Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Winter Storage

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Winter Storage

    Hi All,

    Looking for a little advice from the seasoned (literally!) amongst you.

    With winter closing in I’m thinking about putting the car into storage away from home as although my garage is water tight and the car has a fitted protective cover it is as most garages cold and damp.

    First question is does anyone know a secure and suitable car storage facility in or around the West Yorkshire area? Secondly what advice would you give in terms of preparation before going into storage, for example should I get the car serviced before it goes in or when it comes out in the spring, even if a service is not yet due?

    One storage facility I’ve looked at offer a service whereby they will carry out a vehicle check every 30 days including battery, tyre check, vehicle role and engine run up to temperature every 60 days. It’s not cheap when you work out the cost for the winter period but may be worth it long term.

    I’m sure there is already a historic thread or two on the forum about this, so apologies if I’m going over old ground.

    Thanks all.
    Chris
    2002 Z3M S54 in LSB

  • #2
    here's what I would do

    if the storage place is dry that's half your battle

    make sure you have a full tank of petrol, stops it taking in water

    make sure tyres are over inflated
    make sure it goes in when engines hot
    that rids any condensation from the exhaust
    make sure its dry to stop any rust any where

    take the battery leads off saves it going flat
    lock the doors manually and the boot

    put the cover on and forget it

    all the bollox of starting it up is crap in my opinion
    all our doing is flattening the battery and introducing condensation

    Oh and leave the handbrake off leave it in gear and chock a wheel if necessary

    don't bother servicing it as after mines stood I change the oil as a matter of course just in case theres any moisture

    summer comes put the battery on and I guarantee it will start 1st time

    just don't rev it up because all the oil will have drained from the top end.
    I stop mine from starting and turn it over a few times on starter
    that gets a bit oil round the system before it fires
    but its a bit awkward to explain how I do it

    I know this works as mine spends more time parked up than on the road
    [GROWING OLD IS COMPULSARY ---- GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for the advice, this is really useful to a non-mechanically minded individual such as myself!
      2002 Z3M S54 in LSB

      Comment


      • #4
        Following on from the earlier thread....if I fill the tank with fuel for winter storage should I add a fuel stabiliser to stop degradation?
        2002 Z3M S54 in LSB

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by chagac View Post
          Following on from the earlier thread....if I fill the tank with fuel for winter storage should I add a fuel stabiliser to stop degradation?
          I don't think its worth it unless the car is left for years

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Dave P View Post
            I don't think its worth it unless the car is left for years
            That’s the problem with the old internet search engine, your read up on something about nothing and end up worrying about it!

            I'm hoping to still be able to take the car out for the occasional run over the winter as the weather so far has been great, but it could be locked away now for a few months.
            2002 Z3M S54 in LSB

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by chagac View Post
              That’s the problem with the old internet search engine, your read up on something about nothing and end up worrying about it!

              I'm hoping to still be able to take the car out for the occasional run over the winter as the weather so far has been great, but it could be locked away now for a few months.
              I think petrol will go bad but it will take many years for this to happen, I have left my coupe parked up for 8/9 months at times and never had any problems

              Comment


              • #8
                Unfortunately it goes off very much more quickly now it contains more ethanol. Stick to VMax or similar. I tend to keep mine low, and try to give the car a proper run every 5-6 weeks to get a bit of fresh petrol in the system and to warm it through properly. Apart from that it lives in a dehumidified garage over winter.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by rsk289 View Post
                  Unfortunately it goes off very much more quickly now it contains more ethanol. Stick to VMax or similar. I tend to keep mine low, and try to give the car a proper run every 5-6 weeks to get a bit of fresh petrol in the system and to warm it through properly. Apart from that it lives in a dehumidified garage over winter.
                  Thanks for the guidance. I'm planning on purchasing a dehumidifier for my garage, but firstly I need to seal the garage a little better otherwise the dehumidifier will be working non stop! It's external to the house and although of sound construction it is cold and damp.

                  Any recommendations on make and model of dehumidifier would be good. Thinking about Mitsubishi as they seem to get good reviews.
                  2002 Z3M S54 in LSB

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I have a large garage for the older cars, and a small one the Z3M lives in. Both have dessicant dehumidifiers in them, which work at low temps. Industrial-type units don't work if it gets near freezing. Both of mine are variations (they keep changing numbers, etc.) of the EcoAir DD322, which are pretty small and just need a socket. I have extended drains on mine which need a hole in the wall for the tube, so I don't have to keep emptying the water container. It's amazing how quickly it fills. I have it set on mid-range automatic as you don't want the car to get too dry, especially with leather seats.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I'm in a similar situ, but I'm intent on going for a burn every 6 weeks or so, just to keep things moving really.

                      So I have it on a ctek charger all the time now, under a cover, in a garage attached to a house.
                      It is on the battery then, and the alarm is on, but I'm paranoid about such things.

                      Should I be doing anything else? Hadn't considered over inflating the tyres...
                      S54 Seca Blue - ACS Short shift and Exhaust. Luverly.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Seca Blue View Post
                        I'm in a similar situ, but I'm intent on going for a burn every 6 weeks or so, just to keep things moving really.

                        So I have it on a ctek charger all the time now, under a cover, in a garage attached to a house.
                        It is on the battery then, and the alarm is on, but I'm paranoid about such things.

                        Should I be doing anything else? Hadn't considered over inflating the tyres...
                        If you'll be running it every 6 weeks or so the tyres will be fine. Cteks are good, all my cars are plugged in except the dd!
                        My coupe sits in the garage unlocked with the windows half down. This allows the air to circulate better and also saves the stupid BMW window-dance every time a door is opened.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Ive just taken mine out the garage after three months. The only thing I did before putting it away was top the fuel tank up and chock the wheels and keep the handbrake off.

                          Started up first try but had lost the air out of one of the tyres, apart from that everything was fine. I would like to get some better storage but this is the best I can do at the moment.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Loads of advice online for winter storage with many different views, I must admit all I do is drive into my garage and lock doors and only recently put a soft fitted cover over car.


                            http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/blog/m...re-car-winter/

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Dave P View Post
                              Loads of advice online for winter storage with many different views, I must admit all I do is drive into my garage and lock doors and only recently put a soft fitted cover over car.


                              http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/blog/m...re-car-winter/
                              The silica packets look like a good idea, has anyone tried using them?

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X