Advice for winter storage please

[cslwannabe]

Am planning on taking my Boxster off the road at the end of next month for the winter but having never had a '2nd' car before just after some pointers please. It will be kept in the garage (uncovered) until circa March and from some of the advice I've read elsewhere this is what I'm planning to do, but any advice would be appreciated please:

Leave it in gear with handbrake off (brakes throughoughly dried off after final wash though)
Clean and seal wheels (the paintwork is already wearing several coats of Optiseal)
Clear out front radiators of debris/ leaves
Fill petrol tank
Close air vents
Purchase CTEK battery conditioner to leave connected
Overinflate tyres - by how much though, 3 or 4 psi? Also considering parking on 4 pieces of carpet, however rear tyres are almost worn out and 4 new tyres will be getting fitted in spring
Not planning on starting the engine at all - is this the recommendation?

Anything else I should or shouldn't do? Main concern is sticking brakes as the brakes on my 330Ci used to stick after just a couple of days (even with the handbrake off)...

Thanks in advance.

[DMC2]

Or you could just drive it....

Never understood the theory regarding putting a car away for the winter unless it is a collectable. Even then, I know many people who still take their P&D out on a clear day in December, January, February...

[Trev450]

I would agree with most of your proposals but would suggest you leave the fuel tank low as petrol will only deteriate over time. I would also recommend starting the car about once a month and getting it up to operating temperature, this, however is not a view shared by everyone. Finally, bits of old carpet under the tyres will help with them not getting too cold, but would suggest over-inflating them by around 10 psi.

[mr pg]

Continue driving it on the decent days, as I do with my 996T, and previous 964. They always feel better for being run, rather than left static for long periods. I use a CTEK to keep the battery topped up.

[kingston12]

DMC2 said:

Never understood the theory regarding putting a car away for the winter unless it is a collectable. Even then, I know many people who still take their P&D out on a clear day in December, January, February...

Nothing like a quick blast on a crisp winter's day - some of the best drives I have had this yesr were before March.

[nickfrog]

The worst thing one can do with a Porsche (and particularly with a M96/97 engine) is to not use it IMO. Seals dry, corrosion, etc etc

[6C4GTS]

kingston12 said:

DMC2 said:

Never understood the theory regarding putting a car away for the winter unless it is a collectable. Even then, I know many people who still take their P&D out on a clear day in December, January, February...

Nothing like a quick blast on a crisp winter's day - some of the best drives I have had this yesr were before March.

Depends where you live and the amount of salt that they use to keep the roads clear.

[cslwannabe]

Thanks for the replies but don't really see the point in getting it covered in salt and tiptoeing around for 300 miles a week commuting to and from work when I have a diesel for that purpose. I live right on the coast in the North East and we get more snow than average - enough to crack my conservatory roof last winter...

[betternotbigger]

Conservatory? You've got a conservatory? I live in the NW and I can't imagine ever having need for one of those

Winter tyres, yes.

[Skrambles]

betternotbigger said:

Conservatory? You've got a conservatory? I live in the NW and I can't imagine ever having need for one of those

Winter tyres, yes.

Winter tyres are great, but obviously don't help with the problem of others sliding helplessly into your car.

[cslwannabe]

I do have 2 sets of winter tyres for the other cars in the household and also used them on the 330Ci and 330Cd previously but just seems a waste to be using the Boxster through the winter which is why we've been using it as much as possible through the summer and intend to keep it tucked away in the garage when the roads are awash with salt. It would be nice to take it out for a blast on a cold fresh day (making full use of the heated seats!) but I just don't think it's worth getting it covered with salt (underside particularly) if I don't need to.

[rog007]

Agree to keeping it off the roads when wet and freshly salted and using your trickle charger.

But that doesn't last forever, and as said above, crisp, dry, freezing days are why driving was invented. A used car is a reliable car; ask any classic car owner!

[bqf]

All your suggestions are good, except keep as little fuel in it as possible - just enough to get to the garage in Spring (fuel goes off), and overinflate the tyres significantly (i.e. 45psi-ish).

Best advice is to run it once a month though - just a gentle blast on a clear day, away from salted roads...

[911Thrasher]

+1

They drive nicely on snow...well 911s do!
I can only assume the Boxter would do it better: lighter and mid engine mounted

[nickfrog]

I don't get the salt thing. It's not ideal but if you have a pressure washer you can quickly and safely get rid of it. For me the potential salt damage to the car is negligeable compared to the long term damage of not running it in winter.

[bqf]

Salt tends to get into bits of the underside that the average pressure wash can't reach, and between wheel arch liners etc. It's insidious stuff, and very corrosive - better to be avoided than not, surely.

[nickfrog]

If salt can get there I am sure water can too, to wash it away ? Snow foam with wheels off might help too.

[K-Cee]

I,ve owned my 928 for twenty years now, and store it every winter, my garage is carpeted not because I,m a freak, because carpet attracts any condensation in the air, the garage is also heated ( not hot ) and I use a small dehumidifier, when the outside temp allows, no use using one if it,s freezing outside !
As has been mentioned I keep around two gallons of fuel in the tank,(never full) and when it gets a little used up say about every six weeks I put a gallon of fresh petrol in the tank.

I will never subscribe ever again to the fact that some say not to start the car during winter downtime...,( I,ve tried it and car does,nt like it) you need to run the car up to temp,(will reduce amount of condensation in exhaust, the hotter the engine ) also try all the electrics for operation, use a battery tender ie slow trickle current. I also use two inch thick pieces of polystyrene about one foot square, put these blocks of poly in front of each wheel,drive the car forward onto them and the weight of the car on them forms a natural curve, so that you reduce the chance of tyre flat spots.
The Air-con should always be switched on during the start-up regime each month to ensure the system is lubricated etc.

[marky911]

nickfrog said:

If salt can get there I am sure water can too, to wash it away ? Snow foam with wheels off might help too.

I'm in the other camp. If I don't get salt in there in the first place, I don't have to spend anytime at all outside in freezing conditions, cleaning it out.
Buy a shed for the winter. Wash it in October and check it over. Wash it in March and pedal it.

Eta
With regard to petrol level there are generally two schools of thought.
One is that you should leave little in as it goes off.
The other is to brim the tank. This comes from the fact that old metal tanks rust on the inside causing all sorts of problems. By replacing the air in the tank with fuel you can avoid this.

I do the former though as 911 tanks are plastic.

Edited by marky911 on Wednesday 28th September 16:18