fun car guy Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 A question, I've never had a car just sitting in winter. Should I start it up and let it warm up or just leave it alone until spring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 I just fill my car with gas and park it for the winter [or in the case of my winter Reatta, for the summer]. I don't fire it up, but I do disconnect the battery. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted January 17, 2022 Topic Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 Thanks Dave. I filled the tank but instead of disconnecting the battery, I have it on a trickle charger, 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ship Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 When filling the gas tank, I also add a stabilizer. I run it for 5 minutes or so to get the stabilizer up to the injectors. Then I do not run the car until Spring. I too put on a battery trickle charger. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkN Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Running any engine at idle is worse than leaving it alone. The moisture created during combustion does not vaporize, and so condenses on relatively cool surfaces, until the engine reaches full operating temperature, something that doesn’t happen unless driven for 15 minutes or so. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Padgett Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 I use a 15w solar charger on any car that sits away from a plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grayman Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 I was told by the air conditioning tech that I should run it once a month during the winter with the a/c on for about 20 or 25 mins to keep the seals good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkN Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Yes, good for the A/C system but bad for the crankcase. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted January 21, 2022 Topic Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 Thanks guys! I thought I had heard much the same from guys who live in this zone and have to store their cars, I just wanted to be sure. Sadly, not all of us live in a milder climate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Walker Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 My climate is such that my "sunshine" cars (four including the Reatta) sit garaged for about 6 months out of the year, though I do use the Reatta sparingly over the winter. I use a combination of what I read above - full tank of gas with stabilizer - battery maintainer - start the car periodically and let it run for 15+ minutes with the A/C on - car cover - and over inflate the tires by 15+/- psi to help avoid flat spots on the tires. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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