'05 Cadillac STS | weekendwarrior + michakaveli

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philipminion

New member
Hello all,



What is the proper way to store a car for winter. My car is in a garage, but is not heated. The temperature here can drop between (-4 to -13 degrees Farenheit or between -20 to -25 degrees Celcius). What is the ideal temperature to garage should be at? Should I put the car on jack stands and take of the rims? What about fluids?



Thanks everyone in advance
 
First top off all fluids and check anti-freeze protection level.



Then if possible start the engine like once a month to recharge the battery and keep the engine healthy. It would be nice drive it a bit to work in the tranny and differential.



If you can't do that then disconnect the battery.



In my former employment, for long term storage of mechanical equipment we would over fill everything to prevent rust and such. Then before start up we drained everything, refill, and changed all filters. Then went through a detailed start up procedure. We had equipment with wet clutches and friction material so this was very important.
 
Thanks alot for that post.



One question is if I disconnect the battery, how long will it last or will it die after a certain point of time since it's not being used?
 
It's best if you can bring the battery inside or, better yet, simply put a $15 trickle charger on it.



Fill all liquids as discussed. Use Stabil in the fuel tank. Follow the directions. This will keep the injection/carbs/fuel pump from gumming up.



Do not leave the emergency brake on. It can cause the pads to rust onto the rotors.



If you start the car monthly you MUST let it rull for 15 minutes minimum AFTER the car is at FULL operating temperature. This will burn off the chemical condensation. Any less heat-time will be worse than not starting it at all.



Roll the car to a different spot on the tires every couple weeks. Overinflate by 10-15 pounds. Park on carpet scraps or several layer of cardboard rather than bare concrete. This will reduce flatspotting. OR put on jackstands (inconvenient) or buy special curved parking pads (expensive).



Put a box of Arm and Hammer Baking soda in the trunk and in the front and back seat floor of the car to absorb moisture.



Keep windows tightly closed.



Change your oil just before parking the car for the season. Clean oil has no destructive chemicals and debris in it like dirty oil does.



Wash the car outside and in and let dry THOROUGHLY befor putting it away.



I have done this to my old cars every year for many years. Works great, never a problem.
 
Listen to Brad.



Oh yeah tires forgot about them.



Open garage when running engine so you will be alive come spring!
 
Definitely trickle charge instead of disconnecting the battery. This is much better for your battery and, if you have a computer in the car, it's a necessity (not an issue in your case, apparently). You can get a $15 trickle charger like Brad suggests, or buy a more expensive model that does other functions like normal charging or fast-charging. I opted for the latter myself as you never know when you may need the extra functions. That and I always tend to overdo things. Even then it was less than $50.



One more suggestion. Cover the car while it's in storage.
 
Actually, I would have to interject and say not to worry about the tires. Back in the day :D tires used to flatspot if not moved for several months. That is not the case anymore. Unless you leave the car parked stationary for over a year, I wouldnt worry about flatspotting.



Also, if you are going to use a gas stabilizer, try to avoid ones that use methanol. Methanol is not as soluble in gasoline as one would think (put them both in a cup and watch them separate). So, what happens is it mixes with the water in your tank and whe you run the car, you have have some gas with a little water and methanol in it, and then just plain water and methanol. Isopropanol (like in Iso-HEET) is superior and a better choice, and not really any more expensive. It mixes well in gas and water and provides more consistent protection.
 
It's true that bias-ply tires are very much prone to flatspotting (older tires and classic cars with vintage tires) but even some modern radials can flatspot. Unfortunately I proved it to myself!



Maybe the brand matters or the style, I am not a rubber expert. But I had a set of brand new Dunlop radials on my XK that flatspotted one year. (4 months without rotation...duh!) It wasn't as obvious as the bias-ply's but it never all worked out and after a visit from the Dunlop regional rep they concluded that it was the case and replaced them at a discount. So I gues it "shouldn't" have happened but it did.



Personally, I now lean to the side of caution.
 
Im no rubber expert either...probably why I have 13 kids and I am only 24 years old!! :eek:



The tires I use all have VERY stiff sidewalls (Generally w or z rated summer/racing tires) and I have not had a problem with them. Perhaps flatspotting is still a problem in tires that dont have very strong sidewalls? :confused:
 
Good point! The radials I am speaking of are for a classic Jag and have a very tall sidewall. That's probably the deal.



Maybe I should put some 35 or 40 aspect tires on the Jag. It would be one low-riding cat!
 
During the winter, I can flatspot a Pirelli P Zero on both the Jags in just a few days. Take a nice hot tire, park it on a cold concrete garage floor for about 5 days.



Instant flatspot. They aren't permanent but take about a hundred miles to true back up. You'd swear everything was out of balance.



One moral of this story. Be sure you take a nice long test drive of any high performance car you are looking at during cold whether. I can almost guarantee the ride will be better at the end than at the beginning.
 
Thanks again everyone. I feel so much better now after having read all those great tips :)



So here is what I need in no paricular order :



1. Trickle Charger for the battery

2. Top off all liquids

3. Stabil in fuel tank - What is a name brand for this Stabil / gas stabilizer stuff? Yell00ITR and Brad B. , can you guys recommend something?

4. Emergency brake is not engaged

5. Fresh oil and filter change

6. Arm and Hammer Baking soda in the trunk and in the front and back seat floor of the car to absorb moisture

7. Windows tightly closed

8. Wash the car outside and in and let dry THOROUGHLY before putting it away and a car cover would be an asset

9. Park on carpet scraps or several layer of cardboard rather than bare concrete

10. Start the car monthly you MUST let it run for 15 minutes minimum AFTER the car is at FULL operating temperature. ( This will burn off the chemical condensation. Any less heat-time will be worse than not starting it at all. )
 
Philipminion: I recommend using Iso-HEET. You can find it in a red bottle at your local auto parts store. Brad recommended Stabil, which I am sure is fine (again, most auto parts stores have it).



