I'll be parking my 09 GTS in my unheated garage once the snow hits the ground. Any winter storage tips in cold regions will be appreciated.

do I wax the exterior and put leather conditioner first before putting the car cover? is it suggested to start the engine once in a while, or better to just let it freeze/hibernate over the winter? how much gas do I leave in that tank? I have all season tires on aftermarket rims - do I need to do anything special for the tires? Do I still have to monitor tire pressure?

 

yup - put on some winter tires and drive the bloody thing....

 

There's certainly something to be said for that. My CTTS is my winter driver.

If you do lay it up, I can tell you what I do with my "summer toys" I store in an unheated garage every winter. I wash the cars, fill them with gas and add a fuel additive to prevent freezing. I add extra air to the tires and put a piece of carpet under each tire (I use old sample pieces I get from a carpet store).
Then I plug in a trickle charger (I have used the ones that hook directly to the battery and the ones that plug into the cigarette lighter--both work fine, the ones that plug into the cigarette lighter are much easier to use).

That's it, and they are fine until Spring.

 

I will not drive the GTS in the winter because I want to preserve the paint/body of the vehicle as I have no plan to unload it soon. We have 4 other vehicles that we'll be driving for the winter. Our roads get a lot of salt treatment during the snowy months, it takes a toll on the body.

 

dimf - tough call - i know the salt the put on the roads in some parts, but the cold weather here and unheated garage leads to little rust etc

i wash mine at least once a week - it is my winter car

 

Before starting out, always clear snow and ice from the windows and lights of your vehicle to increase your visibility and to be seen by others. Don't forget to clean the brake lights too, so that drivers behind you will know your intentions.

 

Agree with copasetic222.

I do all of the above. Gas tank should be full to prevent condensation and decrease gas vapors, which are more volatile. However, the fuel additive to the full tank of gas should be a fuel stabilizer, such as Sta-Bil. This is critical to prevent the fuel from deteriorating and oxidizing over the winter months of storage. Fuel can deteriorate after 90 days and develop sludge. After adding the Sta-Bil, I run the engine to ensure proper mixing of the additive within the engine. (Optional: From my boating experience and winter boating lay-ups, I have also added an enzymatic agent called Star Tron. My boating service techs highly recommended this agent, so I have used it in my Porsche. I figure that it can't hurt, and is inexpensive.)

The trickle charger is very important to maintain the battery during the months of storage, such as a Porsche or a CTEK trickle charger. These easily plug into the cigarette lighter as copacetic222 indicated. The Battery Tender Jr is highly recommended, but needs to be plugged into the battery directly. I use the former for convenience.

Tires should be pumped up to prevent flat spotting of the tires. 5 - 10 psi extra, but not to exceed the manufacturer's sidewall max pressure.

No need to start the vehicle during the storage months. In fact, starting the vehicle could do more harm to the engine, as disproportionate engine wear likely occurs during the cold engine start.


These are my steps for winter storage:

Oil service.
Fill gas tank full.
Add Sta-Bil to fuel.
Add Star Tron to fuel.
Wash exterior.
Zaino exterior.
Clean interior.
Pump up tires.
Park tires on carpet remnants.
Plug Porsche trickle charger into cigarette outlet.
Cover car.
Remove collision insurance on vehicle, but maintain comprehensive coverage (State dependent policy. This can save you several hundred dollars. Don't forget to reinstate policy before driving.)

Wait for spring.

 

I agree- I live in New Hampshire and used to drive a truck all winter. Finally said to myself this is pretty boring driving a truck 5 months out of the year. That's when I got the X5 4.8iS, and have been happy all winter ever since. When my CTT comes in, that will be my winter ride as well!

Washing once a week is key, I have hot water in my garage

 

all of the above and rodent proctection... those electronic ones work.

 

thanks for the input guys...

we got some light snow last Monday but most of is gone already. We are due for another out of town trip this coming November 10, I am still hoping to drive my Cayenne on this trip, but will definitely start on my parking plan soon after... I'd really hate to do so because I really do enjoy driving this vehicle after work & on weekends, and hey, my tires are Pirelli Scorpion Zero Assimetrico (all season).

I got my trickle charger already (Schumaker 2amp with plug that goes into the 12v lighter receptacle.


