Winter car storage

windchill isn't a thing for cars, just fyi.

personally I'd disconnect the battery and store it indoors. fog the cylinders and keep it on jackstands if you can. flat spots are a thing but I don't know how long a vehicle has to sit before that becomes a reality.

>>15615105
>without a heated garage/electricity

I meant at my car. I guess i could run a long enough extension cord to it, but the driveway end is far from the house

>>15615105
sell it
where the fuck do ya live?
why not rent a unit if you can?

>>15615117
If i took the battery in my house and not connected it to anything would it still be charged after 4-5 months of winter?'

Should I store it on wood like people say? Or is that a myth too?

>>15615129
Maine.

I looked at heated storage units able to fit my cars and they are just too expensive right now

>>15615133
battery tenders are often inexpensive.

I'd say try and cover your brakes/wheels because 4-6 months of sitting and surface rust can fuck up rotors pretty good.

>>15615152
Is it safe to charge a car battery in my house for 4-5 months? Should i turn it on once a week or month? Should i keep it running all the time? Is that even worth the cost of a new battery every year instead of the electric bills?

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>>15615161
problem is, battery tenders are usually used when the battery is installed in vehicle. I imagine if you had the battery outside (garage is fine) then that should be ok. Dunno if it'd leave it in the kitchen though. Battery on its own indoors is fine.

Also cost of a new battery vs using a tender over the old battery + electricity costs, couldn't tell you bruv.

Get a plain old battery charger and plug it in once a month. That's the safest and cheapest way to keep the battery in good health.
As for the rest of the car, i'd give it a thorough wash and the blast it with fluidfilm. Cover it as best as you can and park it away from where they'll be spreading salt.

>>15615105
It will be fine you don't need to do anything to it. At most keep the battery inside so it has a smaller chance of being dead though 3-5 months without use it could still drain away naturally. Just about everything you have heard about "winterizing" is a myth. Just make sure you have a new, no more than 4 years old, battery in your winter car because a -30F or -40F degree day/night can kill a battery in about 6 hours.

Diesel is the only time winterizing starts to become important because it uses a thicker oil and the fuel freezes before gasoline.

>>15615117
Usually 6 months to a year is when flat spots become permanent, but that also assumes you leave it outside exposed to the elements. Anything under 6 months the tires will round themselves out again after a refill and 30-60 minute drive.

>>15615152
Maybe 4-6 months of sitting in grass and elements. In a garage you can leave it for years before that becomes a problem.

>>15615105
As other people have mentioned, the best thing you can do is take the battery out, get a battery tender (sometimes called a trickle charger), and put it on that in a more heated environment (garage). Tenders don't have to be installed on a battery in the car; they make them for outside the vehicle as well. The 'battery drains on concrete floor' thing is a myth. You can google that for more info. As someone else stated before, an acceptable substitute would be to charge it about once a month with a regular battery charger.

Get a cheap coolant tester (like 5$, the floaty ball kind) and make sure your coolant is OK for the range of temperature expected. If not, top off with straight antifreeze (not premix) and drive around until it's well mixed and retest when the engine is cool. If it's full off coolant and still not low enough temperature range, you may have to drain a bit of coolant and add more antifreeze until it's good. Usually, a 50/50 mix is good for about -30F ish.

The last tank of gas as you park it, you'll want to add some fuel stabilizer. This will help with any moisture that might get in the tank from warming above freezing and cooling off again, and just generally helps the gas from varnishing too much.

I've never had an issue with flat spots. Radial tires are really difficult to do that with, and I've only seen it from cars that sit in the warm sun for a year plus. Old bias ply tires used to do it almost overnight, and it was the norm back then. As someone else stated, you just need to drive it a couple of times and they round right out. If they're going to see a lot of sun, they make tire shine stuff that prevents UV rot from too much sun exposure. Usually, this isn't a problem though.

You should consider an oil change just before you park it. Acids that naturally collect in the oil from running the car are the main cause of leaking gaskets, and letting old oil sit in there for 6 months doesn't help. Fresh oil will help prevent this.

>>15615146
>moving to maine
Literally why.

i rally my e30 year around. winter tires in snow past that quit bitching abot tc

>>15615146
Maine bro.

Where you at? I'm in Auburn.

Make sure all fluids are good for winter(esp coolant), if you wont be driving it at all, put the battery indoors. Check it every 2/3weeks and when the voltage drops near 12.1v give it a top off charge.