Winter Storage

[nicker]

I am looking at storeing my 3 this winter. Can people that have done this in the past please tell me what I need to do.

Here is what i was goign to do, it will be stored in my garage (none heated).


1 wash it well (maybe wax ?)
2 fuel stabilizer on my last fill up and I was going to try to have the tank pretty empty before I put it away. So I don't have full tank of fuel sitting all winter and in the spring I will be able to put fresh fuel in.
3 disconnect the battery but leave it in the car. Or should I take it out and store it indoors?
4 cover with a car cover or blankets just to keep it clean and safe from scratches.

Any thing else?

[Skarbro]

Some believe you should put the car up on jack stands to prevent the tires from getting flat spots - but I think that's a bunch of crap unless you are storing the car for years at a time.

[Wild Weasel]

Letting your suspension dangle is even worse!

Tires don't flat-spot over the winter. If you're storing for years, then you might think about this but not for less than a year. Cars sit for nearly a year on dealer lots and they don't all end up with bad tires.

Do ensure they're properly inflated though.

[b3GS]

maybe over-inflate a bit

better to be safe then sorry

[-RJ3-]

Start the car from time to time..... Just so the internals get lubricated

[dr1ft3r]

drain oil?

[Skarbro]

drain oil?
In the old days, draining oil was a good idea to prevent gaskets from weakening and leaking.

But newer cars don't need this - especially over one winter.

Don't do it. There's nothing worse like forgetting that you drained oil out of a car then trying to start it.

[nicker]

Ya I wouldn't drain the oil, but do you really think it needs starting?

[b3GS]

Ya I wouldn't drain the oil, but do you really think it needs starting?


yes.. definately, you'll need to start it from time to time to make sure your fuel line doesn't freeze and it's good to get the oil flowing

but more importantly.. to keep the battery charged

[Flagrum_3]

When I store my vehicle this is what I do;

Replace oil with fresh full synthetic.
Inflate the tires an extra few pounds.
Fill the fuel tank completely and add a gas stabilizer and GL anti-freeze.
Wash & wax.
Lube all hinges and locks.
Keep your battery connected and start the vehicle atleast once a week and run it till its near normal operating temp, if by chance you have access to a AC outlet buy yourself a trickle-charger (this will keep the battery charged and programming intact)....I wish I had access!
Best scenario is drive it occasionally on days where the roads are dry and salt free just to warm everything up.(drivetrain, bearings, brakes)...I do this in my underground.
If your going to cover the vehicle make sure its a high quality cover which will breath, otherwise it will retain moisture.

my 2 cents.


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[nicker]

ok so best to leave it uncovered then. I can run it no problem but I am not going to drive it as inurance will on be fire theft etc. Plus there is aways salt on the roads and I don't want it to see salt!

[MajesticBlueNTO]

I am looking at storeing my 3 this winter. Can people that have done this in the past please tell me what I need to do.

Here is what i was goign to do, it will be stored in my garage (none heated).


2 fuel stabilizer on my last fill up and I was going to try to have the tank pretty empty before I put it away. So I don't have full tank of fuel sitting all winter and in the spring I will be able to put fresh fuel in.


fill the gas tank to avoid condensation in the tank over winter.

[Wild Weasel]

Definitely store it with a full tank with fuel stabilizer!

As for even the idea of draining oil... we're talking about less than a year here. This isn't long term storage!

[nicker]

good point on the fuel. Ya it will be there from what November till April maybe may. So I guess its weather you put it away with a fresh oil change or fresh oil change when you bring it out.

[Wild Weasel]

You definitely need an oil change when it comes out. Remember.. oil degrades over time whether you're using it or not.

[Junior]

As a winter storage guru, I've been through this for the last 4 years, and every year I do the following:

- Before storage, change oil and top up fluids.
- Fill gas tank and add fuel stabilizer. Run the engine for 10 minutes after adding fuel stab, so it mixes nicely
- If you decide to leave it sitting on the tires, used something crappy ... not anything with thin rubber. With time (even) 6 months of storage, you may notice bulges/flat spots on the rubbers. Sidewalls ... again, it may not be noticeable the first year or second, but if you're planning on storing it on your $1600 Toyo's ... think twice.
- I would disconnect and remove the battery and keep it inside in a nice room temp climate.
- Be sure to leave the car in neutral and don't engage the parking brake. (use blocks to keep the car from rolling), helps to prevent seizing when you're ready to fire her up in the spring.

