Putting the car up for winter

What is the wright way to store my 1995 z28 camaro, i live in a very cold place in the winter time,the car will stay in my garage,this is the first year i have not had to drive the car in the winter time,with alot of salt on the roads, iwill not be driving the car very much to not at all.

for 4 months? Just fill up the tank, park it and remove the battery. Keep the battery inside somewhere warm, but not directly on concrete.

It's also not a bad idea to put down a visqueen vapor barrier under the car to prevent ground moisture from seeping up into it.

for 4 or 5 months you do not need fuel stabilizer nor should you worry about flat spotting the tires.

I've heard that tossing some fabric softener sheets in the car will make it smell nice in the springtime. We;ll see how that works this coming spring. My car's already been gone almost 6 weeks.

If you have access to your car in the garage just start it up once a week. Thats what i do when it's off the road to keep the fuilds moving every so often.

The SS has been in the garage in storage for about 4 weeks now. :( I made sure that the gas tank is full, I increased the tire pressure slightly, and have a trickle charger at the ready. I also have the windows cracked slightly.

I used to start the car once a week and let it run for about 20 min., but I was told doing that can actually cause harm? Unless I'm able to take the car out and drive it for at least an hour, starting it and just letting it idle for 20 min. would cause condensation, etc., which would lead to problems in the future.

We'll see as I don't plan on starting her until March! :D

The SS has been in the garage in storage for about 4 weeks now. :( I made sure that the gas tank is full, I increased the tire pressure slightly, and have a trickle charger at the ready. I also have the windows cracked slightly.

I used to start the car once a week and let it run for about 20 min., but I was told doing that can actually cause harm? Unless I'm able to take the car out and drive it for at least an hour, starting it and just letting it idle for 20 min. would cause condensation, etc., which would lead to problems in the future.

We'll see as I don't plan on starting her until March! :D


Starting the car will do no harm to it. Condensation? Explain that one because either way if your driving your car or its idled you still have exhaust coming out of the pipes and exhaust carries moisture so either way your going to have condensation in your pipes. Sure its best to drive the car to get the suspension moving again and for the tires to not develope flat spots but i am not going to be driving my car down salty roads just for the sake of that.

Starting the car will do no harm to it. Condensation? Explain that one because either way if your driving your car or its idled you still have exhaust coming out of the pipes and exhaust carries moisture so either way your going to have condensation in your pipes. Sure its best to drive the car to get the suspension moving again and for the tires to not develope flat spots but i am not going to be driving my car down salty roads just for the sake of that.


Starting the car is bad for it because:

1) in the cold, the oil is thick and does not lubricate as well
2) starting a car anytime, warm or cold is when the majority of wear occurs on internal engine components.
3) combustion produces water. That water gets in the oil. The oil needs to get hot enough to burn off the condensation. Allowing an engine to idle for 15 - 30 minutes will not get the oil hot enough to accomplish burn off.

Starting the car is bad for it because:

1) in the cold, the oil is thick and does not lubricate as well
2) starting a car anytime, warm or cold is when the majority of wear occurs on internal engine components.
3) combustion produces water. That water gets in the oil. The oil needs to get hot enough to burn off the condensation. Allowing an engine to idle for 15 - 30 minutes will not get the oil hot enough to accomplish burn off.

I agree with TABHAR as well. My thoughts were directed at the exhaust system. My belief was that letting a car reach operating temp., then shutting it down, condensation forms in the system. If you drive it for about an hour, it gets and remains hot enough to better blow out any moisture. And as TABAHR stated, repeatedly starting a car in cold weather causes more wear. Most people I know who store their cars, fill the tank, put the car on stands if possible, an put a trickle charger on the battery.

I'll throw in my 2 cents - I never start up the car once it is stored. Starts are when most of the wear occurs, so why would you subject your car to that every week during the winter, especially when the oil is as thick as it is from the cold? I dont see any benefit to starting up the car given the wear and tear that occurs from a cold start.

I put a sliver of bar soap or a fabric softener sheet in the tailpipes as well, keeps critters out of the pipes.........

same with the interior

Starting the car is bad for it because:

1) in the cold, the oil is thick and does not lubricate as well
2) starting a car anytime, warm or cold is when the majority of wear occurs on internal engine components.
3) combustion produces water. That water gets in the oil. The oil needs to get hot enough to burn off the condensation. Allowing an engine to idle for 15 - 30 minutes will not get the oil hot enough to accomplish burn off.


Well, a car is going to have wear and tear reguardless. You may want to start your car more then once otherwise most of the lubrication will have drained to the lower portions of the block etc.

The boiling point of water is 212*F or 100*C when my car idles for more then 15 mins it reaches 220*F. The water will evap from the oil in that time span. So yes the oil will evap in 30 mins.

Also be warned if you remove the batter and do not have the theft lock codes for your radio its going to be a PITA.

