winter storage tips??
 

Well, the time to put away my 2012 GT Premium Convert. will unfortunately soon be upon us.
I plan to park my baby in a heated (but not too heated) garage where the temp stays around 5-8 degrees C.
I also plan to spark 'er up say maybe once every couple weeks just to hear the car run and move the oil around some. I also plan to add fuel stabilizer to a full tank of premium fuel before I put her away. I am contemplating a car cover but am not sure on whether or not that's a good idea.
I'll be parking my other vehicle in the same garage, which means opening the garage door daily,but not for long, even on those frosty -35 days.

Anyway, I'm looking for tips on what else I should do to my baby before I park her this way for the winter.

Any ideas/suggestions/tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I hate this topic... but here ya go! 10 or so pages of sadness...:bleh:

Well personally I change the oil the day before storing it in the garage, and yes I change it again in spring, as soon as the car comes out again. To store it, I fill the tank right full with stabil added to it, and run the mixture through the system by driving it for 10 minutes or so. I open the drivers door and then pull the battery while the door is open, this way when I shut the door the window doesn't snug up, and I can get into it again without breaking a window. The alternative to this is to keep the hood unlatched so you can put the battery in without opening the door to open the hood (i'm always worried someone will accidently close the hood on me, so that's the reason for my method).
Anyway, here's a link to a thread that covers everything, and you'll notice that most people recommend not starting the car from time to time...

https://www.cmoc.ca/general-mustang-...storage-14257/

You beat me too it....I guess it took me too long to type. :LOL:

Thanks guys, I don't know how I missed it.
Lots of conflicting information there....seems like everyone just does whatever works for them!

Mines gonna sit in the driveway uncovered all winter :(, no garage, probably will get some snow driving in too!

Hi, I stored my 67 camaro for 25 winters. Fill the tank. Fresh oil is good. Car cover is good, cheap one is fine, you are just keeping the dust off. Start it every couple of weeks, let it warm up. If the driveway is clear of salt and snow, pull it out turn it around and back it in. The point of that is to avoid flat spots developing in the tires. Simple really.

With the tires these days you don't have to worry about flat spots if your only storing for the winter. If you were storing long term, then yes, but putting it up on jack stands with alleviate that problem. It's your choice, but starting it up is a bad idea in my opinion. After the things I have heard about condensation build up in the entire exhaust system causing it to rot out, due to the quick temp change I wouldn't chance it myself.

X2 on the starting up point. This is NOT a good idea. The exhaust system heats up, then water condences on (and in) the entire system. It will rot out in no time. Your cat's will plug up too.

I made this mistake the 1st (and only) year I put mine away. I'd got the rotten eggs smell. I did some homework on this subject.

Now I change the oil, wash, cover and park until spring.

First of all look around and see all the muffler shops that are no longer in business because most cars, Mustangs included have STAINLESS STEEL exhaust systems. Mechanical devices hate non use, start it up !
I work in a new car shipping yard and yes modern tires develop flat spots, from sitting, particularly performance tires, in as little as a month of sitting.

Uhhh Ok so you're saying stainless steel isn't effected by condensation? :? I don't think so! I have parked all my Mustangs throughout the winter, and have never had any problems with flat spots. It was a common problem with bias ply tires and earlier radial tires, but dude it's 2012 not 1969!

Anyway, it's your vehicle, and you need to do what you feel comfortable with, all I suggest is you research as much as you can, which I have, and I doubt you'll find many winter storage tips that say to start the car from time to time. Either way, it's too early for me to worry about...I'm hoping to get a few more weekend cruises out of the way before she gets locked in the stable for the winter. :tup

X 3 on the starting up point - not a good idea.

Been storing my '06 every winter since new. Change the oil, fill fuel, add stabil, park on 4 pieces anti-fatigue padding, bounce everywhere, hook up battery tender, crack hood open, cover and leave till April. Never had a problem anywhere.
Used this same procedure on the 5 mustangs before this one.

You can get overwhelmed with the different strategies of winter storage. This is my first experience of storing a car for winter and I have the exact situation for car storage as you. My car was cleaned, waxed, rag top treated with vinyl protectant, fresh oil, full tank with stabilizer turn heat on just above freezing and start it up and move it once a month. bring it up to temp then put her back in. But looking at this thread I'm on the fence about the starting it up. My gut feeling is to start it up once a month and let it come up to temp.

I used to start mine monthly and never had any issues but I don't anymore and still no issues.

I appreciate the debate between the occasional start ups vs leaving it alone but I have to say I'm still leaning towards doing the monthly start up bring it to temp then tuck her back in.

Just like anything else, remember this is your car, and you need to do what makes you most comfortable. With all of the debate on what to do, with all my research I haven't heard of anyone having any major problems with their car, regardless of whether they started occasionally or not, so like I said.....what ever makes you comfortable is what you should do. :tup

thanks and you are right...

Cheers

Change the oil when you first store it if you are near an oil change already. Frequent starting isn't recommended as it will cause a build up of moisture in the exhaust and engine. Jacking the car up off the ground on stands is probably the bestas well Older oil will have a build up of hydrocarbons and contaminates that's best not to let sit in the engine all winter. New oils contain detergents that are meant to clean the engine and breakdown over the course of the oil life, but too frequent of oil changes can cause the detergents to compound

^^^ yes. In my experience starting the Mustang once a month is to the benifit of us owners rather than the machiene. We like to hear our beasts roar, but like bears if your not out and about in them, better to let them hibernate.

Change oil, oil filter, fuel filter, add Chevron Techron to tank, fill tank. Start if up every few weeks and if your in and area with reasonable winter conditions (road with no ice and snow) give it a short run.

you guys are completely right just leave it alone and I have. Thanks, love this site. I'm taking the winter storage thing pretty well, better than I thought I would. Taking it out with no ice and snow and salt is impossible I'm in Newfoundland winters are brutal here I just have to let it hibernate and that's it.

Please maybe someone could give me a tip on what to do about the battery for the winter (I'll keep the car locked till april)... I've read every post here, but i could not find anything conclusive; should I disconnect it? I'm afraid of messing up with the car's computer...

A friend has mentioned a battery tender, but it won't be really simple as my car sits in a huge underground parking under my building, so it's not private. The closest outlet is about 30 meters away my parking place, and I would have to move the car in order to use it - but the worst is that I should be there during the charging period which I believe could take several hours.

My question is, the charger or tender is absolutely necessary? Or should I just disconnect the battery? Or should I do nothing and let the battery connected?

By the way, I'm in Québec and winters here are harsh and long, she's been locked since november and probably won't awake before april... if I'm lucky - and her battery is still alive! (sorry for the long post)

A battery tender is intended to be left on all of the time. It trickle charges the battery when needed and does not need to be monitored. A charger can be used and they normally have a timer so again, you don't really need to watch it. Your best bet would probably be to get a good charge in the battery and then disconnect it. As long as the battery isn't weak it should hold a charge through the winter this way. The only issue you will run into is the drop down window. You will probably have to disconnect the battery with the window down so you will be able to close the door.

^^^^^^^^^
X2 on that. If you can safely store the battery indoors where it is warm and not on a cement floor, that would be even better. The window info is highly recommended.

Ok I see. I'll go for that. Any recommendations on a good charger?

What about this
Thank's for the replies!