As far as starting it up. I don't.

My train of thinking is this: Wouldn't 95 cold starts put more strain and do more damage than just 1 cold start in the spring? PLUS, starting your car and leaving it to idle just adds moisture to your exhaust. The car needs to be driven and the engine brought up to normal temperature to burn off moisture. Unless you plan to constantly take it for a rip around the block or drive it for 15-20 minutes each time you turn it over ... you're doing more bad than good by just starting it and letting it idle and then shutting it off.


You're better off filling the gas tank and adding fuel stabizer and leaving the car until Spring.

Once spring rolls around, drop the battery back in, turn it over and perform another change of all fluids and you're good to go.

[Wild Weasel]

Agree about the starting. Only time my Sunfire starts is when I have to move it for some reason.

[nicker]

you know Junior now that I think about it your suggestion makes sense. Makes lots actually. I remember back in the day buddies of mine storeing their cars in other peoples facilites non heated and they did nothing with them till spring.

And the cold start makes sense. And actually when it comes time to start it, it will not be that cold anyway.

[Junior]

Agreed the non-heated storage is better, due to corrosion and moisture in heated storage, so you may notice rust forming faster when stored in those type of conditions.

Also if you're still on an OEM battery, you'll need to give it a good charge in the spring before dropping it back in. (I skipped this step in my initial post, since I run an Optima Yellow-Top - no need for charging)

You could use a trickle charger if you want to extend the life of your battery, but I would save my money for a new battery, when the OEM one goes.

And car cover is a good idea ... If you store it outdoors, even more so .. plus the fact that you should find a way to wrap the underside of the car to keep squirrels from building a next under the hood. If you're keeping in indoors, you need not worry about that part.

Hope this helps.

BTW, There's nothing like starting it back up in the spring. I have that feeling every year. It's like you just bought a new car all over again.

[nicker]

mine will be stored in a non heated garage.

This is a funny topic as from what I have all ready there are tons of different ideas on what is best.

Some still stay to put it on jack stands and I have be told that is very bad. But allot do say to start it from time to time. To get everything lubed. If not they recommend fogging the engine.

This is why I posted this, as I wanted to see or hear first hand what people have done and how well their cars were in spring.

I am very surprised that more have not responded to what they do or are maybe going to do.

[Flagrum_3]

mine will be stored in a non heated garage.

This is a funny topic as from what I have all ready there are tons of different ideas on what is best.

Some still stay to put it on jack stands and I have be told that is very bad. But allot do say to start it from time to time. To get everything lubed. If not they recommend fogging the engine.

This is why I posted this, as I wanted to see or hear first hand what people have done and how well their cars were in spring.

I am very surprised that more have not responded to what they do or are maybe going to do.

I would like to add that the best possible protection would be to have the vehicle oil-sprayed, whether you plan to drive it or store it.Reason being that everything will be protected including all electrical connections etc....people might say "he's not going to drive it in the salt so why bother" the answer to that is it dosen't take salt to have rust show up on many parts of the car including very sensitive electrical connections.

As for the starting up of the vehicle, I guess there's two trains of thought but I prefer to start and run the vehicle mainly to keep everything properly lubed...mind you I might have gotten carried away with the amounts of times in my earlier post.I would usually wait for a relatively warmer day before I would start the engine....forget trying in -20C or less.Remember that after running the engine to operating temp, a certain amount of oil is left coating all internal parts, but if it is left for too long a period this coating does not exist.It is in the first few seconds of operation that 90% of engine wear occurs, hense my reasoning and the reasoning to also use synthetic as it will reach the top of the engine much quicker than conventional oil during colder temps.


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[mogul_pro]

Why would you put a mazda3 in storage? Its not exactly a "summer only" car by any means...

but to each there own.

[nicker]

why not put it in storage? By the time I buy winter wheels/tires etc I can come pretty close to buying a winter beater (which I did).

Id like to keep my car from being saturated with salt and the shit they put on our roads.