Winter is coming

[SL302]

I am about 3 weeks away from putting my Kona Blue Boss away for the winter. Temps are dropping here in Toronto. I have never owned a car where I had the ability to store.

Couple of questions:

1. If I store the car from Nov till March do I have to worry about tire flat spots? I was not planning on lifting the car on jacks
2. Do I have to treat the fuel with an additive? Is it preferred for the tank to be full or near empty?
3. Do both positive and negative cables need to be taken off the battery? Or is one enough?

I am sure these are dumb questions but based on what I read on this forum I am sure someone can help.

Thanks

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

 

[Jza1736]

I am about 3 weeks away from putting my Kona Blue Boss away for the winter. Temps are dropping here in Toronto. I have never owned a car where I had the ability to store.

Couple of questions:

1. If I store the car from Nov till March do I have to worry about tire flat spots? I was not planning on lifting the car on jacks.

Not needed unless you have R compound tires
2. Do I have to treat the fuel with an additive? Is it preferred for the tank to be full or near empty?
Keep the tank full, less chance for condensation. I use sta-bil

3. Do both positive and negative cables need to be taken off the battery? Or is one enough?
If you are removing the battery then both cables and you should use a battery tender. I leave mine on and I go start her every other month and let her run for 20 minutes. If the ground is clear I take her for a spin around the block or at least back and fourth in the driveway. It helps keep everything greased

I am sure these are dumb questions but based on what I read on this forum I am sure someone can help.

Thanks

Other may have their own opinion or ways of doing things. Do what works best for you!

 

[BOSS STANG]

Hey SL302, I'm in Oshawa so I know about the temps dropping. I wish it was like last year but it seems like it's going to be a cold wet winter this year. Is the car in a garage with hydro. If yes this is what I did last year. I changed the oil and filter. Inlated the tires to the max pressure cold. The tires will lose roughly 1 psi for every 5 dregees fahrenheit drop in temp. So check pressures periodically. Put the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer in a almost empty tank and then fill it. This should help mix it well as you fill it. Then take it for a drive to get it through the fuel system. Get a smart battery charger and connect to battery. I didn't disconnect the cables. I use a CTEK 7002 (about $150 or so at Performance Improvements) because it has a setting to for temperatures below freezing. This charger is really good. Block the wheels and no hand break. Cover the car if you like. Lastly I do not start or drive the car at all. Dry starts are really hard on the engine. This is just a basic prep for winter storage and there is other things you can also do. I hope this helps you out a bit.

 

[byronj]

Whats winter? Im fortunate unough to drive my car 360 day a year. ;D ;D Good luck on your winter storage. in you owners manual there might be some info on cold weather prep.

 

[PeteInCT]

I am about 3 weeks away from putting my Kona Blue Boss away for the winter. Temps are dropping here in Toronto. I have never owned a car where I had the ability to store.

Couple of questions:

1. If I store the car from Nov till March do I have to worry about tire flat spots? I was not planning on lifting the car on jacks.

Not needed unless you have R compound tires
2. Do I have to treat the fuel with an additive? Is it preferred for the tank to be full or near empty?
Keep the tank full, less chance for condensation. I use sta-bil

3. Do both positive and negative cables need to be taken off the battery? Or is one enough?
If you are removing the battery then both cables and you should use a battery tender. I leave mine on and I go start her every other month and let her run for 20 minutes. If the ground is clear I take her for a spin around the block or at least back and fourth in the driveway. It helps keep everything greased

I am sure these are dumb questions but based on what I read on this forum I am sure someone can help.

Thanks

Other may have their own opinion or ways of doing things. Do what works best for you!

JZA nailed it. +1

 

[cbj5259]

What I do (have done) with my non daily drivers in the past is this:

Battery tender, start the car at least once every two weeks, especially if you don't have a heated garage. Reason I do this is because in a cold garage, condensation can build up in a metal engine. When you run the car make sure the engine gets all the way to running temp before turning it off, that way it burns off any water in the system...usually this takes about 20 mins or so (make sure the garage is open when you do this!! Lol). Lastly, if you get a nice dry day, back the car out of the garage and roll it back and forth a few times for the tires, even letting it sit in a different parked position for a few hours if you can. I do that maybe once every six weeks. That's just my routine, but its always worked and every spring my cars always hummed along.

