Winter storage

Zep

Zep

Club Member
My car has been in the garage now for a couple of months. I have no special insulation, but l do have a couple of heaters and a dehumidifier going. I have the car covered with a cloth car cover, car windows slightly open and handbrake off. I start the car every 7-10 days, reverse it onto the drive and let it come up to temperature. I've bought the stuff to Waxoil the underneath before it comes out in anger next year.

Any tip and/or recommendations about other things l should/should not be doing. Do l need some petrol stabiliser. I heard moisture in the brake fluid can migrate to the slave cylinders and rust from the inside - should l be bleeding the brakes.

Thanks, Dean
 
Good question..

One tip that I have is to take out the floor mats, mine were damp, even though I had been careful after taking out in rain etc. (could have been washing?), anyhow, I had let the damp/soggy mats sit there for a few months, which has helped bubble the paint/surface rust the floors... great.:eek:

At least a good opportunity to strip, por-15, and do the job properly.. as I think it had been done badly in the past..
 
Remove carpets - thanks.

Any other tips for a problem free recovery post winter storage and no self induced longer lasting damage ?
 
I heard you should fill the tank up completely as this helps to aleviate the formation of moisture in the tank, disconnecting the negative battery terminal is also a good idea.

As long as you dont have any draughts it sounds like the dehumidifier and the heater are going to make conditions quite nice for your Z to hibernate in.
 
Thanks for all the inputs to date.

So far, l think this summaries the inputs on tips for a Zed winter storage and the reasons why
  • Store in garage with car cover, heaters and a dehumidifier - why is obvious (same effect with a Carcoon).
  • Leave with handbrake off - l assume it's easier to free up if it seizes.
  • Keep windows slight open - dehumidifier works on the inside as well.
  • Run the engine every 7-10 days and allow to come up to temperature - seems like a good idea, not really sure all the reasons why it is or isn't.
  • Move it semi-frequently and keep types hard - should help save tyre damage (same effect by storing on axle stands)
  • Take out floor mats, especially if damp - help reduce risk of paint bubbles/rust.
  • Fill up the tank - helps reduce moisture/rust in the tank
  • Use a lay-up kit from Frosts - l assume this would mean you don't need to run the engine step above.
Anything else l'm missing ?
Dean :unsure:
 
A 260 !:d, oh and I think you will find running a CArcoon will be much cheaper too!
 
only problem with filling the tank up is that you would have to drain it as petrol doesn't have a very long shelf life (especially unleaded). Dunno if it does any harm to run an engine on stale petrol though


Dario
 
you might struggle to get an engine to run on stale unleaded. the good old 4 star was ok over the winter.
 
you might struggle to get an engine to run on stale unleaded. the good old 4 star was ok over the winter.
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I know that one from the panic when my new car arrived from australia, and would not start. Incidentally, the owner was told to leave as little petrol in the tank as possible for the lay up period, I suppose so I could fill up with fresh petrol and get that into the engine as soon as possible. I only wish I had thought of that at the time!
 
Mines on unleaded, so sounds like l need to add something to stop it going stale. Or run it close to empty and fill up with fresh when it comes out of storage. But, l risk my tank rusting from the inside. :unsure:

The zhome site has good info, but now l worried. Sounds like l'm giving my car the 'old lady' treatment and doing more damage than good. Those little frost gadget Rob mentioned look like the way to go. I don't like the idea of putting oil in the carbs until the l see blue smoke and the car stalls. :eek:

The site also suggest putting oil in with coolant so l get a nice milky mixture going. :unsure:

Ever wished you'd not asked :confused:
 
you could also invest in CAIR-0-PORT storage system for your car instead of a Carcoon as it is cheaper and i think it is more practical.as for your antifreeze there is a millers product i think that hepls to reduce corrosion in the waterways.
 
I thought petrol going stale was a myth? My old boss was a chemist and said it was fine. Guess he was wrong.

Sounds like your car will be better looked after than me! :) I don't envy your electricity bill ;)

It's going to be dry in your garage so I wouldn't worry too much.

Get a battery optimiser to keep it topped up, I use one on my motorbike most of the year (too lazy to ride it).

You turn your engine over to stop things seizing up and to remove any surface rust from your cylinder bores. If you have these moisture absorbing spark plugs I guess this is less of a problem.

Make sure your coolant has antifreeze in it (it should do anyway!).

If you have a bare concrete floor drive your car onto old carpet. The concrete can absorb moisture from the tyre rubber apparently which causes them to crack.
 
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