Engine oil for longer service life over the winter

[CivicFK2TypeR]

Hallo @All.

I wanted to ask how you see it. My car is in the garage for over five months in the winter and is neither moved nor left on at this time. Does it make a difference which oil you fill in when the vehicle stands longer?

 

[shurguywutt]

I don't think it will matter, just use a quality synthetic the meets your car's spec... I would change it and run it a bit right before you put it in the garage for the season.

 

[CivicFK2TypeR]

A fullsaps is still released for my vehicle. Based on the recommendations here, I have filled in a midsaps. Now the question arises to me whether a fullsaps would not generally be better with a longer service life? I change the oil every year at the end of the season before my car goes into hibernation.

 

[facility1]

it is not a good procedure to just let a vehicle sit for that long,,at least once a month start the engine and run for at least 20 min (outside) ,also with the car in drive (foot on brake) to circulate tranny fluid,,use a battery tender also to keep up batt. charge,check air in tires also,,the brand of oil,get a full synthetic in the viscosity recomended for engine,,like Vavoline EP,Pennzoil Platinium Castrol Edge ,just to name a few,,,and lastly put out some mouse repellent so the wires,etc dont get runed by mice/varmint's,,,some gasoline conditioner is a good idea,like STP gas treatment along with a full tank.

 

[VolkswagenFox21]

My FRS is stored in the garage over winter too and this is what I do: Change the oil before putting the car away for the winter with the same oil as you'd run normally. Once it's time to get it back out in spring, go for a drive and get the car up to temperature to burn off any moisture that may have accumulated in the oil.

That's it. There's nothing else you need to do with the oil.

 

[Bjornviken]

+1 to post #4

 

[CivicFK2TypeR]

But leaving an engine running at a standstill is absolutely bad? I have no way to move the vehicle on the road in winter. I was only concerned with whether it makes a difference which oil to fill in during long downtimes or not.?

 

[facility1]

if oil is only concern,any of the brands i mentioned above are fine ,personally a name brand maybe better,just a opinion of my preference,however its important to change on a regular basis,say once every year,depending on milage,,less than 5-6 k,first thing in spring maybe best or in fall,what ever you feel

 

[Lubener]

Hallo @All.

I wanted to ask how you see it. My car is in the garage for over five months in the winter and is neither moved nor left on at this time. Does it make a difference which oil you fill in when the vehicle stands longer?

Oil brand will not make a difference as long as it meets the requirements spelled out in your owners manual. I would if possible (weather permitting) take the car out for a drive every 3 months if you store it longer than five months. I have stored the same vehicle from the end of october to early April every year since 1989. I don't touch it during those months while being stored . I keep the battery ( which is now 12 years old) tended and never had a problem with it. I change the oil every 2-3 years or 3000 miles. Being in the garage will make a huge difference.

 

[JoelB]

Nothing wrong with letting a car sit for a few months. People do it all the time. If you can't take it out and warm it up fully I would not start it and idle it up to temperature.

 

[CivicFK2TypeR]

Due to LSPI protection, I chose the ESP X3 0W40. Just because a well-known mechanic told me that fullsaps offers better protection during the long service life, but wear protection would also be better when driving. That's why I asked here again.

 

[Leo99]

I'd be a lot more worried about rodents than the oil.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Hallo @All.

I wanted to ask how you see it. My car is in the garage for over five months in the winter and is neither moved nor left on at this time. Does it make a difference which oil you fill in when the vehicle stands longer?

A fullsaps is still released for my vehicle. Based on the recommendations here, I have filled in a midsaps. Now the question arises to me whether a fullsaps would not generally be better with a longer service life? I change the oil every year at the end of the season before my car goes into hibernation.

No and No

 

[CivicFK2TypeR]

Thank you.

 

[CivicFK2TypeR]

Then I'll stay with the X3 0W40 until the x4 will be available.

 

[racer12306]

it is not a good procedure to just let a vehicle sit for that long,,at least once a month start the engine and run for at least 20 min (outside) ,also with the car in drive (foot on brake) to circulate tranny fluid,,use a battery tender also to keep up batt. charge,check air in tires also,,the brand of oil,get a full synthetic in the viscosity recomended for engine,,like Vavoline EP,Pennzoil Platinium Castrol Edge ,just to name a few,,,and lastly put out some mouse repellent so the wires,etc dont get runed by mice/varmint's,,,some gasoline conditioner is a good idea,like STP gas treatment along with a full tank.

I don't agree with this philosophy.

20 minutes of no load isn't enough if you're going to start it.

a good 20 minute drive is possibly enough, but I'd prefer longer personally.

 

[gman2304]

My wife’s 2.0T Ecotec DI hasn’t been started in 3 months. On the rare occasion it gets driven in the winter, it is at a minimum driven 50 miles to get everything up to operating temps. Never started for a short trip or idling. It has Mobil 1 EP 5w30 in the crankcase and is on a 1.5 amp battery maintainer In a basement garage that doesn’t get below 60 degrees F. All is well.

 

[oldhp]

Change the oil, put battery tender on, pump tires to max PSI on side of tire and lastly fog the engine. Let it sit until you're ready to drive it. Have at least a 1/2 tank of fuel. I have no idea what to use for mouses, squirrels and the like.

 

[Chief119]

My Land Cruiser sit in the garage from November-March. I change the oil right before I put it away for the winter, and I have a charge on the battery during this time.
My garage is climate control but my wife parks here car in there too, it’s driven daily. We have had issues where a mouse has gotten in the garage from her car sitting at work and she brings it to our garage.

I do two things for a rodent issue. I get REAL peppermint oil and put 40 drops on a 20 oz bottle and fill it with water. I spray under the hood of the Land Cruiser and the wife’s car to keep the rodents out ( it works great and last about six months). I also have a bass boat outside under he hang over and I spray all the compartments with this and never have a rodent issue. We live in the woods so the rodents are in abundance at my house and the peppermint oil works like a charm. Spray it where you don’t want rodents and you will have nothing to worry about.

In March when I bring the LC out I take it for a nice drive to Winston Salem for a dinner date with the wife. We live in the mountains of NC and I don’t drive it during the winter because if all the salt on the roads. I have an older 4 runner for that.

I also have a glass mixing bowl that I pour some peanut oil in about a 1 1/2” deep and make a ramp for the rodents, and I leave it in the corner of the garage so if I do get a mouse in the garage it will go to it get in and it will not be able to get out. This is a precaution in case a mouse does get in the garage. In 7 years I have had two mouse get in, and they both were found in the peanut oil.

 

[eljefino]

Even old oil isn't "corrosive", if you were going to let it run 5000 miles it's still good at mile number 4999 and good for storage. Past-due? Maybe, but we don't run our oil until it's past-due.

Watch for rodents moving in to your air filters and eating your wires.

Don't start a car if you're not going to drive it on the street for >10 miles.