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I can't find in anywhere so I'll do my best to re-cap what was said before. I can see myself forgetting some stuff, but this is essentially what I went through and did.
The idea with this whole process is that you don't even start, nevermind move, the car throughout the storage period. I've only done this once, and what I did seemed to suffice.
1.) Put the car on Jack stands or blocks. This prevents flat spots from forming on the tires, or flats from prolonged sitting. Make sure the car is safe and secure if you plan on working on it, or if you have children/friends/family around it. I would avoid having the blocks or jackstands on the frame rails because they will just bend. I settled mine on the sub-frames I believe. If you are using blocks, use wood since metal will win over wood (using cement/cinder blocks could damage the metal depending where you leave it to rest).
2.) Either completely drain or fully fill the tank to avoid gas from going bad. I recommend a full fill with fuel stabilizer additive to prevent moisture build up etc. Add the stabilizer, then the fuel, then run it for a a minute or two to make sure it makes it into all of the fuel lines.
3.) Make sure you've got an appropriate amount of anti-freeze in your coolant to prevent freezing. For all driving purposes water will cool better, however it is much more corrosive. Obviously for this reason it is beneficial to have a higher coolant to water ratio.
4.) Take this opportunity to drain the oil and change the filter. Constant heat cycles create moisture in the oil and engine which is terrible for our engines. Fill it with oil and put a new filter on. Buy the cheapest oil for your storage period since you will not be driving it and will simply be draining it before starting it in the spring anyways. If you are unable to change the oil in the exact position you plan to store your car in, drive it as minimally as possible before storage (i.e. from the garage/lube station to your storage space). In this instance use a good oil.
5.) To defeat any moisture in the cylinders grab a can of fogging oil spray. Remove your valley cover, coil packs and spark plugs. Spray fogging oil into each cylinder and douse each spark plug. Carefully re-thread them in, using proper tools and torque specs (hand tight plus half-turn?)
*** Do not start or run your car after steps 4 or 5 for the duration of the storage period ***
6.) Remove the battery. Do not store it on a concrete floor because it will lose it's charge. If it must be stored on the floor place it on a piece of wood. Make a mental note to give it a sufficient trickle charge before putting it back into your car come spring time. Yes you could get a jump start, and yes your alternator would charge the battery after a good highway drive; no your alternator is not designed for this purpose, yes it is hard on the alternator, and using your alternator to charge your battery from dead often will often lead to a dead alternator.
7.) Put steel-wool or brillo in your exhaust to prevent rodents and anything else from crawling down your exhaust.
8.) I put a water/moisture trap inside the car on the passenger floor. This prevents mold and a musty smell come spring. It literally pulls the moisture from the air and drains it into a tray you can later drain. You will be amazed at how much moisture this thing will catch. It's like $7 at Lordco or Canadian Tire and 100% worth it. Be careful not to knock it over or let it overfill/spill. If you are walking away from the car for 4 months then I would suggest sitting it in another tray in the event it overflows because I've been told it will stain whatever surface, become rock hard and near impossible to remove later.
9.) If you're storing it outside, a breathable car cover would be nice. A portable/temporary garage or canopy is nice as well (best for ventilation, working on car etc etc.) For those of you who get a lot of snow, be weary. Those canopies are known to collapse under heavy snowfall and cause extensive damage to cars. For that purpose as well, storage insurance is always a good idea (and it's super cheap).
10.) Many people had access to where my car was being stored. I took my wheels right off to avoid issues. I also removed my IGN fuse in the fuse box under the hood, and a few other things I don't care to share in public domain that would prevent people from stealing my car if they had the motivation to do so. If you want idea's PM me. I also took pictures of everything on the car for insurance purposes in the event that something did happen (fire, building collapse, theft, vandalism etc etc). Another smart idea is to remove everything from the vehicle of value, leaving the glovebox and center console open for people to see there is nothing to steal.
Come spring time you will do the following when getting the car road worthy:
- Reconnect your battery and reverse any security precautions you may have made.
- Change the oil and filter.
- Remove steel wool and/or brillo from exhaust pipe.
- Go over everything with a fine tooth comb to make sure everything is plugged in, hose clamps are tight etc etc.
- Start the vehicle and allow the fogging oil to burn off. It should burn off almost instantaneously but you will want to let it idle for a few minutes before moving the car. If it isn't well ventilated, take a walk.
- Put your wheels back on your car and take it off the blocks or jackstands, again paying attention to torque specs.
I think that's it. Any other suggestions are welcome, and if I think of something I forgot I will come back and add it on.
