting(goes away after a few miles of freeway driving) and having the Battery on a Harbor Freight Float Charger, every time I have had to move it, it started right up and drove just fine. I have kept the tank full and Mouse Traps under the Hood(to keep the critters out),but not much else could I do considering the situation.

[Fastcar]

Also, look at this thread under Showcar & Detailing: "Theres snow on my car. I'm putting it in storage tomorrow. question." Hope that also helps. :burnout:

[Fastcar]

Forgot to mention: Any sludge and cr*p in old oil has more of a chance to settle out over an extended period of time. Since you've changed your oil, you won't have this problem. Disconnecting the battery doesn't make any difference if you have a battery tender (maint. charger) - you don't need to. The downside if you disconnect the battery is that the engine computer will lose it's stored air/fuel settings that it learns when running. It will relearn the air/fuel map after you run it a couple of times, but when I had to reset the computer on my T/A it didn't idle or run quite right until after 2 - 3 driving cycles. I guess the guy who recommended putting antifreeze into the windshield washer tank really meant to say put windshield washer fluid into the tank that is already premixed with ethanol/methanol/etc. to give the fluid anti-freezing properties! The other member was right in saying don't put ethylene glycol (radiator) antifreeze into the washer tank because that stuff is bad for your paint.

[ss~zoso~ss]

thanks guys, MERRY CHRISTMAS! :)

[02_camaro]

That's why I'm glad I live in Houston, Texas. I don't have to do any of that crap. I don't have to store it. The coldest it'll probally ever get here is maybe mid-30's.

[Necction]

That's why I'm glad I live in Houston, Texas. I don't have to do any of that crap. I don't have to store it. The coldest it'll probally ever get here is maybe mid-30's.

But the guys who do have to store their cars keep that milage lower :p .

[ss~zoso~ss]

hell yea, and reduce the risk of crashing / getting into a freak accident