winter storage question

[Mike88]

Alright so I've had my car under a car cover in the driveway since December. After a couple of recent heavy snowfalls I decided to take the snow off the car today. I'm wondering if I should keep doing this? Do you guys think that the heavy weight of the snow could damage my t-tops or anything else?

[Firebird45331]

Re: winter storage question

it wouldn't hurt

[97rs4life]

Re: winter storage question

it wouldn't hurt, good idea to start it every once in awhile too to get the fluids moving and not sitting. I usually fire mine up 2-3 times during the winter

[nascar24jd]

Re: winter storage question

I would remove the snow. I would not want all of that heavy moisture sitting on top of my car for months.

[97rs4life]

Re: winter storage question

I would remove the snow. I would not want all of that heavy moisture sitting on top of my car for months.

snow isn't going to hurt anything though.

Salt is what makes cars rust, snow on top of a covered car won't do anything.

Doesn't hurt to take the snow off though

[BLLDOGG]

Re: winter storage question

if you are going to start it, DRIVE IT. don't just let it sit there until it gets warm and your favorite tune ends. Drive it awhile, it gets everything going properly, lets the battery charge and most importantly, gets the moisture out of the engine.

[Mike88]

Re: winter storage question

if you are going to start it, DRIVE IT. don't just let it sit there until it gets warm and your favorite tune ends. Drive it awhile, it gets everything going properly, lets the battery charge and most importantly, gets the moisture out of the engine.

I'm not planning on driving it or starting it up...the salt covered streets are out of the question. Where I park it for the winter its tucked in between my garage and the neighbour's fence. Last year around this time of the year I tried taking it out and there was a bit of black ice under the rear right tire. I slid towards the fence when I reversed and ended up killing my ride side view mirror. Not to mention the car cover is frozen to the car. No chance of getting it off without potentially damaging my cover or the paint till spring thaw. I added fuel stabilizer before i put it away in late December. I don't think a 3 month rest will kill it.

[ninety4three4]

Re: winter storage question

dont know if you did or not but always a good idea to change the oil and filter right before you put it away to get all the impurities out like moisture, also use some fuel stabilizer so the gas dosent gum up in the lines, i know how you feel with the snow i hated having to keep my 76 covered outside in the crappy weather, so i busted my *** this summer and put up a three car garage :)

[CDNFB]

Re: winter storage question

BLLDOGG is right. Put it in storage and leave it alone until you plan to drive it.

[98StealthBird]

Re: winter storage question

i dont want to steal this thread but mine is also away for winter and i am wondering is it best to change the oil before i fire it up again or can it wait a couple of days the oil was changed about 1000 km before i parked it

[CDNFB]

Re: winter storage question

OK, I got carried away with this one! But what the heck.....

It all depends on how often you started your engine and ran it during the storage period. If you did this an awful lot, the potential is there for the oil, (and engine) to contain a lot of moisture. If there is evidence of alot of moisture in your oil (or engine) then I would change the oil. How do you know that? Well, pop the oil fill cap off and using a flashlight look into the valve cover and look (as far as visible) for traces of water droplets, condensation, or foamy, mud colored oil residue.

If you didn't run the engine alot during storage, then no, you will not have to change out your oil if you are using normal oil. Just run it up to the next change interval, then change it. The small amount of moisture in your oil will boil out when you get to, and operate for some time at full temp. Any corrosion that may have built up in your engine, because of extended exposure to the used oil, will be washed into the oil where the larger more damaging particles will be caught by the filter.

You would also change your oil if you used a specific storage oil.

We use a storage oil (Areoshell) in aircraft engines when we park the aircraft for the winter. It, like other storage oils like it, is heavily fortified with corrosion inhibitors and compounds that increase the abilitly of the oil to stick to things. These types of oils are meant to be changed out before putting the engine back into service.

Always change your oil just as you put the engine into storage. Never let used oil sit in an engine for extended periods of time.

[Mike88]

Re: winter storage question

Always change your oil just as you put the engine into storage. Never let used oil sit in an engine for extended periods of time.

Too late for me. I put the car away with synthetic oil that I ran for about 10,000kms (about 6000 miles). I usually do my oil changes when the weather is nice and since I put it away right before our first big snowstorm in December the temperature didn't lend itself to an oil change. Anyway, I hope this isn't too damaging for the engine...I plan on doing my first oil change before I even drive it.

Also, why aren't u flying your plane in the winter? I've flown in my friend's Mooney (piston engine) in both summer and winter and that thing is way faster and more efficient as the temperature gets colder.

[CDNFB]

Re: winter storage question

Mooneys are very fast and very cool! Not flying in winter is a personal decision that many people make based on experience and the associated risk that it brings.

I don't personally have a plane (not yet at least). I do fly with my buddy in his homebuilt RV6, which I helped him build. And we do fly it in the winter. The aircraft is only rated for operation in VMC (Visual meterological Conditions) and we set our own no-go threshold of -10 C. If its any colder it just too much of a hassle and there is an increase in risk. We just wait for a warmer day. And your right, with the colder denser air the aircraft really performs well.

[CDNFB]

Re: winter storage question

Also, I'm a Canadaian AME (fancy acronym for aircraft mechanic) and I've helped some of those who do not fly in winter put their aircraft into and out of storage.

[Mike88]

Re: winter storage question

Rv6s are pretty cool. I know a couple of people who have built their own as well. There's just something special about being able to say you built and fly your own aircraft. I appreciate your prudence facingthose risks...I know a lot of guys who don't care and think they are invincible in their Cessna 152s and 172s. I've seen a number of plane accidents firsthand, luckily no deaths!

I plan on taking lessons for my pilot's licence after I graduate University this May. I've worked at fairly large airport South of Montreal for the past three years at an Esso FBO.