car storage questions
 

i tried to do a search but found different topics.


I have my 350z currently stored for the winter and would like to know if the following is alright or not recommended....


1. I make it a habit to start the car once every 2 weeks to keep the gears lubricated and the engine going. is this alright or not recommended? if not, what is the recommended way to do it?

2. it seems like my battery dies real quick if i dont start the car even for just a week so i have to jumpstart it everytime when doing my routine start up.
is that bad?

3. does maple syrup go well with pancakes and waffles or is aunt jemima still better?:fuckthatshit:

keep a trickle charger on the battery, im using one of these. Make sure to disconnect the negative off the car.
http://www.leisurebatteriesireland.c...025000%201.jpg

Fill up your gas tank.
Some people will go as far as filling the entire motor with oil, just make sure to drain it before you go crank it.

i live in an apartment so i only have underground parking. There are no electric outlets nearby so i cant use a trickle charger.

really? im suppose to fill up the gas tank on full? am i suppose to be putting fuel stabilizer with that or just a full tank of gas?

i cannot overfill my engine oil because there is no way for me to drain it myself. the car stance is too low for me to use a jack (and yes im lazy to make the effort to lift it up)

Don't start the car if you don't have to. Just put some fuel stabilizer in the tank and let it be. Starting the car and letting it idle for 5 mins is worse than not starting at all.

You can buy fogging oil to coat your cylinders so they don't rust.

Use fuel stabilizer and fill the tank up.

Take the battery out of your car if you don't have any electrical outlets, and use a trickle charger in the house.

Don't run the car unless you plan on driving it for a good 30 minutes. Starting it during storage is one of the worst things you can do.

Whoa whoa whoa, people! You guys have all forgotten the most important question he asked!

Real maple syrup > Aunt Jemima.

:fullofwin:

On a serious note, you can always hand crank your engine over to keep things lubricated. Not sure how practical that would be for you, though.

How long will the car be stored? If it's only a couple months, realistically you don't even need fuel stabilizer. Just fill it up to prevent condensation from forming inside the tank.
As for the battery, just unhook the negative end to prevent any parasitic drain the car may be having on it. If you're worried about your alarm not working if it's unhooked, pick up a decent deep charge battery and install it.

A lot of guys believe in the 20/20 rule for starting your car.
Either start it and shut it off in 20 seconds, or else, don't shut it off til 20 minutes.
And +1 on the full tank of gas.

1. Use Stabil (can be found at canadian tire) use with a full tank of gas and run for 10 minutes then let sit for the rest of winter. Do not start it unless nessesary.
2. Pull the battery out of the car and charge it in your place, again you just need a small battery trickler from canadian tire (around $25)

I'm in the same boat, but luckily, there is a plug a few spots down, on one of the pillars. I bought a PROPER extention cord (VERY important! Consult the trickle charger manual) and every week or so, I hook up my trickle charer, and leave it on for 12-24hrs. I want to make sure my alarm works, seeing as it's a condo building. It's a bit of a pain to do this, but worth it IMO.

Gears don't get lubricated unless the car moves.

And maple syrup is best.

Cold starts = maximum amount of wear on an engine.

I wouldn't worry about starting your car unless you are actually going to drive it. If you want to save your battery from going flat, trickle charge in your apartment.

REAL maple syrup is best. Aunt jemima is just corn syrup with other 'stuff' in it. :Puke:

i've never heard of the 20/20 rule, but have you ever started up and then shut off a carb'ed engine within 20 seconds ?

good luck restarting it

Startin the engine and running it for short periods is really bad for the engine and exhaust systems. Gets just enough warmth to gather lots of condensation, which it leaves behind in the form of water, specially in the exhaust. Causes rusting and other problems. Let the car sit until you are ready to run it again...and ditto what has been said about the cycling battery tender.

Don't start your car every 2 weeks if you don't need to. It causes a lot of wear by doing that over and over again.

I store my car outside, and I have a Deka ETX30L light weight AGM battery. All I do is unplug the negative terminal if I plan on parking the car for over a week. I think that should be fine to do as well. Also if I do start the car after its been sitting a while (without driving it), I make it run at least 20-30 minutes before shutting it off again.

If you plan on storing the car over the winter, like till March or April, the fill the tank full with gas and add some Stabil to keep the lines and injectors from gumming up.

Pump up the tires with air to the max rating so they do not flat spot from sitting.

It is highly recommended to put the car up on jack stands instead of allowing the car to sit on the wheels with the suspension compressed.

Release the hand brake so the rear pads do not seize onto the rotors.

Do not start the motor unless you are driving the car. All the oil is in the oil pan and that start up is metal on metal.

Take the battery out put it on a trickle charge, but don't do it in your condo. Lead acid batteries can release fumes when they are low on power and being charged.

This may not always be the case.

More than anything it comes down to personal choice. Modern radial tires do not flat spot like old bias ply tires can, certainly not in the 4-6 months the car would be sitting. Still, jackstands can't hurt in my opinion.

If jackstands are used, they must be used to support the car under the suspension. For storage purposes the car should never be supported by stands leaving the suspension to hang loose. This is bad for the frame and body and especially bad for the suspension. The suspension was designed to support the weight of the car and should continue to do that whether the wheels are on the ground or not.

Good information to know if anyone is storing their cars.

thanks.

^ this. great information.

thank you so much for all these information.

the car will only be stored till march at most so i guess its not so bad if i just fill up the tank and out some stabilizer. Thanks again everyone!