I recently read that you don't need to run your car once a month while it's layed up for the winter. I've always been under the impression that it was good for it to be ran one a month to circulate fluids. What are your thoughts on this?

 

I live in northern Wi. The car and Harley, lawn mower stay covered for 6 months. I keep the battery charged, and that's it. It's actually harder on vehicles to start them in cold weather and not run them to operating temps. They condensate in the motor. and the exhaust system collects water.

 

I start my stored vehicles and move them around a few times over the winter. They get up to full temperature and moved around, at least in the driveway and in/out of the garage. I've been doing that for over 20 years so far without problems.

Short runs could be a problem, as was mentioned.

 

I usually just pull my battery and bring it in the house to connect to the trickle charger. Other than that, you could set it on jackstands to prevent flat spots in the tires, but my priority is usually just the battery.

 

Thanks for the advice and it looks like I will just need a trickle charger and some steel wool for the tail pipes. It's a shame that the new kid at my apartment complex will have to wait til spring to hear a real car. He sits there and revs up his Ford Focus with exhaust tip.... Even my dog hates it.

 

[QUOTE=Ragin;6183836] It's a shame that the new kid at my apartment complex will have to wait til spring to hear a real car. He sits there and revs up his Ford Focus with exhaust tip.... Even my dog hates it.

LOL!

 

Nice looking Camaro. One thing i forgot to mention is, I do put a bottle of Sea Foam in the gas tank to keep the gas from deteriorating. I also run non ethanol in all my "toys". Ethanol gas doesn't last but only a couple of months and it turns to crap.

 

I did STA-BIL and non ethanol gas

 

You'll be fine.

 

I put Stabil in the tank. Park it, disconnect battery, and let it sit for 6 months. Absolutely no problems in over 16 years. No flat spots on tires...etc

 

Sta-Bil is preferable to SeaFoam. SeaFoam contains water, whereas Sta-Bil suppresses the vapor point of the distillates. I also use Sta-Bil and add a pint of 2-cycle oil in the last tank of fuel for the season. Prior to doing this I had pulled injectors a few times for cleaning in early spring, and never had to again after doing this.

Is this being stored indoors or out?

 

I'm keeping it in a garage under a cover.
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This is the second year that I have stored it in a Car Bag with desiccant. I have a remote humidity meter in the bag and the humidity never goes over 55. Its in a garage. Highly recommend one.
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Louis

 

Did this for many a years back in my Canada days.

Fill the gas tank full. Disconnect battery. Leave inside garage.....That was it. Come spring, re-hook up battery, charge the battery. Start up and go driving. The tires would feel a little lumpy for about 5 minutes (getting back to round). After that, the tires stayed in their normal round position all summer long. I went 19 years on the original Gatorbacks. Replaced the battery twice in 15 years.

Basically batteries hate heat more than they do cold. Acid sulfation occurs more in hot climates. As for starting it up once a month vs letting it stay off for the whole winter. I see no reason to start it up. Cold starts are the hardest thing on an engine. And unless you're actually driving it somewhere, the transmission and rear end will never heat up their oils. Nothing is wearing out by letting it sit there.

Now if you're talking about letting it sit for 5 years unstarted, then yeah you might run into some problems with oils hardening, gasoline turning to shoe polish etc. But for one winter? No problem.