My R is standing outside covered by snow for about a month now without starting. Should I go and start her, warm it up, let the oil circulate or so ?

Or it's better to let her sleep all the winter? I'm little worried about corroding of the internals, humidity in oil etc.

PS: Even if my R is standing outside (I have no garage), she is in a safe place

 

did you prep the car to sit over the winter, or did you just park it there and hope for the best?

IF you prepped it, then let it be.
If not then it's 50/50 damage from sitting or damage from a dead (cold) start.

"made sure to run the gas down to around 1/4 tank"
Worst thing ever to do/ it invites condensation in. more gas, less water can build up on the inside wall of the tank.


Modified by Bbasso at 1:08 PM 1/16/2006

 

I would just let it sit. (In fact, that's what I do with my other car, which sits in an unheated garage for 4-6 months each winter.)

But do something about the battery. Either hook up a charger to it (constantly or periodically), hopefully the kind that monitors charging so that it shuts off when it's fully charged instead of overcharging, or remove it from the car (although then you may not have power to your alarm, if you have one).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bbasso &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">did you prep the car to sit over the winter, or did you just park it there and hope for the best?

IF you prepped it, then let it be.
If not then it's 50/50 damage from sitting or damage from a dead (cold) start.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
I just charged the battery fully and let it sit. I din't know what else to do, since my R has to be ready to move (there is not enough room where I park it, so it has to be moved sometimes etc.)

 

When I stored my R last year, I just made sure to run the gas down to around 1/4 tank. I also did a oil change as well, plus adding some Stabil helps keep the gas fresh since you have no plans to actually drive the car. I started my R and ran it for 15 min every two weeks, and things worked well.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nemesis0104 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When I stored my R last year, I just made sure to run the gas down to around 1/4 tank. I also did a oil change as well, plus adding some Stabil helps keep the gas fresh since you have no plans to actually drive the car. I started my R and ran it for 15 min every two weeks, and things worked well. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats what you shouldnt do, IMO.

Fill the tank up and add the stabalizer (Follow the directions on the bottle). Then just let the car sit. No need to start it, just do an oil change first thing when you get it back out or storage. Also do a search, there are tons of threads on how to store your car.

 

i'm just ****, and i start my car/bike once or twice a week. it doesn't cost anything except about 10 minutes of your time, plenty worth it IMO. can't beat fresh oil in/around all the bearings, with clean cylinder walls

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ShadyEH2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i'm just ****, and i start my car/bike once or twice a week. it doesn't cost anything except about 10 minutes of your time, plenty worth it IMO. can't beat fresh oil in/around all the bearings, with clean cylinder walls </TD></TR></TABLE>

yeup.. but if you are not as **** as this guy.. you can probably start it up once a week.

 

The right way:

Add fuel stabilizer
Fill tank all the way
Drive(mix)
Fill tires 5-10 pounds higher
Park
Block rear wheels, disengage parking brake(leave in gear if outside)
Disconnect Battery(Remove and charge if desired)
Crack Windows
Plate of Baking Soda on Passanger floor
Cover
Leave it alone!

Spring:

Change oil
Crack VTEC


If the car needs to be started every so often, make sure the fan comes on at least twice before shutting off.

 

just leave it be, animals need to hybernate

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rcar97 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The right way:

Add fuel stabilizer
Fill tank all the way
Drive(mix)
Fill tires 5-10 pounds higher
Park
Block rear wheels, disengage parking brake(leave in gear if outside)
Disconnect Battery(Remove and charge if desired)
Crack Windows
Plate of Baking Soda on Passanger floor
Cover
Leave it alone!

Spring:

Change oil
Crack VTEC


If the car needs to be started every so often, make sure the fan comes on at least twice before shutting off.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

all i did is

Changed the oil
Add fuel stabilizer
Fill tank all the way
put the car on jack stands
took the wheels off
charge the battary every once and awhile
start the car every 2 weeks for 15 mins

i didnt crack the windows tho... do you really have to ??? my car still smells fresh and is still clean inside... and i also didnt cover it. It sits in a garage. It really needs to be washed.

Do you also think i should not drive the car hard till all of that fuel stabilizer is gone... isnt that not good for it ?? just wondering... i might not change my oil when i put it back on the road because it only has been around 2 months almost 3... i might wait a couple of weeks to change it.

 

Everything sounds good.
I wouldn't start it at all, especially if it doesn't hit normal operating temperature(fan comes on twice)
Oil sitting exposed to oxygen will break down and create moisture(bad)
Always change your oil after having the car sit. It just makes sense!

 

i always start it to let everything stay fresh.. I let it idle for 15 mins and the fan does turn on twice and the temp of the car goes up alittle so it gets warm. do you think i still need to change the oil if it has sat for only like 2 or 3 months ? when i have started it like once every 2 weeks

 

Hmm my parking break has been on for about 3 months or so now.. It's in my garage though. Does it sieze or something? All I did is put on shitty tires and park it in my garage and figured I'd get it flat bedded to the shop for a fluid change when it comes out. I wish I remembered to disconnect the battery. Will I need to get a new battery or will charging it be alright? I'm planning on bringing it out again in about a month.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EmoHatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hmm my parking break has been on for about 3 months or so now.. It's in my garage though. Does it sieze or something?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It could rust onto the rotors. It should break (pun) free when you first drive it again.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EmoHatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">All I did is put on shitty tires and park it in my garage and figured I'd get it flat bedded to the shop for a fluid change when it comes out.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You shouldn't need to flat bed it. You'll just need to do something about the battery to get it started. (At a minimum, you'll need to jump start it, but I would charge it and see if it needs replacement; see below.) Oh, and put some air in the tires before driving; they typically lose about 1 psi per month.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EmoHatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Will I need to get a new battery or will charging it be alright?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You'll have to test it to see if it needs replacement. If it were my car, I'd remove the battery, charge it up, and take it in for testing (I'm not sure, but I think places like Autozone do this for free).

I just bought a battery for my ITR a few months ago. I shopped around and found a replacement with a 100-month warranty at Costco, their Kirkland house brand made by Johnson Controls (a major manufacturer), for only $37. MUCH better deal than everyplace else I looked.

For battery DIY replacement tips, click here.