[Tannero]

Hey everyone. Sucks, but getting close to the time for winter storage.

I store my vehicles in a shop I keep about 40 degrees when not using.

Moth balls around car, in engine bay, around and on tires.

Dryer sheets inside the car.

Battery tender.

Start at least once a month and move tires. I could put up on stands but my tires don’t typically last that long.

What other tips are out there?

[NYTMARE23]

Originally Posted by Tannero

Hey everyone. Sucks, but getting close to the time for winter storage.

I store my vehicles in a shop I keep about 40 degrees when not using.

Moth balls around car, in engine bay, around and on tires.

Dryer sheets inside the car.

Battery tender.

Start at least once a month and move tires. I could put up on stands but my tires don’t typically last that long.

What other tips are out there?

Know how you feel. I JUST put mine away this past weekend. This is what I do and have done the past 4 winters with no problem, but everybody has their ways:

-My garage has a 10,000W ceiling mounted corner heater. Keeps about 40-45 when doors are not opening/closing.

-Fill car with fresh gas add a bottle of Sta-bil

-Wash/Detail car

-Air up tires to 38PSI

-Park car on Flatstoppers Ramps/cradles

-Put Steel Wool Pads in all exhaust tips

-Dryer sheets in trunk, inside of car and under hood by fuse box

-Disconnect Negative cable from battery and put tender/maintainer on it

-Put car cover on

-Put mouse traps around car

-Be sad until spring.


-

[speedyink1]

If you do planning on starting once a month, make sure it gets good and up to temp. I like to choose a nice enough day where I can drive it around slightly (Above freezing, clean road, clear day). Just a bit of up and down the road to get things moving and warmed up.

[JT6Speed]

Yes good point, unless you plan to actually drive the car around some, I personally wouldn't start and let it idle up to operating temp. That's not ideal for the engine.

[dpevans]

Don't start it, leave it sit. Even getting it up to temp when you shut it off moisture condensates. Change the oil, battery tender, and let it sit. If you are disconnecting the negative I would roll the windows down about 1/2" just in case they don't index when you hook the battery back up. I have read people have broke windows after unhooking the battery and the windows don't index.

[Tannero]

Thanks guys for the responses. It is sad having our cars put up. But as some suggested, if great weather comes, break em out for a spin.

Good comments on just starting up and not letting all the moisture burn off though.

[ember1205]

I inflate the tires to 42-44psi, park it, clip on the battery tender, put the cover over it, and I don't touch it again until spring. Stays in my 2 car attached garage year-round. Not heated, but the temps generally don't drop below about 40-45 unless we get a serious cold snap for an extended period.

Starting it without driving it really brings no benefit and adds unnecessary cold-start wear to the engine. Any flat spots that may settle in on the over-inflated tires will be completely gone within 5-10 miles of driving in the spring... Gone are the days of flat spots being a permanent issue for tires.

[digitalfutur]

Originally Posted by Tannero

Thanks guys for the responses. It is sad having our cars put up. But as some suggested, if great weather comes, break em out for a spin.

Good comments on just starting up and not letting all the moisture burn off though.

Yeah you can do winter driving with a bit of planning...Camaros are meant to be driven! It'll take 20-30 mins if temp is below freezing to get to full operating temp (oil temp, not coolant temp), and most of that should be at highway speeds.. It's the best "scheduled maintenance" you can do for your ride.

[TransamGTA350]

Full tank of gas. Use Stabil if you want, but don't really need to.
Battery tender, don't bother disconnecting the battery.
Don't worry about starting it periodically. That does more harm than good.
Wash it, cover it, air up the tires a bit and see it in the spring

The dryer sheets in the interior and under the hood do help with mice. Also make sure to get rid of any "food" the mice will like in your garage. Bird seed, grass seed, pet food, people food, etc.

[NYTMARE23]

Originally Posted by TransamGTA350

Full tank of gas. Use Stabil if you want, but don't really need to.
Battery tender, don't bother disconnecting the battery.
Don't worry about starting it periodically. That does more harm than good.
Wash it, cover it, air up the tires a bit and see it in the spring

The dryer sheets in the interior and under the hood do help with mice. Also make sure to get rid of any "food" the mice will like in your garage. Bird seed, grass seed, pet food, people food, etc.

Was wondering about the battery myself. I have been disconnecting the Negative each winter, because was "told" to...but not REALLY sure if it truly makes a difference or not if I didn't disconnect it.
What are benefits of not disconnecting or disconnecting?
What are the negative effects of disconnecting or not?
Just wondering if I'm truly wasting my time by disconnecting the negative or if it ACTUALLY does good to disconnect it?

[bishopts]

Move south. Winter is like 2 weeks here in Texas.

[bishopts]

Originally Posted by NYTMARE23

Was wondering about the battery myself. I have been disconnecting the Negative each winter, because was "told" to...but not REALLY sure if it truly makes a difference or not if I didn't disconnect it.
What are benefits of not disconnecting or disconnecting?
What are the negative effects of disconnecting or not?
Just wondering if I'm truly wasting my time by disconnecting the negative or if it ACTUALLY does good to disconnect it?

Disconnecting your battery will make you lose learned driving adaptations. And you will be charging the battery not the car.
Not Disconnecting will keep all learned adaptations. You will be charging the car and the battery. Most modules will go to sleep like a hibernation. But some will stay on or partially on.
If you're battery tender can maintain charging and the very low amp draw from the side of the car that stays awake. Then just charge and dont disconnect for simplicity reasons.
Neither method is bad so just do what you feel like doing. Just remember your trunk wont open when the battery is disconnected. You have to apply power to the jump post under the hood and then open it, or leave it sitting on the latch but not latched.

[bishopts]

Other options are disconnecting but not charging. It will be like the battery is sitting on the shelf at the parts store.
Removing the battery completely to maintain it. I only say that because I've seen tenders on batteries make them boil over and spill sulfuric acid out.

[NYTMARE23]

Originally Posted by bishopts

Disconnecting your battery will make you lose learned driving adaptations. And you will be charging the battery not the car.
Not Disconnecting will keep all learned adaptations. You will be charging the car and the battery. Most modules will go to sleep like a hibernation. But some will stay on or partially on.
If you're battery tender can maintain charging and the very low amp draw from the side of the car that stays awake. Then just charge and dont disconnect for simplicity reasons.
Neither method is bad so just do what you feel like doing. Just remember your trunk wont open when the battery is disconnected. You have to apply power to the jump post under the hood and then open it, or leave it sitting on the latch but not latched.

Thank you for the information!
Maybe next year I'll just hook the tender/maintainer up to the negative and positive without Disconnecting.