 

[jimprw]

My regimen here in MN:

1). Pour in a can of Seafoam
2). Fill up gas tank
3). Cover Boss
4). Leave battery in
5). Start car once a week on the weekends; run for about 5 minutes
6). Back car out of garage to start and run to move the tires

Many years ago I used to put summer vehicle on 4 jack stands to take the weight off the springs during storage. I don't do that anymore, but might consider it if I saw some compelling evidence it really extended the life of my suspension.

 

[302BOB]

Last winter in Ct we had a very mild winter with hardly any snowfall at all so I was able to drive my Boss all winter a couple times a week at least. This year it seems to be getting colder a lot sooner but as long as the temp is above 30 ( daytime with sun!) & the roads are dry I will be driving my Boss. No hibernation for my car. I need my Boss "fix" year round!

 

[Jeff]

snow tires on stock wheels for mine. should be a not fun winter.

 

[cloud9]

I go with full tank of gas and Stabil like JZA

I use a Battery Tender Jr.($30 from parts store) I have 5 of them and have never had a battery go bad.

I leave tires inflated and don't start it all winter.

That said, last year I did have a cracked sidewall on my GT500 rear tire. I have no idea if it's because of the winter storage or if it just happened due to a failure. I also had cracked tires on a used trailer which was stored outside by the previous owner. I've heard others report that it's better for the tires to get the weight off them during winter storage. In that case you need to support the car by its suspension though because you don't want to leave it unloaded for long periods. What I think I'll do this winter is put my used up track tires on both the Boss and GT500 for winter storage since I'll be dismounting and tossing the tires in the spring anyway.

 

[302BOB]

First frost coming tonight...Had to pick off all the tomatoes...the green ones should be ripe by Thanksgiving...fellow at work offered to pickle some of my green ones..might take him up on that.

 

[racered302]

^^^^ Grass cutting duties are finished for the year too.

 

[PeteInCT]

First frost coming tonight...Had to pick off all the tomatoes...the green ones should be ripe by Thanksgiving...fellow at work offered to pickle some of my green ones..might take him up on that.

If there not too green put some in a brown paper bag closed up at the top tightly and put in the 'fridge. I've salvaged a number of the fall tomatoes that way. Maybe we need to make a thread for this topic also ;D

 

[ls110]

In addition to most of the items already stated, I place a large box of desiccant inside my car, place D-Con mouse poison around the car, and plug the exhausts with steel-wool to prevent anything from crawling in. I am not restarting periodically.

Gary - Great idea on keeping a set of spent tires on. Hadn't thought of that.

 

[drano38]

Gary having worn out tires? Shocking

These are all the questions I had last fall too.
Change oil just before storage to get acid buildup out of engine, Battery Tender, fuel stabilizer, full tank, don't start it, leave it on the ground--suspension is better off with weight on it, I leave the car cover off--wash in spring takes care of dust.
Then hope for an early spring.
Or a mild winter because last year Gary and I just kept driving ours. ;D

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Sold my truck and trailer , so of course now I am thinking about getting another truck. Just pray I do, as the minute that happens there will be no snow or bad weather all Winter. I have an uncanny knack for getting things I don't need, ha!

 

[SoDakMac]

I also do the battery tender thing, oil change, fuel stabilizer, full fuel tank, never dry start it but unlike drano I detail it and it is covered for the winter. I also cancel my insurance except for collision in case the shop burns down or some other disaster befalls me. The Mustangs live in a heated shop all winter and never see snow or ice. Darn, those days are almost here for us Northerners.

 

[coboss]

I have rodent problems in the winter in my garage. Has anyone heard that putting dryer sheets around the tires will keep mice from climbing in? I'm a little skeptical, since I've seen field mice jump a good 18 inches before. I'm already putting D-Con in the engine compartment and trunk.

BTW, I have a plow truck that I have to leave outside, and the f'ing chipmunks move right in, and the EAT THE DCON apparently with no ill effects. I'm at a loss about what to do about them.

 

[ls110]

I have had great luck with the D-Con, although you need to keep it well supplied and never let it run out. If you run out, that means more rodents are coming back, even though you may have killed a lot already. I have bought it in bulk and literally put out a gallon of the pellets at a time to ensure it does not run out before I check it next. Eventually you will kill them. I would not put it in my car however as that is where they will go to find it. I would put it around the floor outside of the car, or in the corners of garage you are storing it in.