Winter Storage

[Justpassedu]

Why is it better to not drive the car at all than small trips ? Won’t the battery loose charge , shouldn’t it be driven a little to get the brakes moving so they don’t seize and also prevent flat spots on the tires ?

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[SilverRocket]

Why is it better to not drive the car at all than small trips ? Won’t the battery loose charge , shouldn’t it be driven a little to get the brakes moving so they don’t seize and also prevent flat spots on the tires ?

Here's my understanding and why I'm doing what I'm doing.

Tires: New tires don't really get flat spots. This goes back to the days of Bias Ply tires which did suffer from this. Make sure they're topped up and good to go.

Battery: It's better to charge it with a tender than it is to do with an alternator. Honestly how long can you run you car to charge versus plugging it into the wall every now and again.

Brakes: You should be parking somewhere flat where the gear is enough to keep it in place. It's a valid concern but it shouldn't be an issue if you do this.

No little trips. AFAIK, the heat cycles create water in the air to condense. If you warm up your car to full operating temperature, what happens is the condensation evaporates and gets flushed from the systems. If you heat it up just a bit and turn it back off, it may get be enough to collect more condensation without burning off the previous amount. Do this a couple times you get water in places you don't want it to be.

If you don't want to believe me because I'm just some random internet person, I don't take offense but let me offer you this potential alternative. If you worry about tires and brakes, why not jack up the car once a month and spin them by hand. Just make sure to use blocks to prevent roll since you'll need to be in neutral or have the parking off to do so but it would eliminate those concerns without driving.

 

[RamVA]

Not opining on any of the other advice offered here, but if your car will be parked for a while, get a battery tender. It's good peace of mind and does extend the life of the battery. They are cheap and easy to use.

 

[Frenzal]

Good practice to not use the parking brake. If ON for a while, especially outside, then your rear brake might seize (pads will stick to the rotor).

 

[SilverRocket]

Sadly it's that time of year again....

Oil changed and shined to a mirror polish.

Tomorrow I'll go top off the tank, add fuel stabilizer, plug in the tender and wrap it up it the car bag. Who knows, I might even read it a bed time story .

Those who are storing, what is your estimated back on the road date. For me it's April 1st, 2025

 

[RamVA]

Not opining on any of the other advice offered here, but if your car will be parked for a while, get a battery tender. It's good peace of mind and does extend the life of the battery. They are cheap and easy to use.

+1.

If you have a multi-vehicle garage, they sell a unit with two lines and another with four lines. Handy if you're planning on a long trip away from home.

 

[Fred 930]

1. Try to store with non-ethanol fuel if possible. Fill the tank.
2. Use a fuel stabilizer - I've used Stabil for years in all vehicles and power equipment.
3. Get a good quality battery maintainer which will automatically charge whenever needed, but is NOT a dumb trickle charger.
4. I typically clean the interior and apply leather care to the seats (assuming they are leather).
5. I typically apply a suitable product to the weather seals (on doors & hood).
6. I sometimes put a small block under each wiper arm to lift the blades off the windshield.
7. Some use a desiccant in the interior - like DampRid. Guess it might help.
8. I wash the car, insure it's dry, then use a good quality cover.
9. DO NOT run the car - just let it sit for the winter. Simply starting (but not driving) will never allow it to completely warm up and probably introduce moisture in the oil, other fluids, and exhaust system.

 

[Mr. LargeCoffee]

Here's my understanding and why I'm doing what I'm doing.

Tires: New tires don't really get flat spots. This goes back to the days of Bias Ply tires which did suffer from this. Make sure they're topped up and good to go.

Umm, no. I’ve been storing my Miata in the winter for 15 years now, and the tires always have a flat spot when I drive the first time in the spring. Yes, it works itself out once the tires warm up, just have to have a little patience during the first 5/10 miles. Current tires are Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, but this also occurred with the OEM Bridgestones.

 

[SilverRocket]

Umm, no. I’ve been storing my Miata in the winter for 15 years now, and the tires always have a flat spot when I drive the first time in the spring. Yes, it works itself out once the tires warm up, just have to have a little patience during the first 5/10 miles. Current tires are Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, but this also occurred with the OEM Bridgestones.

How/where do you store the Miata? Also what's your definition of a flat spot. Lastly the tire dimensions make a difference even if it's the same tire model, did the ITS do it or only the Miata?