As far as the exhaust is concerned...its going to rust, its going to get condensation in it. Sure you can run your car for hours but in the end its still going to have condensation in it. So its fruitless. If the car is only going to be stored for 4 months just cover it and let it be.

As for me, all I have to say is for the pass 20 years of owning cars. I've start them up once a week and never had problems at all, Just switch to a thinner oil for the winter time then.

As for me, all I have to say is for the pass 20 years of owning cars. I've start them up once a week and never had problems at all, Just switch to a thinner oil for the winter time then.

And you'll find just as many, if not more people that never start them and also dont ever have any problems.

So, why start it when we all know that the first several seconds after a engine is started there is no oil pressure, and it gets worse the colder the engine is?

It makes more sense to not start it. You arent accomplishing anything by starting it other than wearing it out a little faster.

my car has been in the garage 25 yrs think it will start?

my car has been in the garage 25 yrs think it will start?
if it has just sat for 25 years, start a new thread, you'll need it.........

for 4 or 5 months you do not need fuel stabilizer nor should you worry about flat spotting the tires.

.

But a good dose of Sta-Bil doesn't hurt.

I too live in a cold winter climate area -40 celcius is not uncommon.

I put mine away for about six months and this is what I do:

1) fill her up add fuel stabilizer (STP) and I go for a 15 minute ride. Car is up to operating temperature before I fill up.
2) pull it in the garage shut it off and leave it until the first time to start it in the Spring.
3) pull the battery and put in basement

Oh yeah before you pull the battery make sure you take out any Cds you wish to hear :D

I too believe that if you are starting your car once per week you are not gaining anything over not starting it in fact I think it is worse. I too believe that starting it once a week will add moisture to the exhaust system that may not be fully dried out due to the fact that you will be just idling and not a part/full throttle run making the engine work and actually getting up to some hotter temps over a longer period of time to dry the exhaust system out. Just idling may or may not fully "dry" the oil out and any moisture you are creating when you first start may be combining with the exhaust gases and form some acids that although may be short lived,, over repeated exposures may not be good and if you didn't keep the oil hot enough long enough the oil acidity may remain acidic.:think: Additionally a cold dry start once a week in my opinion has more negative than positive due to wear. I see no gain in fact I see gain to leaving it over the winter, the engine is not going to rust over a cold dry winter like what we have up here.

any way that is my long opinion

I too live in a cold winter climate area -40 celcius is not uncommon.

I put mine away for about six months and this is what I do:

1) fill her up add fuel stabilizer (STP) and I go for a 15 minute ride. Car is up to operating temperature before I fill up.
2) pull it in the garage shut it off and leave it until the first time to start it in the Spring.
3) pull the battery and put in basement

Oh yeah before you pull the battery make sure you take out any Cds you wish to hear :D

I too believe that if you are starting your car once per week you are not gaining anything over not starting it in fact I think it is worse. I too believe that starting it once a week will add moisture to the exhaust system that may not be fully dried out due to the fact that you will be just idling and not a part/full throttle run making the engine work and actually getting up to some hotter temps over a longer period of time to dry the exhaust system out. Just idling may or may not fully "dry" the oil out and any moisture you are creating when you first start may be combining with the exhaust gases and form some acids that although may be short lived,, over repeated exposures may not be good and if you didn't keep the oil hot enough long enough the oil acidity may remain acidic.:think: Additionally a cold dry start once a week in my opinion has more negative than positive due to wear. I see no gain in fact I see gain to leaving it over the winter, the engine is not going to rust over a cold dry winter like what we have up here.

any way that is my long opinion

And I agree! Moister in the oil could take several hours to be fully expelled from the oil. Remember you have many things churnning that oil up mixing that water well into the oil. It is going to take more that a little heat to get it out. Follow the above directions and your car will survive many winters. :bow:

Yeah, Found out at the dealership about the radio. Have 2001 Z28 vert. Played with the top so much (unstarted) that battery died. Salesman went and got hot starter. Car started fine (got a hard on listening to the rumble), but radio didnt work. It is an anti theft design, you have to have a code to put in it, or your screwed. I do not think that they come from factory with code programed in it, but if it has been programed your screwed. Can always get code from Dealership, just like an ignition key. Besides why would you remove battery anyway? To keep it from freezing? Sorry boys, I live in Texas and dont have to store anything, at least not for cold. I would say that the damage that takes place during a freezing start up is better offset by buying a new battery if needed. Oil wont get hot enough to burn water, plus exhaust rust will be accelerated right? Lubricants will settle if sitting in cold long enough, but why would you start the car several times a winter with no lube, as opposed to once in the springtime? Thoughts?

I agree fuels94ta, Why even start it? Other than to move the lube around, and save a battery? Doesnt make sense to me. The lubes will settle in lower engine parts in a matter of days anyway, so why do it? Batterys are cheap if thats what your trying to save.

How do you post pic of your car on the left hand side? I would love to post mine. Help anyone?

How do you post pic of your car on the left hand side? I would love to post mine. Help anyone?
hint, supporting member.............