If you want to get really anal about it, you can remove the sparkplugs and squirt some oil (engine oil) in each cylinder to keep the walls nice and clean. Also, when you do restart, you can disconnect the distributor so when you crank, oil begins to flow and lubricate the engine. Reconnect the distributor and start the car.
 
Prior to becoming a Ford Tech, I spent a number of years working at an Auto Museum in Wisconsin - the owners (a father and son) had over 400 cars between the two of them, and they ranged from 1901 Olds' to 1999 Pace Cars. My favorites were the 1946 Lincoln Convertible Indy Pace Car (V12), the 1970 Super Bird 426, and the 1971 Buick GS Stage 1 Convertible...hmmmmmmmm.

I've also owned (and stored) several cars, including a 1979 Z28 with 8,000 original miles and my latest car - 1993 Ford Cobra.

Here's what I'd recommend (see below)


<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by philipminion [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Thanks again everyone. I feel so much better now after having read all those great tips :)

So here is what I need in no paricular order :

1. Trickle Charger for the battery[/b]
<em class='bbc'> Buy a device called "The Battery Tender". It's the best long-term charger I've ever seen, and according to Motorcycle Consumer News, it's one of the safest & most reliable.[/i]<strong class='bbc'>
2. Top off all liquids
3. Stabil in fuel tank - What is a name brand for this Stabil / gas stabilizer stuff? Yell00ITR and Brad B. , can you guys recommend something?[/b]
<em class='bbc'>Stabil is the brand name, fill your gas tank full, then add the Stabil and drive the car about 5 - 10 miles. This will ensure that the Stabil makes its way all the way through the fuel system.[/i]<strong class='bbc'>
4. Emergency brake is not engaged
5. Fresh oil and filter change[/b]<em class='bbc'>
Make sure this is the very last thing you do. Don't run the car after you change the oil & filter. You can crank the engine over a few times after you change the oil, but don't run the car.[/i]<strong class='bbc'>
6. Arm and Hammer Baking soda in the trunk and in the front and back seat floor of the car to absorb moisture
7. Windows tightly closed
8. Wash the car outside and in and let dry THOROUGHLY before putting it away and a car cover would be an asset[/b]<em class='bbc'>
Definitely get a car cover. They're the biggest and best insurance item you can get.[/i]<strong class='bbc'>
9. Park on carpet scraps or several layer of cardboard rather than bare concrete[/b]<em class='bbc'>
Agreed, however, when we stored the very valuable cars (we had a national winning Hurst/Olds Pace car with original Polyglass tires...), we'd put them on 4 jackstands, and then put smaller jackstands under the suspension pieces. This would keep the springs and shocks from 'over-extending' themselves during extended storage periods. I'd recommend jacking it up if possible.[/i]<strong class='bbc'>
10. Start the car monthly you MUST let it run for 15 minutes minimum AFTER the car is at FULL operating temperature. ( This will burn off the chemical condensation. Any less heat-time will be worse than not starting it at all. ) [/b]
<em class='bbc'>
This is an area that's up for a lot of debate, but starting an engine and letting it idle for 15 minutes (especially a carburated car) will introduce fuel into the oil, that usually isn't burned out by just idling. For this reason, we never ran the cars during storage. Also, we'd perform a complete cooling system flush before storage, and we also had "silicate spark-plugs" that had a dessicant (sp?) in them rather than an electrode. This kept the cylinders rust free, in the event that there was excessive humidity/moisture while in storage.
We also spent a lot of money on mouse/rat traps! ;-)
[/i]
</blockquote>
So basically, it all depends on how long you're going to store the car and how obsessive you want to be about it!
 
Thanks geekysteve for the extra steps. Obviously, you have experience with this kind of thing from working in the museum. I appreciate your imput. I'll be storing the car until April and I'll have to decide what I'm going to do about stands or no stands. That's proabably the only one I'm not sure about.
 
No problem, my pleasure to help.



One last little tid-bit of advice...if you're super obsessive...when you get ready to take the car out of storage in the spring, start it up, and let it run while on jackstands and in gear.



Make sure you have it nice and stable on the stands...this will allow the gear oil to come up to temperature without placing much of a load on the rear end. Nothing like some cold 80W90...



Then, go out and drive the car until you've used up a good portion of the gas in the tank. You might want to add a bottle of Isopropol before driving; the Stabil will keep the fuel from going stale, but it won't absorb water (I don't think...haven't looked at a bottle of it for a while). After you finish driving it, take 'er home, jack it back up and change the oil & filter, and change the spark plugs (if it's feasible).



The reason is this: the Stabil & fuel find their way into the oil (via unavoidable blow-by), and the plugs will have a residue on them from the Stabil. It usually shows up as a reddish/brown "tint". I always change my oil & filter & plugs on my Cobra after my first lengthy drive. I'm really a nut though. :)



Of course, be sure to check the tire PSI before driving, yada, yada.
 
I just read up on the gold eagle products 'ISO-HEET and STA-BIL" at www.goldeagle.com. I have never used these products before and didn't realize that they were 2 different products. So thanks Brad and Yell00ITR for your suggestions to use these products, and forgive my ignorance in not realizing that the difference between the 2. I found the STA-BIL today, but not the ISO-HEET. I'm sure I'll find it tomorrow.

Thanks again everyone
 
Yeah, one is a fuel stabilizer and the other is a drying agent of sorts. You can use both. Oh, did we tell you previously to park the car with a full tank of gas? If not (i havent reviewed the thread), park the car with full tank of fresh gas, and add the chemicals to that.



Good luck.
 
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