Hi guys! Kind of a new member and recently new owner of an 85 GSL! My question is, what are the Do's And Dont's for storing a car of this age during the winter. Unfortunately I will be storing the vehicle outside, as I have no place to use.

Thanks in Advance!

 

Hey fellow Calgaryian!!

been storing mine outside for 11yrs in Alaska.
Take a Breathe. Ready?
My pointers:
1) buy a cover, an _actual_ car cover. It MUST be a breathable material! (all car covers breath) Anything else will trap moisture and ruin your paint.
An exposed car will collect all sorts of trash in the sunroof and rear hatch troughs. Recipe for moisture trapping when the drains plug up (and they WILL), then rust-o-rama!!!! This is a big deal!!! Sun damage to paint goes without saying.
You def get what you pay for! You can spend under $100, but you will be buying a replacement every 2-3 yrs. Cheapies are frail and if varments are ANY issue (mice, squirrels) they tend to fall in love with these as sources of nesting materials. I came out to one cover in the spring, that, from the window (I could see the front of the car, it looked fine). The back WAS GONE! Little bastids had taken it ALL away piece-by-piece!!.
After MUCH (3 covers!) trial and error I bought a Covercraft Weathershield HD. $300. NUKE-proof. Custom fit for RX7. Its super lightweight (almost like a ballistic nylon), completely weatherproof AND sunproof (yeah, cheap covers bake away under big sun) AND, unlike some if the cheaper, heavier materials that require large industrial washing (so, a laundromat), this can be done at home. My cars comes out from under these LOOKING LIKE WHEN THEY WENT IN in the Fall, which is what you want.
Finally, on covers. If you park in a high-wind area, the cover must be tied down! Flapping covers = beat paint! I bought some cheap adjustable webbing straps and wrap one around each end of the car. (The Weathershield has fitted bottoms and a mount to run a strap under the car at the center too, but this is not enough to keep it flapping in winds. It just means it will stay on the car.)

2)Mechanical Prep:
-wash and WAX. Vital under a cover esp. Dirt will be ground into paint under a cover. Add wind = sandpaper.
-new oil and filter. Sitting all winter with old oil and all its contaminants = bad idea.
-tires inflated to 45-50PSI. So they won't Flat-spot.
-do NOT apply hand brake. Can seize over winter. Wheel CHOCK the car.
-Park in _2nd_ gear. On my SA this is the shift position that applies LEAST tension to underlying rubber shift covers over transmission, which eventually fail and tear. ****? Sure, but rubber covers cost about $75 a set. + the car is held in place too.

3) engine prep:
-FULL TANK OF GAS: I mean to the brim. Any air space left inside is an opportunity to create moisture. =rust. And that is a world-of-hurt when the rusty tank starts dropping grunge into the fuel lines and causing all sort of driver headaches. ("Why does my car run so poorly, and stall?") Been there! Pulling and cleaning and relining gas tank? PITA!!
Some RX7s tanks have a DRAIN. 79-80 SA does NOT. Draining is a PITA. But would work too.
-Add a can of SEAFOAM to the fuel when you do the final fill. Does several things: (a) great gas preservative (yes, stored gas goes BAD), (b) is magic for the inside of the motor, removing carbon deposits, etc. best $8 tune-up you can spend.

Now, Park it in place for this:
and : PARK ON PLASTIC SHEET!
-ground OR concrete generate moisture up under the car = rust. Buy a sheet of 6+ gauge HD plastic and roll the car over it for the winter. Careful, VERY slippery to walk on in winter snow!! (you know, when you go out to brush off the baby...)
-disconnect the fuel pump for this (fuse in some models, in SA its a connection under the rear "seat" cover shield where the pump wires come up thru the floor board - I wired in a simple switch for this there on the shield). Why?
You want to RUN THE ENGINE till the carb starves out of gasoline. Again: Old Gas = bad gas. It evaporates over the winter leaving behind potential deposits of gunk in the tiny jets and orifices of the carb. You want gas OUT.
-remove air cleaner, pour about 4 oz of motor oil down each primary throat of the carb. I use a long screwdriver blade to hold butterflies open. This is lubing oil to sit IN the combustion chambers over the winter. This is ALSO why you don't want the fuel pump dumping MORE gas into the engine because…
-DISCONNECT ignition (pull plug wires at coils) and DRY SPIN (as in: No Gas, see?) motor several revolutions. To mix the oil around the Chambers.
-remove battery. It will need to be on a trickle charger in the house (or somewhere warm), or kiss it goodbye. Battery Tender makes a nice charger. Batteries GAS out, so not something you want cooking away under the hood all winter generating acidic gas to eat paint.
-remove air cleaner and place PLASTIC sheet over the carb mouth. Idea is to seal off engine block from external moisture = rust. Place air cleaner back over to seal.
-seal (baggies and zip ties) EXHAUST pipes. Same reason at that end.
-finally, I seal (baggie and zip tie) Battery cable ends. Spray with WD40. So they don't rust/ corrode over the winter, and moisture can't leach into the actual exposed cable wires. This eventually causes the cables to fail...

4) Varments:
-in addition to above cover warnings
-buy 2 bars of IRISH SPRING soap. Cut in 4 pieces and use 4 INSIDE car (I put on a piece of plastic or in an open dish). Mice HATE the smell (google it) and will not nest in the car, with the stink and chewing damage that comes with it. And they WILL find a way in!!
Leaves a nice smell in there for you in the spring too.
-2nd bar: do the same in the ENGINE compartment! Place on block to protect engine harness, another under the brake Master to protect main harness, one each under/by each headlight motor. THEY WILL EAT YOUR WIRES - cause they love building nests in there...
-don't recommend mothballs in passenger area because they do leave a smell! Engine? sure!!! Just make sure they are in a container as I have heard they will damage paint if placed on a metal surface directly.

