[fast_lane10]

I put my car in storage today just in time before the first snow and while at work some one mentioned about gas going bad in the tank. I was of the opinion that filling up the tank is all you need as it prevents rusting but after the conversation at work I am reading about fuel stabilizer,emptying the tank, relieving pressure from all the fuel lines etc. So what is the best way if I am storing the car for around 4 months in a dry, heated place with concrete floor and dhat all should be done to prep the car before and at the time of storage.

- change all fluids(in my opinion that is overkill for this short time period and i don't think i will do it, but please post your opinions)
- Wash, wax, vacuum
- Fill up gas tank
- Inflate tires to max psi to help with flat spotting
- hook up the battery tender.
- plug tail pipes

 

[wake]

Sounds like you have it down pretty good.

I add fuel stabilizer to my vehicles that are stored for the winter. Gas doesn't break down like it used to but it does still to some degree.

I forgot to put stabilizer in my Corvette last winter and it ran pretty rough until the first changeout of fuel. I ended up siphoning it out and burning it in my winter beater which didn't seem to have any issue with the old, untreated gas. The Corvette did run better though after putting fresh fuel into it.

I also forgot the stabilizer in my yard tractor that has a carburator. I think I need to rebuilt the carb now because it won't start anymore without a shot of fuel to prime it.

I figure why not. Stabilizer is relatively cheap insurance.

 

[KingOfLacs]

sta-bil is what I use on my water toys and old schools, float battery charger tender, inflate tires is my winter ritual.
plug tail pipes why you think spiders are going have a party in there ?

 

[torched10]

when i used to store my GTO i had an issue with mice climbing the tires and nesting in the engine--startd putting mouse traps at each tire and they stopped

 

[carter's_sts]

I had those #$%&@ little creatures chew through my spark plug wires on an old car I had.

I always keep traps in my garage.

 

[KingOfLacs]

Have a truck that I rarely use stored in my sideyard access for years. Found a bunch of shells on my intake manifold one time they didn't chew anything thankfully. A occasional Black cat fire cracker pack keeps them away now.

 

[fast_lane10]

Seems like I am going to the storage to add stabil to the fuel tank. Is it OK if i add stabil now and let the engine run for 20 minutes or so or do i have to take it out for a ride. My assumption is that running the engine while there should be good but i have been wrong before. For the rodents I took the word of storage owner but since I am going there I will do my part and plug the tail pipes too. I should have asked these questions earlier but I didn't bother as last year car was parked for about the same time and it drove fine at the end of it ..the only difference is that I used to start it up every once in a while.

 

[KingOfLacs]

Run it for a few minutes I would still start it up occasionally

 

[fast_lane10]

Run it for a few minutes I would still start it up occasionally

I have read mixed comments about running it in between. Some say don't run it at all as it doesn't do any good and may harm it and some say run it but make sure you do it for a while .say 20-30 minutes ..with revving it up. Sometimes I think internet has too much information

 

[wake]

I have read mixed comments about running it in between. Some say don't run it at all as it doesn't do any good and may harm it and some say run it but make sure you do it for a while .say 20-30 minutes ..with revving it up. Sometimes I think internet has too much information

I wouldn't run it for storage, you'll likely do more harm than good.

Here's the deal with running a stored vehicle, it leads to contaminated oil. The car doesn't run long enough idling it in the garage to burn off the condensation in the crankcase and you end up with oil in the water. I've had it happen to me long ago with a vehicle I stored for winter and ran about 20 minutes every couple of weeks to keep the battery up. By spring when I went to change the oil I had a brown milky looking mixture in the crankcase from about a dozen or so 20 minute idle sessions. I bought a battery tender after that and never started it following winters, I never had the milkly looking oil again.

It takes a good half hour or so to get the oil temp up to 200 degF. The coolant gets there quickly but the oil takes much longer. Unless you get the oil to 200F for 20-30 minutes the oil never burns off the condensation inside the crankcase and you create more of it each time you run the engine to warm and shut it down again.

Let your V run for 20 minutes in the driveway in the winter and see what the DIC shows the oil temperature at after 20 minutes and you'll see that the oil temp lags way behind the coolant temp. I've never measured it in my STS but I know from my Corvette which also shows oil temperature that it takes a good 30 minutes during normal driving to get to 200F.