After storing the ITS last year there were no perceivable flat spots where I felt an additional bump each rotation nor any unsettled driving dynamics. This was with 40psi in a garage that was typically kept at around 55F (13C) and humidity between 40 and 60% for almost 4 months to the day.

Lastly even if I cede to your point about flat spotting, unless your storage conditions were extremely suboptimal or abnormally long, as you point out, it fixes itself in a few miles. It's not a concern you really need to address unless you have specific concerns.

 

[Mr. LargeCoffee]

How/where do you store the Miata? Also what's your definition of a flat spot. Lastly the tire dimensions make a difference even if it's the same tire model, did the ITS do it or only the Miata?

After storing the ITS last year there were no perceivable flat spots where I felt an additional bump each rotation nor any unsettled driving dynamics. This was with 40psi in a garage that was typically kept at around 55F (13C) and humidity between 40 and 60% for almost 4 months to the day.

Lastly even if I cede to your point about flat spotting, unless your storage conditions were extremely suboptimal or abnormally long, as you point out, it fixes itself in a few miles. It's not a concern you really need to address unless you have specific concerns.

I store the car in an unheated barn from November to the end of March. My definition of a flat spot is, well, a flat spot. The tires thump and vibrate the car for the first few miles before resolving itself. Since I live in the upstate NY the conditions can get very cold during the winter months and it has the resulting impact on summer tires. Obviously if you are storing you vehicle in a 55F degree garage these type of problems will be minimal.

It’s not a concern, just pointing out that if stored in what you call suboptimal conditions, i.e. no heat, that modern summer tires will have flat spots when first driven in the spring. It doesn’t have any long term detrimental effect on the tires that I’ve observed. Once warmed upped and round again they perform as expected.

 

[Lethal]

(Unfortunately) I've decided to park my ITS for the winter. As much as I would love to take it for a rip in the snow (with the tail happy handling and LSD, I'm sure it would be a blast), the crap they put on the roads up here just destroys cars (and they use a lot of it).

I've never stored a car seasonally before. Any advice on storage procedures? I've read some general guidelines, but I'm wondering if anyone here has done it regularly and can speak from experience.

Full tank of gas? Fuel stabilizer?

What I’d suggest if your “storing it” is when you do warm it up actually go for a little drive then park it get it to fully warmed operating temps then park it and once u notice you need a top up add it during one of your rides that’s probably what I’d do for mine or just run it during the winter and get a car wash nothing crazy just enough so it removed the crap off my car then when summer comes remove panels and clean as necessary finding the right winter tires though

 

[SilverRocket]

I store the car in an unheated barn from November to the end of March. My definition of a flat spot is, well, a flat spot. The tires thump and vibrate the car for the first few miles before resolving itself. Since I live in the upstate NY the conditions can get very cold during the winter months and it has the resulting impact on summer tires. Obviously if you are storing you vehicle in a 55F degree garage these type of problems will be minimal.

It’s not a concern, just pointing out that if stored in what you call suboptimal conditions, i.e. no heat, that modern summer tires will have flat spots when first driven in the spring. It doesn’t have any long term detrimental effect on the tires that I’ve observed. Once warmed upped and round again they perform as expected.

Michelins and almost every other extreme performance summer tire will not do well in cold temps even if not driven. I know some other forums like Porsche or Corvette complain about flat spotting in cold whether even over night, forget a few months.

Anyways not everyone has the luxury of storing it in a heated garage so your point of view is valid for those in similar situations.

 

[hiddenrun]

It was a freezing sub-60° day in Miami yesterday for part of the day only and I was amazed at how little traction the tires had at that temperature. It's been forever since I had a front wheel drive car in cold weather with performance tires, and there was no hooking up nor wheel hop- just spinning (my last FWD car was a '98 Prelude with Yokohamas back in 1998). On a sidenote, I was in my 911 in the northern part of Florida with temps in the upper 40's and it wasn't nearly an issue with the rear wheel drive. I couldn't imagine real winter temps and driving with summer-only tires, eppecially on a FWD car.

My condolences to those who have to squirrel their cars away for the winter.

 

[Mr. LargeCoffee]

Michelins and almost every other extreme performance summer tire will not do well in cold temps even if not driven. I know some other forums like Porsche or Corvette complain about flat spotting in cold whether even over night, forget a few months.

Anyways not everyone has the luxury of storing it in a heated garage so your point of view is valid for those in similar situations.

I have enough room on my property to build another garage, but I’m pretty sure my wife would kill me.

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