I seldom drive my GTA, just on nice days. I usually put it away for storage around December. My question is this, When Dec rolls around, the oil that's been in the crankcase will have been in there for 3 months, would it be okay to put it in storage for about 5 months with that oil? The oil will still be good considering the little driving the car sees. If I have to, I will changed it, I just don't want to unless I need to because the oil and filters I use are expensive so I don't want to waste if I don't have to.

Thanks guys

 

Well, technically, the oil is supposed to be changed every 3 months even if the car hasn't been driven. However, hardly anyone ever does this. Personally, I don't see the need for changing if it hasn't been used. Oil doesn't have a shelf life like milk - it won't go bad just sitting there.

If you've only used the car for short trips before storage there might be some water condensed in the oil. Changing the oil might not get the water all out, but driving long enough to get everything up to temp to boil away all the water is what should be done.

A few extra ideas...

You might want to put extra oil in to cover the lower end of the engine (to prevent rust). Just remember to drain it to the correct level before starting it. There's stuff called "fogging spray" (I'm pretty sure) that you spray into the air intake to coat the upper parts and prevent rusting there during storage.

Another possibility, though I've never heard of anyone doing this, is to disconnect the ignition coil, or whatever, so that you can crank the engine for a few seconds (without starting it) in order to circulate the oil a bit, just to renew the oil coating on the parts. Do this every couple weeks or whatever you like. Keep in mind this will run down the battery a little each time.

I've heard of big plastic bags that you drive the car into and seal and inflate. Really! It keeps the moisture and dust (and mice!) away from the car.

 

Must be the cold front moving through that has everyone wondering again. We must have had a dozen posts on winter storage tips in the past several days alone.

If you have used oil in the crankcase, it isn't the water alone that will be a problem. The water in combination with the combustion byproducts present in the oil can form acids, leaching metal away from bearing shells and polished surfaces like the crank. That is the main reason for changing every 3,000 miles with mineral oils. Synthetics tend to fight acid formation better, so you would be safer storing with used synthetic than used mineral oils.

Here's what I do and recommend, since I've had no problems with the procedure on three stored vehicles since 1986:

There is an article on long term storage on the 3rd° site for storage for more than a year. Since you're apparently just wintering your car in the garage like I do every year, here's what I've done:

* Fully charge the battery. There's no reason to remove it if you're only storing for several months, and you'll need it to start the vehicle periodically (more later). As long as it's fully charged, it shouldn't freeze.

* DO NOT wash the car right before you put the ziploc on it. The latent moisture will have fun with your car while you're away.

* If you have a fixed antenna, spin it off and put it in the cargo well.

* Drain and change the engine and transmission fluids just before storage. Normal acid formation in oils will also wreak havoc in an idle assembly. Make sure all other fluid levels are at their safe maximum.

* The consensus of those on the board is to fill the fuel tank. For long-term storage, I would recommend draining the tank to about 1/8th full, but for seasonal storage it isn't a factor as long as you use a fuel stabilizer like Sta-Bil or a similar product at your last fillup.

* Replace the coolant or enhance the heck out of it with corrosion inhibitors.

* Seal all the air intakes and vents you can find. Plastic and duct tape body vents, cowl vents, exhaust pipes, throttle body, etc. The duct tape is a *****' to get off, but it's a lot easier than mouse dung.

* Suspend the vehicle on jack stands from the box channels on the body instead of letting it rest on the suspension.

* Put a 9x11 cake pan on the front passenger floor to catch the coolant drips from the heater core if it rots through.

* Put fly paper or insect traps on some flat interior surfaces.

* Close the windows and doors tight. Keep the car out of light as much as possible. If you decide to cover it, make sure the first layer is a lightweight breathable material. If you want to keep the paint as clean as possible, lay out some cotton bath towels over the flat surfaces of the hood and roof (over the lightweight cover), then cover it with a plastic tarp.

It would be best if you could get back to it at least once a month and run it to full operating temperature, operate all the accessories, move the steering and brakes, then store it again. There is usually at least one decent day every month during the winter weekends to enable you to do this. If you don't have that opportunity, you may have some work to do when you do pull it out of storage.

Starting periodically has several benefits. The oils get warmed enough to keep water from condensing in the sumps. The entire engine gets a heat/cool cycle to dry out and distribute oil everywhere. The transmission can be shifted through the ranges to allow fluid flow through most of the valve body and cause movement of parts that might otherwise stick. All the 'O' rings and seals get warmed and wet with oil. The battery gets a load and then fully charged to exercise it. The exhaust system gets purged of moisture. The cooling system gets full coolant flow to prevent debris from settling in pockets in the heads, case, and heater core. the air conditioner can be cycled to keep all the seals wet with refrigerant oil. If the weather is really decent, you can even lower and move the car to exercise the steering and suspension.

The jack stands aren't essential. It is a good idea if the car is going to be stored for a period of years instead of months. I've done several of my cars, and letting them sit on the tires isn't a big problem. Nylon belted tires (like most 'Z' rated ones) will tend to take a "set" from sitting all winter, but if you warm the tires slowly by driving easily when the first nice spring day arrives, you can eliminate any permanent effects. It helps to fully inflate the tires before storage to minimize the effect. I take mine to 44 PSI if they are going to sit on the tires.

I've had good success storing my cars indoors with these steps. Outdoors presents some other possibilities. You might not want to have a vapor-proof cover on the car outdoors, since the normal changes in temperature will tend to create condensation under the cover that won't dry up easily. You also may not want to do the towel trick to keep the cover off the paint, since the towels will hold moisture as well.

If the car won't be indoors, it would be best is it were at least sheltered under a canopy or carport, in which case a breathable cover would be good. Lacking that, you might actually want to keep it uncovered and just seal up the top, cowl vent intakes, and glass to protect from snow melt and debris.

You should plan to wash and wax the car a week or so before sealing it up. The extra time will allow it to dry out thoroughly, and the fresh seal should provide some protection from the elements.

And it would be best if you can start and run the engine to operating temperature once a month or so during the winter to reduce any problems next spring.

Keep in mind that every little creature is going to seek shelter in, around, and under your car at the first sign of frost. I can imagine that a chipmunk or squirrel would think an IROC or TA would be a cool place to hang out all winter. I'm probably buzzing from caffeine, but I can envision a gray squirrel hanging onto the wheel, pretending he's blowing away his buddies in their Toyotas all winter long. If you hear a squeaky, high-pitched "Vroom! Vroom!" as you walk past the car for a load of firewood this winter, I'd be concerned...

 

Thanks for the tips. I personally don't do all of the things you listed for my car, only a couple. Usually the car goes into storage the first week of Dec, Then comes out sometime in Apr. So we're only talking about 5 months. All I do is top off the gas tank (sta-bil added), remove the battery, and the oil and filter get changed. In this case however, I was hoping I could leave the barely used oil in there. Costs me about $33 for oil and filter so I don't like to waste. I'll just change it I spose....

 

It sounds like Vader's been watching too many Geico commercials.

AJ