Winter storage
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Wanted - Winter Storage Advice | SRT Hellcat Forum Here's 92 opinions for you..........
Make sure car is ready to go racing for
the early spring.
fresh oil.
Balance tires.
Purchase race fuel.
Keep battery charged.
Order next set of race tires.
the early spring.
fresh oil.
Balance tires.
Purchase race fuel.
Keep battery charged.
Order next set of race tires.
McLovin has some good info there..
Not all things are needed depending on your storage location.
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Not all things are needed depending on your storage location.
- Oil and filter change.
- Full tank of fresh fuel with Sta-Bil added (double dose). Make sure to drive it a few miles so fuel is circulated.
- Tires inflated to max pressure (45 - 50 lbs).
- Park tires on 4 pieces of plywood.
- Moth balls around each tire, and a few underhood.
- Bounce dryer sheets in interior and trunk.
- Crack windows just slightly.
- Mouse poison in the storage garage.
- Steel wool in each exhaust.
- Pull battery (my facility has no electric - so trickle charger is not an option).
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I still run cars on dry days in winter in NE Pa. Temp not so important but usually above freezing. I also Use a Battery tender, not a trickle charger , which does not know when to quit.
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change oil, rec gas fill up..although I’ve stored all winter with pump gas just fine..battery tender
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Whats the benefit of cracked open windows?
^ out gassing from interior pieces I would guess?
I change oil when I take it from storage.
Also, make sure you run the engine hot for some time (oil temperature 190-200+ F) right before you put it to storage: this will remove water from oil and reduce internal corrosion during winter. Avoid short drives right before storing it.
In addition, I always add fuel stabilizer (I use STA-BIL). Follow instructions.
Body: I always wash and wax it before storing it. Very important: drive the car right after you wash it to get remaining water from all the nooks and crannies in the body. You don't want to put it to storage with water sitting somewhere. The area just forward of the rear wheel well towards the door is especially important: it's a known trouble stop for rust in Challengers. In fact, you never want to let the car just sit after you wash it: always let it dry by driving it. I use a fan blowing under the car overnight if weather does not allow me to dry it by driving.
I keep windows closed (I don't want critters getting inside).
I use a breathable car cover, soft inside.
And, of course, use a good battery tender. A good one will restart by itself after power interruption (some tenders won't, and that can be bad).
Also, make sure you run the engine hot for some time (oil temperature 190-200+ F) right before you put it to storage: this will remove water from oil and reduce internal corrosion during winter. Avoid short drives right before storing it.
In addition, I always add fuel stabilizer (I use STA-BIL). Follow instructions.
Body: I always wash and wax it before storing it. Very important: drive the car right after you wash it to get remaining water from all the nooks and crannies in the body. You don't want to put it to storage with water sitting somewhere. The area just forward of the rear wheel well towards the door is especially important: it's a known trouble stop for rust in Challengers. In fact, you never want to let the car just sit after you wash it: always let it dry by driving it. I use a fan blowing under the car overnight if weather does not allow me to dry it by driving.
I keep windows closed (I don't want critters getting inside).
I use a breathable car cover, soft inside.
And, of course, use a good battery tender. A good one will restart by itself after power interruption (some tenders won't, and that can be bad).
you have to change the oil every 6 months so really the oil needs to be changed before and after. I’ll change my oil in October, store the car until March, and change oil again in April.
I would say it’s easier to use a leaf blower than driving it around. Plus you’d get some brake dust on the wheels and it “dirty” again.
don’t disagree but I’m talking warranty and maintenance schedule REQUIRES 6 month changes. Even if you drove 0 miles in 6 months per dodge you need to change the oil.
I know, but have been doing it that way since the first 500-mile oil change. And by now mine's probably out of warranty anyway, so it wouldn't matter.
Then again, if it came down to it, I have plenty of receipts for oil and filters with four of these engines in the household, so unless more than two of them decided to blow up, it should be okay.
yeah when I’m out of warranty I’d probably do the change once a year. I paid 100k for my jailbreak so I’m not chancing a warranty issue over skipping an oil change.
Just wanted to throw that out there that dodge is saying every 6 months. If your under warranty and spin a bearing or something and you didn’t do it every 6 months I can see dodge saying tough luck.
Get some 1/2" thick foam insulation from HD and cut squares for under your tires.
Also, keep driving it as long as weather allows, and again if you have a thaw and the roads are clear of salt spray. I don't worry about the white stains on the road, as long as they are dry. Driving is better than storing.
Also, keep driving it as long as weather allows, and again if you have a thaw and the roads are clear of salt spray. I don't worry about the white stains on the road, as long as they are dry. Driving is better than storing.
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yes, dump it into a container, then dump it back into the car. The oil has technically been changed and you are in compliance of the suggested maintenance schedule per the owners manual. No where in the manual does it say you MUST use fresh oil or a FRESH oil filter. It just says you have to change it. If it goes to court and they want to argue industry standards would suggest an oil change includes fresh oil and a fresh filter, they same argument can be made for oil having zero miles on and a filter having zero miles on it are just as good as the day it was put in. I don't care if oil changes are cheap, I'm not about to be wasteful and pour zero mile oil down the drain.
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I've got an interesting storage side effect. I rotate cars out so my HC will sit for about 2 weeks then driven two weeks on a continual rotation. Every time I start it for the first time my Nav screen won't come on. I've gotta pull it out into the driveway, run it for a min or 2 and restart the car to get my screen to turn on.
Car is on maintainer when not in use. Any thoughts? Can't be normal, right?
Car is on maintainer when not in use. Any thoughts? Can't be normal, right?
nice. I’ll end up dumping my 200 mile oil down the drain though. Each his own.
im pretty sure oil that is exposed to air and moisture will degrade even with zero miles on it. Hence the reason for a mileage AND time duration requirement.
6 months may be on the very conservative side not disagreeing. I know they even make extended performance oil that is good for 1 year.
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