The idea with this whole process is that you don't even start, nevermind move, the car throughout the storage period. I've only done this once, and what I did seemed to suffice.
1.) Put the car on Jack stands or blocks. This prevents flat spots from forming on the tires, or flats from prolonged sitting. Make sure the car is safe and secure if you plan on working on it, or if you have children/friends/family around it. I would avoid having the blocks or jackstands on the frame rails because they will just bend. I settled mine on the sub-frames I believe. If you are using blocks, use wood since metal will win over wood (using cement/cinder blocks could damage the metal depending where you leave it to rest).
2.) Either completely drain or fully fill the tank to avoid gas from going bad. I recommend a full fill with fuel stabilizer additive to prevent moisture build up etc. Add the stabilizer, then the fuel, then run it for a a minute or two to make sure it makes it into all of the fuel lines.
3.) Make sure you've got an appropriate amount of anti-freeze in your coolant to prevent freezing. For all driving purposes water will cool better, however it is much more corrosive. Obviously for this reason it is beneficial to have a higher coolant to water ratio.
4.) Take this opportunity to drain the oil and change the filter. Constant heat cycles create moisture in the oil and engine which is terrible for our engines. Fill it with oil and put a new filter on. Buy the cheapest oil for your storage period since you will not be driving it and will simply be draining it before starting it in the spring anyways. If you are unable to change the oil in the exact position you plan to store your car in, drive it as minimally as possible before storage (i.e. from the garage/lube station to your storage space). In this instance use a good oil.
5.) To defeat any moisture in the cylinders grab a can of fogging oil spray. Remove your valley cover, coil packs and spark plugs. Spray fogging oil into each cylinder and douse each spark plug. Carefully re-thread them in, using proper tools and torque specs (hand tight plus half-turn?)
*** Do not start or run your car after steps 4 or 5 for the duration of the storage period ***
6.) Remove the battery. Do not store it on a concrete floor because it will lose it's charge. If it must be stored on the floor place it on a piece of wood. Make a mental note to give it a sufficient trickle charge before putting it back into your car come spring time. Yes you could get a jump start, and yes your alternator would charge the battery after a good highway drive; no your alternator is not designed for this purpose, yes it is hard on the alternator, and using your alternator to charge your battery from dead often will often lead to a dead alternator.
7.) Put steel-wool or brillo in your exhaust to prevent rodents and anything else from crawling down your exhaust.
8.) I put a water/moisture trap inside the car on the passenger floor. This prevents mold and a musty smell come spring. It literally pulls the moisture from the air and drains it into a tray you can later drain. You will be amazed at how much moisture this thing will catch. It's like $7 at Lordco or Canadian Tire and 100% worth it. Be careful not to knock it over or let it overfill/spill. If you are walking away from the car for 4 months then I would suggest sitting it in another tray in the event it overflows because I've been told it will stain whatever surface, become rock hard and near impossible to remove later.
9.) If you're storing it outside, a breathable car cover would be nice. A portable/temporary garage or canopy is nice as well (best for ventilation, working on car etc etc.) For those of you who get a lot of snow, be weary. Those canopies are known to collapse under heavy snowfall and cause extensive damage to cars. For that purpose as well, storage insurance is always a good idea (and it's super cheap).
10.) Many people had access to where my car was being stored. I took my wheels right off to avoid issues. I also removed my IGN fuse in the fuse box under the hood, and a few other things I don't care to share in public domain that would prevent people from stealing my car if they had the motivation to do so. If you want idea's PM me. I also took pictures of everything on the car for insurance purposes in the event that something did happen (fire, building collapse, theft, vandalism etc etc). Another smart idea is to remove everything from the vehicle of value, leaving the glovebox and center console open for people to see there is nothing to steal.
Come spring time you will do the following when getting the car road worthy:
- Reconnect your battery and reverse any security precautions you may have made.
- Change the oil and filter.
- Remove steel wool and/or brillo from exhaust pipe.
- Go over everything with a fine tooth comb to make sure everything is plugged in, hose clamps are tight etc etc.
- Start the vehicle and allow the fogging oil to burn off. It should burn off almost instantaneously but you will want to let it idle for a few minutes before moving the car. If it isn't well ventilated, take a walk.
- Put your wheels back on your car and take it off the blocks or jackstands, again paying attention to torque specs.
I think that's it. Any other suggestions are welcome, and if I think of something I forgot I will come back and add it on.
I took the liberty of saving it. Very helpful!
)
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