[Crushed 1LE]

Has anyone read any articles or have any thoughts about periodic engine start-up during storage? Is it better to just let her sit, or start her every couple of weeks? Perhaps starting her, idling for 5 minutes and not letting moisture burn off due to oil temperature not getting to peak levels is worse than just letting it sleep.

Personally, l love starting her and enjoying the cold start, but Im starting to wonder if there is any documented science out there that points in the opposite direction.

One note: I am not in sub zero climate - cold but not freezing.

[CW3SF]

I stored my Viper GTS every winter for 12 years. I always cleaned and covered it and hooked it up to a battery tender while sitting. Change the oil either just before storing for the winter or just after bringing it out in the spring.

I occasionally uncovered the car and took it for mid winter drive (when the roads were clear and temp was decent). As long as you get the engine up to operating temp before you put back away i think you will be fine.

I never had an issue with any type of damage or ill effect following this model. I am doing the same with the ZL1.

[Warrior102]

Unless you're planning on driving it long enough to get the oil temperature to 180 - 200 for a sustained period to evaporate moisture leave it alone. As said a battery tender or disconnect it, mothballs or use nylons cut up and fashioned into knotted bags filled with dog hair to keep mice away from you wiring/air filter. The beady eyed bastards love to eat wire insulation and nest in air-boxes. Some people go as far as putting steel wool in the exhaust tips.

[Scottyz]

I’ve stored a bunch of cars for winter for years. A couple I left sit without starting for like 5 months at a time. Those cars usually dried out the valve seals so after a couple years of leaving them without starting for months at a time, after a while I noticed blue smoke on startup. I’d say off the top of my head it was at least 3 different cars. Valve seals dried and didn’t seal correctly. The many other cars I stored and store over the years that I did start here and there over the winter did not have this happen.
Just something I have observed over the years of myself and many friends storing cars over the winter. I am also in Canada and it does go well below freezing where I live here in Ontario.

[Zigg L1]

That seems to be a debate. To start or not to start over the winter. I too get really cold winters. It was 2*F this morning got up to a balmy 10*F. I put my car on a battery tender in a insulated but not heated garage.
This is my first car I am storing over the winter. Last winter was about 4months.

[Crushed 1LE]

That's what I'm thinking too Warrior. No point starting her unless I can get oil temps up to 180+.

Oil change was done b4 hybernation and battery tender also attached. I just love starting her up! I'll resist the temptation lol.

[Glen e]

A Porsche powertrain engineer once told me that if you put a car in storage for the winter, leave it alone. Unless you can drive it 20 minutes, up to full temperature, under a load.

[rlarsen462]

Colorado, so we get a lot of decent 40F+ days during the winter. I make a point to drive the car once a month, and get it up to full temperature. If it's not a long enough trip, I leave it alone.

Stays on a battery tender for the weeks between, in its own insulated but unheated single garage. It's a 2019 so hard to say if this is a winning strategy since this is its first winter, but I'm going with it.

[LIVEVIL]

Cold starts are hard on an engine, so if you can avoid starting it then that's your best bet for engine longevity. There's just about no reason why an engine HAS to be started during storage, all you're doing is causing extra wear for no gain.

If you've got a heated garage and keep it at 70* all winter, that wear is greatly reduced but still there. However cold cold starts while at freezing temps is where most of engine wear happens.

[Apexslayer]

Avoid any unnecessary cold starts. There is nothing gained from this and cold starts with not enough time to truly warm up may do more damage than good.

[unavailablezl1]

Originally Posted by Crushed 1LE

Has anyone read any articles or have any thoughts about periodic engine start-up during storage? Is it better to just let her sit, or start her every couple of weeks? Perhaps starting her, idling for 5 minutes and not letting moisture burn off due to oil temperature not getting to peak levels is worse than just letting it sleep.

Personally, l love starting her and enjoying the cold start, but Im starting to wonder if there is any documented science out there that points in the opposite direction.

One note: I am not in sub zero climate - cold but not freezing.

I think you are looking at this all wrong. Since I sold my ZL1 in August, I have an empty garage space for awhile. I will store your car for free in nice warm North Texas and will drive it once a week to keep the engine/trans parts all nice an lubed up so it will not get cobwebs.

[Crushed 1LE]

Originally Posted by unavailablezl1

I think you are looking at this all wrong. Since I sold my ZL1 in August, I have an empty garage space for awhile. I will store your car for free in nice warm North Texas and will drive it once a week to keep the engine/trans parts all nice an lubed up so it will not get cobwebs.

LOL. On my way. See you in 4 days. If I can just find snow chains that fit a 325 section tire

[arpad_m]

I'll keep her garaged and on the electric juice dripper until that **** salt is off the roads. Townships are spewing so much there are literal mounds in intersections and along highway ramps. Wife's SUV is already ravaged by that crap after only 2 winters, I can't wash the undercarriage off every time she drives

Crushed 1LE, that North Texas garage with some nice weekly Italian tuneup does sound like a gentleman's deal

[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by Scottyz

I’ve stored a bunch of cars for winter for years. A couple I left sit without starting for like 5 months at a time. Those cars usually dried out the valve seals so after a couple years of leaving them without starting for months at a time, after a while I noticed blue smoke on startup. I’d say off the top of my head it was at least 3 different cars. Valve seals dried and didn’t seal correctly. The many other cars I stored and store over the years that I did start here and there over the winter did not have this happen.
Just something I have observed over the years of myself and many friends storing cars over the winter. I am also in Canada and it does go well below freezing where I live here in Ontario.

I've had the same thing happen to a # of cars that I've stored. On one, a seal popped off and was dripping oil on a plug. I was told by the mechanic that it was because of the prolonged storage. That car had 9.7K miles.

I lost a wristpin in another car that was stored for extended periods, @ 27K miles.

Almost all others disliked the first start of the season - w/rough running for the first 5-10 minutes. I always keep the gas tanks full and treated with stabilizer and dry gas.

None of the above is conclusive proof that it's good start and drive the car from time to time, but that's what I do now. I try to wait until the temps are above 40F , the roads are dry and drive for at least an hour. This also helps me with the winter blues.

Took the mustang out yesterday... that was nice.