I will be storing my E36 in a local storage facility this winter (10'x20'). It is not climate controlled and does not have power, so I am planning on removing the battery. I will be storing it with work some work items so I will be visiting the storage place on a nearly weekly basis. I have a few questions as I haven't stored this car during the winter for a while.
1. I'd like to store it on the "summer set" of wheels/tires. Tires are Michelin Pilot Super Sports that are a couple years old - any concern with the car sitting on these for a long period of time during freezing temperatures? I do have a mostly-worn set of snows that I can put on for storage if necessary.
2. Any concern with the car being unplugged from the battery for so long? I used to store the car in a heated, powered, place so the vehicle was always connected to a charger. I am planning on having the battery at home connected to this battery tender.
3. I am planning on changing the oil right before, or right after storage - anything better than the other? Either way I will make sure the car is sufficiently warmed up before storage. Current fill has about 5k mostly highway miles on M1 0w-40
4. Fuel - I've always used premium in this. I assume it's better to have as little fuel as possible? Sta-Bil make sense for storage just during the winter?
5. Any other recommendations? I already have a smaller storage place here and as far as I can tell they seem up on the pest control.
Storing Car in Storage Facility
- Thread starter cutlassvillager
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I'd pump the tires up to 45-50 PSI to cover flat spots and slow leaks. If your storage locker/room is tight and you can't really get at the far side's valve stems it would be handy to have air come spring, at least enough to back out and top off.
Gas in or gas out is an age old question each with benefits and drawbacks. You don't want a full tank come spring with degraded octane for example.
Even if your oil is 90% used up it'll still protect the engine innards, do what you want with that.
I'd put hardware cloth or steel wool in/over the air intake to keep critters out.
I agree with extra air in the tires. If you're there on a regular basis, roll it a few inches.
I don't know about the car being without power.
Change the oil before storage.
Use a full tank of the highest octane available and the blue marine Sta-Bil.
Steel wool to block the intake is another good idea. Check for rodents while you're there visiting.
you want a full tank of gas.add the stabil as already mentioned.a few months wont kill the gas
Tires should be fine, but as others suggest, inflate them to something near their max.
The car will be fine without a battery, though you'll lose radio presets and the like. No need to hook up a battery tender: batteries hold their charge for a very long time when there's no power drain. If you want, connect the battery tender a day or two before reinstalling in the car.
I'd suggest an oil change just before storage. Unless warranty considerations are involved you can run this for a normal OCI come spring.
A full tank of gas treated with Iso-Heat and Sta-Bil has always worked for me.
Covering the car with a couple of cotton bed sheets will keep the dust off (it will be clean when going into storage, right?).
The biggest unknown is whether rodents will find your car interesting. Steel wool is good for blocking intake/exhaust ports. I built a mouse barrier consisting of roof flashing attached to 2x4s that surrounds the car and haven't had a rodent problem. But maybe I wouldn't have anyway...
What about putting it on jack stands? I know someone who does that so they don't flatspot the tires.
Originally Posted By: Miller88
What about putting it on jack stands? I know someone who does that so they don't flatspot the tires.
Some say jack stands are a no no because the rubber bushings in the suspension are in an unnatural position and will take a set.
If you want to go all out, get junk tires on steel wheels you can store the car on so you don't wreck your good ones and so you can roll the car out of the proverbial barn if it catches fire.
I stored my 2014 Mustang GT in my garage from the beginning of Dec last year to about the beginning of March of this year and did not do anything special. I didn't even change the oil as it only had about 4,500 miles on it. I did not drive the car during this time. I did not experience any problems.
This year I may change the oil before I put it up for the winter since I have about 5,800 miles on this oil change and the one year mark of this oil change will be in March.
Wayne
Thanks for the input everyone. The car will be stored from November until sometime in March/April...whenever it stops snowing regularly. What is the significance of the blue marine sta-bil? I've always used the regular red stuff.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Some say jack stands are a no no because the rubber bushings in the suspension are in an unnatural position and will take a set.
If you want to go all out, get junk tires on steel wheels you can store the car on so you don't wreck your good ones and so you can roll the car out of the proverbial barn if it catches fire.
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