5) Moisture:
This can build up IN the car over the winter depending where you live. Esp high-humidity environments like SE, NE, NW (Alaska winters VERY dry so not an issue). If the car is not ventilated in some way, expect rot and MOLD thru-out!!! This can be EPIC.
-crack door windows VERY slightly (obv with a cover this is a snap. No cover? then rain/snow gets in.)
-Buy DESSICANTS:
Griotts sells large, re-useable bags specifically for this :
Storage Desiccant Bag, One Pound - Griot's Garage
Buy 2, one for front driver footwell, one in back hatch.

SPRING:
-remove pipe and carb plastic covers!
-remove soap/mothballs from motor
-connect fuel pump (or flick the Switch if you cleverly have wired it. Also makes a nice anti-theft device BTW)
-car will smoke like a Bastid on start up (!!!) burning off the engine oil. Neighbors will not be pleased
-DEflate tires!
-CHANGE FUEL FILTER!!! Can't tell you the number of mystery engine issues I had till I figured this out. Annual change a 'must' and this is the best time to do remember to do it.
-wash your cover! Or grind in last winters dirt into next winter's storage!

11 yrs and this has never failed me.

'luck.

Stu
80GS
Alaska

 

If you can store it with the weight off the wheels and bring the wheels/tires in side that is much better for it

 

Great post!

 

Bumping this.

 

It's one of, if not the best winter storage posts that I've ever read!!! Half tempted to archive it.

 

Now in AZ, with an actual Man Cave, so for me, about 90% of this is no longer necessary. Winter = now best time of year to drive.

Stu A
80GS
AZ

 

Great write up. Thanks for bumping.

I will add two budget items I use when storing my car, Harbor Freight makes a great cheap battery tender that you can get on sale for about $5. I've been using it on my winter stored cars for a few years and does a great job.

For a cheap desiccant, Dollar Tree dollar stores sell a really nice moisture absorber. It's a small plastic tub of silica beads with a mesh lid that collect moisture. They also have one with activated charcoal that helps eliminate musty odors. Either one is perfect for winter storage. I actually keep one in my RX7 year round since I don't drive it every day and one in my VW that tends to get a little damp thanks to the sunroof drains. I just replace them every couple of months when the tub is full. Well worth a buck.

 

Yep - in climes where winters can be a bit warmer/moist-er, it is critical that there is some way to mitigate condensation build-up inside the car over the winter. Failing to do so can result in molds and odors through out the interior! Ugh. (this was never a prob in Alaska because of deep cold and very dry air). One way to help is to CRACK the windows open to allow some air flow. A proper cover will allow this and still prevent " the weather" from entering the car...

Stu A
80GS
AZ

 

On the opposite extreme. I live in NH, Ohio before that. I have put it up for 22 winters and awakened it in the spring. Ohio was a much milder climate and the garage was attached to the house making it a warmer place than the barn here in NH. I take it for one last ride, fill the gas tank, pull it into the barn, maybe put it on dollies, pull the battery, Stuff a rag in the intake, cover. The battery is stored in the basement of the house, charged when it is pulled, charged before install. In the spring, I take off cover, install battery, turn key and it fires right up. Smokes a little. Add air to tires which are usually down 3-4 PSI. Take it for a ride. Car has 190,000 miles. Little to no rust. Knock on wood, I haven't had any rodent issues except a nest on the air filter. I think the rotary smell keeps them away. I know it makes my dogs puke.

If you are parking outside, you can follow the recipe. My one caution is about parking on plastic. It works both ways and if water gets on top, it stays there. The best thing is to have air circulation under the car so it can dry out because you can't keep the water/moisture out.

 

Very interesting. I always leave the battery in the car with a trickle charger. If you don't the elictrical system wil, slowly corrode. It wont with the battery connected.

 

I'm not sure what type of corrosion I'm supposed to be looking for but I don't think much of the electrical system sees power when the key is off. Does the ECM see power when the ignition is off? The clock would be happy. My clock comes back every year though. In fact, a couple of years ago a couple segments went out but when I hooked everything back up in the spring it was back working. I've been lucky.

I'm an old man and the car will probably out live me. It is critical to control moisture and rodents, but I think the rest of the stuff is more rugged than you think.

 

Interesting. Where does the corrosion occur?

 

Not quite sure. I think in cpu's, ECU's, and other modules. It was explained to me by an instructor like 12 years ago and it all made sense then. I do k now that one year I let the battery die in my fc, and it had turn signal issues for like a day after the battery was charged back up, then after running it with a fully charged battery for another day, the issue resolved itself.

 

You do need to disconnect the battery with adding a tender a best practice. I got ten years out of the last battery so charge when removed and charge before re-install has worked for me. If have a load, clock, on the battery and let it discharge I have had them reverse polarity and no amount of charging could bring them back.

Just think about, cars sit on dealer lots during the winter all the time. They don't worry about them and don't do any special treatments and it doesn't seem to harm them.

 

Battery tender(brand) on car,battery connected,battery 18 years old in RX. Dodge truck 15 years old,battery hooked up. Battery tender gives battery what it needs and no more. Prevents unnecessary chemical reaction in battery,battery lasts longer. Better than leaving battery to discharge for months and then charging for use= more chemical reaction.