I also got a 110v to 12v adapter so that I can use my tire pump to add air to tires while parked

my Campbel Hausfeld tire pump has a dial that shows tire pressure - I hope it is reliable on cold weather


Also got the leather cleaner & conditioner, and the fuel stabilizer


also got an inexpensive car cover. I guess I'm almost ready to put her to sleep. Temperature dips to -35C for days here at the peak of the winter. The low profile tires (335/25/R22) worries me a bit (flat spotting), even with the pump on standby. Should I insist of putting it on a jackstand?

I also read an article that vehicles parked for the winter should do an oil change prior (to take out dirt oil from the engine) and just before you head out in the spring (to take out accumulated condensation during the cold days of winter).. sounds like redundant and wasteful to me, I hope experts chime in.

I also read to leave a small gap on the window for air circulation

 

your car looks fantastic in red. i dont think i have ever seen that before. i may have a new fav color.

 

I found the Porter Cable Pancake 6 gal Air Compressor C2002-WK to be very handy in filling my many vehicles' tires with air. It really takes the hassle out of filling the tires quickly. It is the one garage tool that I wished I had purchased sooner. This can easily be purchased in the states at Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, or online. I use an Intercomp Racing Liquid Filled Analog Tire Pressure Gauge to check the tire pressure. The Intercomp Digital Master Gauge is supposed to be one of the most accurate, but at $400, I'll skip that. Others have used the Longacre gauge.

IMO, I would not leave a gap in the window. This is for the fear of that four letter word: mice.

If your garage is damp, options for your car interior would include silica gel, or calcium chloride desiccant. I have not found the need to use them in my car, but I have used the later for my boat's cabin, purchased at a marine supply store or sporting goods store. However, the water that collects needs to be drained periodically.

Not an expert on oil changes. However, changing engine oil upon winter de-commissioning and spring commissioning sounds like overkill, and expensive.

Also, not sure about the jackstands. Tire Rack does recommend lifting a car to prevent flat spotting. I read on another thread that the poster felt that putting the vehicle on jackstands was bad for the suspension. I cannot remember the reason why it was not recommended. Maybe a more knowledgeable 6speeder on this forum can comment on this. By over inflating my tires, I have had no problems with winter storage flat spotting on my low profile summer tires for my Porsche Cayman. However, you have 22s with a very low profile for a heavy SUV. If you are compulsive, you can try putting your SUV into neutral and periodically moving the tires to a different point on the circumference of the tire each month. I have seen these products advertised:tire cradles and flat stoppers, but they are not inexpensive (>$200-300).

Found the following storage advice from Yokohama:

TECHNICAL SERVICES BULLETIN Tire Storage Recommendations
11/21/2002
TIRE STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS

TIRES INSTALLED ON VEHICLES
Storage area should be level, well drained. Care should be taken to avoid prolonged contact with
petroleum based substances: oils, fuels and asphalt.
Long term storage, or storage of seasonal vehicles; i.e. RV's, boat trailers and show cars requires special
preparations. Vehicles should be raised on blocks, so weight is removed from the tires.
If blocking is not possible, tire pressure should be increased 25% from inflation required for the loaded
vehicle. Vehicles should be moved every three months to prevent flat spotting and ozone cracking at the
tire sidewall flex point. Flat spots usually disappear, when the tires warm-up, after a 25+ mile drive.
Flat spotting, which occurs on vehicles not moved for six, or more months may not disappear.
Tires on vehicles stored out-of-doors, should be protected by opaque covers to prevent damage from
sunlight.
PRIOR TO RETURNING VEHICLES TO SERVICE
Tire pressure needs to be adjusted to required inflation before the vehicle is returned to service.

 

Porsche recommended Storage Procedures:

-Fill up fuel tank
-Increase the tire pressure to 58 psi (interesting. It did no specify tire size)
-Vehicle should be moved slightly, approx every four weeks, to prevent flat spotting
-Windows, doors, lids and top must be closed. Air vents should be opened.
-Lock vehicle
-Change oil and filter, and run engine for several minutes
-Check and correct coolant/cleaning solution level as necessary
-A/C should be in good working condition and fully charged
-It is not recommended to lift vehicle, due to possibility of corrosion on shock absorber piston shafts

This info is located in the Porsche Roadside Owner's Information Manual.

 

thanks for the inputs guys... very helpful

 

Which cigarette lighter socket to use, the constant powered or the switched?