Winter Storage Recommendations

From: uunet!aol.com!LUKYDUCK@uunet.uu.net
Date: Sat, 9 Sep 1995 15:18:24 -0400
To: uunet!keithley.com!marks@uunet.uu.net
Cc: uunet!validgh.com!mr2-interest@uunet.uu.net
Subject: RE: Winter Storage Recommendations

I stored my 1991 MR2 Turbo for 14 months while I was overseas once.  I have
also stored a 1987 Honda CRX for 24 months.  My experience is that many of
the problems people mention are problems that used to happen to automobiles
years ago.  

1.  Flat spots on tires?
     You will not have a problem with flat spots on your tires because of the
way they are manufactured today.  Once the car is driven for a few miles the
tires will reconform to their original shape. That is, if they get flat
spotted at all.

2.  Gasoline? 
     Gasoline will not be a problem because most are formulated to be stored
for a long period of time.  Just fill the tank up with good quality gasoline.
 I am sure you already do that though.

3.  Oil?
     It would be wise to change the oil after you park it. And if you can,
change it every three months thereafter.  Why?  Because their are all kinds
of corrosive chemicals in your engine oil pan that form, from the oil,
escaped gases through your piston rings and who knows what else.  Even after
you change your oil, you will not get rid of all of the contaimenents and if
there is water in your oil pan, (from condensation), it will sit in one
place, at the bottom, and corrode your pan.

4.  Battery?
     My experince is that your battery is your weakest link.  If you think it
is going to die, it will.  The best thing is to disconnect it from your
battery cables and hook up a trickle timer battery charger to it once a month
or so to try and keep it from dying. Besides your alarm, your car will have
many other things draining it. The biggest will be the weather and a lack of
being properly charged. Battries can develop what is called "memory". If they
are not kept at the optimum charge they will start to lose their voltage at a
faster rate then normal when allowed to drain. Unfortunately, I have found
that no matter what I have done, if you let a car battery sit for a long
period of time without being properly charged it will only develop a very low
voltage and will need to be replaced after you come back to your car for the
? time, only to find out that your battery is dead once again.

***For anybody that is interested there is a device I highly recommend for
everyday use to keep you from getting stranded with a dead battery.  It is
called a "Battery Buddy".  You connect it in between your positive battery
cable and your positive battery terminal.  It acts as a circuit breaker by
reading your batteries rate of discharge and the outside tempurature.  If it
detects a drain situation, it will automatically disconnect the battery
electronically to prevent further drain and ensure there's enough power left
for starting.  This is good if you accidentally leave your lights on and do
not have a automatic lights off feature.  It will then leave you enough power
to start your car.  When you notice that it has tripped, you just push the
button on the Battery Buddy box and your connected again, and can drive away
without asking for a jump start or having to call a tow truck.
  You can purchase it from Dycrest Automotive (40 Corporate Dr., Auburn
Hills, MI, USA 48326; (800)421-7774 or (313)332-9393 for US$59.99. It has
been three years since I purchased mine and the address and Phone #s my not
be current.


5.  Body paint?
     It is also a must to cover your car with a quality car cover.  You will
need it.  

The best thing I think you can do, is to try and drive it at least once a
month to get the engine up to operating temperature and let all of the moving
parts stretch themselves out.  You should be able to find a dry day that you
can go for a fun drive and keep you waiting for the spring to pull the T-Tops
off and go for a drive on a winding mountain road free of police or highway
patrol. And any of those people who drive half of the speed limit. :):)

                                                       LukyDuck



Lic. 1FASTOY
Email: lukyduck@aol.com

P.S. This is all based on my personal experience and I hope your luck is as
good as mine has been with storing cars.  If I think of anything else, I will
Email you again.