Winter Storage Mega-thread and Recommendations from Owners Manual

[Mike02z]

I've been storing my cars during winter for years. In all that time I have never developed a flat spot. I also never use any fuel stabilizer and I don't start the car when in storage. I just fill the car with 93, plug in the battery tender and cover the car.

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[J_Maher_AMG]

I saw Flatstoppers on Costco.ca at $319.99 a set ( 4 ), and on Amazon.ca at $348.62 a set.

Do you know of any better deals ?

Costco is the cheapest I've seen as well man, it's where I'll be ordering mine from.

 

[jamesb1986]

I have a car port and I plan on just keeping mine under there with a cover on. I don't plan on doing anything with the fuel, oil, tyres or battery but then I don't really plan on leaving it for longer than a week at a time without at least a run around my area.

If the snow is particularly bad and/or I need to store it for longer periods I would probably just over inflate the tyres a little and keep it on a trickle.

 

[smsgt350]

Just called michelin customer service and they told me not to leave my tires (MPSS) on/outside in temperatures below 40 degrees to prevent cracking.

 

[Tank]

Just called michelin customer service and they told me not to leave my tires (MPSS) on/outside in temperatures below 40 degrees to prevent cracking.

Thanks for posting this....

WTF, that's ridiculous- you're talking 40 F not -40 F?

So Michelin is saying we have to get winter tires just for storing the car...
Major PITA and outlay of $$$.

Didn't the car come w a tire warranty? I'll check to see what that says when I get a chance.

 

[superman07]

Funny, Ford stored and transported these cars in sub zero temps.

I know as my rear deck needed replaced as a big ass icicle dented it on the truck.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I'll happily store your GT350R at my place in GA and keep it in great running condition by driving it every weekend.

 

[smsgt350]

Thanks for posting this....

WTF, that's ridiculous- you're talking 40 F not -40 F?

So Michelin is saying we have to get winter tires just for storing the car...
Major PITA and outlay of $$$.

Didn't the car come w a tire warranty? I'll check to see what that says when I get a chance.

I asked him the same thing...it was 40 degrees ! Clearing a spot in the basement for them tomorrow!! If you want to give them a call it was 1 (888) 871-4444. Who knows he may have made it up to get rid of me !!??

 

[montreal ponies]

Thanks for posting this....

WTF, that's ridiculous- you're talking 40 F not -40 F?

So Michelin is saying we have to get winter tires just for storing the car...
Major PITA and outlay of $$$.

Didn't the car come w a tire warranty? I'll check to see what that says when I get a chance.

If your car is under a car port, you could get 4 electric blankets and wrap the tires with them. just sayin' ;)

 

[Tank]

I asked him the same thing...it was 40 degrees ! Clearing a spot in the basement for them tomorrow!! If you want to give them a call it was 1 (888) 871-4444. Who knows he may have made it up to get rid of me !!??

Thanks for the additional deets! I'm not sure my basement stays above 40 F when it gets to -30F outside.. Guess I'm gonna find out..

If your car is under a car port, you could get 4 electric blankets and wrap the tires with them. just sayin' ;)

Thanks Dan. I guess everything's an option. I do have a detached, unheated garage with power.

 

[Mike02z]

Thanks for posting this....

WTF, that's ridiculous- you're talking 40 F not -40 F?

So Michelin is saying we have to get winter tires just for storing the car...
Major PITA and outlay of $$$.

Didn't the car come w a tire warranty? I'll check to see what that says when I get a chance.

Agree Jim. If this is the case, why does Ford store all their GT350's outside, in the snow and cold, once they stop shipping for the winter? At least my C7 they said under 20 degrees but under 40 is insane.

I'd also add that starting your car and moving it a few inch's, when in storage, is not a great idea. You're never really going to get the car to come up to temp and this just adds unneeded wear to the engine. 3-4 months is not going to flat spot a tire. Just fill them up

 

[johnny1]

Well some of us have no choice. I live in southeast Kansas and mine sits under a carport and my only car. But since retired can leave it sit unless streets are clear and then drive what little necessary to store etc. And as far as the tires, sorry I'm just not going to buy the cracking bit the Michelin guy said. Yes the cup tires the R has from Michelin will or could crack below 45 degrees because of the glass beading in them ( its even advertised as so) but there is nothing saying on the regular GT 350 tires in owners manual about them cracking below 45 degrees. Only the safety aspect because being summer tires that they don't get traction very well below 45 degrees (some refer to like a hockey puck on ice) Was 17 degrees here this morning and will be tomorrow morning. I'm sure my tires wont be all cracked tomorrow morning. And if for some reason they do crack me and Ford will have a problem since there is nothing saying they will crack only that it is not recommended driving them for safety reasons below 45 degrees. I had a 2005 GTO bought new here ordered with summer tires so I could get the bigger rims. Drove it through two winters and just happened two be the two coldest and most snow we'd had in years. Got around fine slow on snow packed streets (could not obviously drive in any depth snow) and never had a problem. Traded that car two years latter and those summer tires (that were not recommended for winter driving) were just fine.

 

[IA350]

Sorry, I change my oil in the spring, but I think changing it before storage and after is excessive and unnecessary.

 

[Hack]

I always leave all my stored cars on their wheels, i move them a foot or so every now and then to avoid flat spotting the tires. Also i can whenever i want drive the car out the garage and have the engine run until it gets up to temp.

Extended idling really isn't that good for an engine, but I understand why you do it.

Flat spots will even out after just a few miles of warming up in the spring. The suspension, however, was NOT designed to hang at full extension for months at a time. Put the tires on some plastic to get them off the concrete floor (I have a Racedeck floor), inflate the tires to the recommended max on the sidewall, and leave the jack stands in the corner cabinet.

It's definitely true about flat spots coming out with a little driving. My plow truck sits a lot and the tires get flat spotted. Being that it's an F250 with relatively stiff suspension, flat spots are very apparent at highway speeds. After 10-20 miles they are gone.

Don't put the car up on jack stands and let it sit with the wheels hanging unsupported. While you will avoid flat spots in the wheels, its not good for the suspension.

What does it do to the suspension?

 

[machsmith]

I'll start the car with the same oil I put in prior to storage (that I also drove a hundred miles on). Then I'll run out the old gas, and maybe an additional tank or two before I change the oil. It wont do any harm at all. The oil doesn't break down that fast and if it does it was old to begin with. Just make sure you're getting fresh oil. They are stamped with dates on the containers.
I only ever use 91 Octane NON ethanol to store in the car and don't use stabil because thats got an ethanol agent in it too. I keep my car in my 67 degree shop with heated floor all winter. I have the flat stoppers, I roll it up on them and let it sit, plugged into my smart charger and its good to go in 4 or 5 months.
When I didn't have a heated shop I did basically the same thing. Except I put dryer sheets under my car and put 'the mice bucket' in the garage (effective way for catching all the mice in the area). Having at least an insulated garage helps a lot as it keeps the temps from fluctuating, so things dont sweat and rust/corrode.

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