I have to put my car in storage for the winter (yes, already)

[flabbergeister]

Hi guys, I got a job offer and I'm going away from august till next june.

I'm putting my civic in a heated garage for those 11 cold months of winter in canada and I was wondering if there is something to do about the maintenance? I'm guessing I should unplug the battery, but is there anything about the oil or something?

Thanks

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[TheWalkman]

-Give it a wash;
- add Sta-bil or Sta-bil Marine to the gas. (I use it in my motorcycles and lawn equipment over the winter. They start with the first pull/ crank every spring);
- unplug the battery;
though probably overkill, I would personally change the oil just prior to storage. Old oil gets acidic and nasty and for $20, it's cheap insurance.

Where are you going for that long? Anywhere exotic?

 

[davidgostbo]

Maybe some fuel stabilizer would be good.
If you didn't have a first oil change yet don't replace, stock oil is different I believe from regular oil.

 

[flabbergeister]

A small place called Inukjuak, on the eastern shore of Hudson' bay, a thousand miles up north of Montreal.

Somewhat -50°c in winter, I wouldn't exactly call that 'exotic'

My car will be waaaaaay warmer than I'll be lol

 

[finalnight]

Hi guys, I got a job offer and I'm going away from august till next june.

I'm putting my civic in a heated garage for those 11 cold months of winter in canada and I was wondering if there is something to do about the maintenance? I'm guessing I should unplug the battery, but is there anything about the oil or something?

Thanks

Pull the delivery fuse or hook the car up to a trickle charger, put it on blocks or stands, add fuel stabilizer, change the oil/filter, cap the exhaust pipes, and add mothballs.

 

[dc2turbo]

put the car on jack stands

 

[1WickedCivic]

What the previous posters said - here is a useful Edmunds article http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-to-prep-your-car-for-long-term-storage.html

 

[greyclocked]

put the car on jack stands

big props to this suggestion. This was a trick I have heard US military personnel using for their cars while deployed. It keeps the wheels from sitting too long and prevents a lot of the deterioration you get from wheels not being rotated.

 

[flabbergeister]

Thank you guys!

And what about when I come back? I simply plug the battery back, get it off the jack stands and leave? I probably should let the engine run a couple of minutes, but other then that?

 

[TheWalkman]

Check your fluid levels and tire pressures, reattach the battery, fire the car up - give it a thirty second warm up and let her go. Brake rotors may be a bit rusted so brake conservatively for the first few stops.

 

[pwschuh]

I left a car in storage for three years when I lived in Japan. Put it on jack stands and my Dad "drove" it for 30 minutes every month. Let the engine fully warm, ran the car up through the gears, turned the steering from lock to lock, pumped the brakes a few times, rotated the front tires by hand. Battery was left on a charger. When I got back I checked the air pressure in the tires, let the car down, and drove off. It was like I had never left it. If you are going to be gone for less than a year, I would just put it up on stands and leave it sit with a battery maintainer and Stabil and it will likely be just fine. When you get it back you may want to pull a fuse that allows you to crank the engine for a minute before it fires just to get some oil back in places that are fully drained of oil.

 

[Ultrafrozen]

Use premium fuel with no ethanol in it for the last few tankfuls. The ethanol blends turn to crap that fuel stabilizer can't cope with very well. No need to cause fuel issues if you don't have to. I'd also top-up the gas tank before storing to prevent condensation build-up even though it will be in a heated garage.

 

[davidgostbo]

Use premium fuel with no ethanol in it for the last few tankfuls. The ethanol blends turn to crap that fuel stabilizer can't cope with very well. No need to cause fuel issues if you don't have to. I'd also top-up the gas before storing to prevent condensation build-up even though it will be in a heated garage.

Where do you even find no ethanol fuel in america?

 

[TheWalkman]

Where do you even find no ethanol fuel in america?

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp

Even with ethanol free gas, DO NOT forget to add the Sta-bil!

 

[Gavnzdad]

Hi guys, I got a job offer and I'm going away from august till next june.

I'm putting my civic in a heated garage for those 11 cold months of winter in canada...

Be a real good guy, and just let a friend drive it until you get back. That way she don't get lonely.

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