This year I have no garage to store my car in and I'm too cheap to pay for one so it's staying on my lawn.

While this seems a bit cruel and unusual at first, I've thought about it and cannot think of any concrete reason not to store a car outside.

If the car is outside you get:

-less corrosion vs a humid garage
-snow cover protects paint from sun damage
-I would argue less chance of theft since it's snowed in and not in a garage that can be broken into. The battery stays indoors as well.

The real question is weather to start it occasionally. Until now I have always maintained that starting a car every week or so during the winter is more harmul to the motor than not starting it. I wanted to know what you guys think. Here is what you need to ask yourself:

-Is there possibility of damage to an engine that sits in the cold for 3+months?
-Is it harder on the motor to start it once per week vs once at the end of the winter?

 

Con-It will probably get stolen?

 

Don't start it.

Cold starts are the time when damage is done to the motor.

Fill the gas tank, air up the tires to max pressure, but some moth ***** in the car (mice protection), fresh coat of wax if possible and let her sit.

 

Con: Some big object fall from sky and hits it.
Some idiot loose control on snow in front of your house and crash into it.
No matter how good car cover is, crap gets trap between it.
Big hassle try to start it few time weekly during winter when its snow in good.

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1091535

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DannyITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If the car is outside you get:

-less corrosion vs a humid garage</TD></TR></TABLE>

No. In cold climates, the air is extremely dry in the winter.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DannyITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">-snow cover protects paint from sun damage</TD></TR></TABLE>

No. Snow on the car rarely lasts; the sun melts it much faster than snow on the ground.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DannyITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">-I would argue less chance of theft since it's snowed in and not in a garage that can be broken into.</TD></TR></TABLE>

And anyone driving by can see what kind of car it is, and doesn't need to break into a garage first before stealing the car.

Maybe you're just hoping that your car gets stolen?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DannyITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The real question is weather to start it occasionally. Until now I have always maintained that starting a car every week or so during the winter is more harmul to the motor than not starting it. I wanted to know what you guys think.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You should only start the car if you're going to run it for a while (a half hour or more), to bring all the fluids up to operating temperature and to recharge the battery. Otherwise, just let it sit; it won't hurt the car at all (assuming that you have the battery on an automatic charger).

 

Don't start the car until your ready to use it.

 

pros: NONE
cons: ALL

 

i let a car sit out over the winter on the lawn with all the appropriate measures taken:

the results with no start ups over the winter months:

over 1000 in damage

owned my battery (killed it, not just the charge)
dead windshield wipers
seized back rotors
somehow a squirrel or something ate my ******* intake filter
scratches from fallen leaves, and other assorted fun
dents from more falling BS
somehow moisture got into the lights
and lastly, my exhaust had a hole in it

car was buried under about 1-2 feet of snow ALL winter, couldnt even see the car until the snow melted away

this was 2 years ago

i was angry

best of luck

im driving my R this winter, ive put A LOT of thought into it, i see no reason not to

only cons to driving it in winter is... salt, which can be washed off...big deal
i did 10x less damage driving my cars in the winter than i did storing them outside

plus you can enjoy it more

if your car is super slammed or has like 20k in external work done, then i would store it, so you dont hit something and destroy a 3k JDM front end or something, but just my .02

 

At least get a good car cover...

 

Pile snow under it and slap a set of Azenis on it and that caR aint going anywhere

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DannyITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">-less corrosion vs a humid garage</TD></TR></TABLE>

I've never heard of a garage causing corrosion. Chances are that if it's humid in the garage, it's humid outside as well.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by itr1244 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">pros: NONE
cons: ALL</TD></TR></TABLE>

I like this answer the best. Short and to the point.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by opie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Pile snow under it and slap a set of Azenis on it and that caR aint going anywhere </TD></TR></TABLE>

Exactly guys. The car isn't moving.

I think you guys are really over rating the damage potential here. How old was the car you stored and had the calipers seized?

 

con - letting people know you're storing it outside.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nightrider &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">con - letting people know you're storing it outside. </TD></TR></TABLE>

HAHAHAHA

Yeah I store my baby outside to in the driveway and it's nice cause we got a big one. I have one of the expensive 200+ all weather heavy car covers which honestly makes a big diff. keeps all the **** off and besides that only lets clean air or water through and nothing else. Plus all the Prothane master bushing set, TEIN FLEX, and ingalls won't ever see a winter. I drained the oil to 5W-30 for the winter and start it every two weeks or so til the thermostat turns on as well as wait for the warmest day and drive it around the culdesac to unfreeze the brakes or suspension. Unfortunately a storage unit for a car is 120 a month plus . Cause of that Ive elected to keep it outside Ive done what research I can to keep her in the best condition. Don't let the motor sits thats retarded and a few cold starts (which you would be doin everymorning anyway) are alot better than waitin 5 or so months lettin all the journals get completely free of oil then starting the motor. and once again all weather nice car cover = god when it comes to storin a car outside.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by itr1244 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">pros: NONE
cons: ALL</TD></TR></TABLE>

haha

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nightrider &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">con - letting people know you're storing it outside. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Bah!

&lt; who's had his engine on a stand with the garage door open for the past 6 months. Heck, I've even got it pushed to the front so it's easy to see.