Winter Storage Questions

[hinckley]

It may sound crazy, but I bought my M4 as my winter car and put it in storage during the summer (I drive my Porsche vert in the summer). Like you, we get tough winters here, but there's really only a max of 2-3 days of too much snow when I'm not comfortable driving it. Get the right winter-sport tires and you'll be fine if you want to.

fwiw, when in summer storage, I slightly over-inflate the tires, add a fuel stabilizer and use a battery tender (make sure you get one suitable to the M4's lithium-ion battery).

[DETSGTSTARSKY]

Originally Posted by JayZap16

So when I have purchased my M4 this year I have made the purchase with the decision to store the car during the winter. I live in Michigan where the winters are -50 degrees F and 40 ft of snow is an average day.

I was looking at a few covered storage locations. The questions that I have are:

Should the storage location be heated? Is this necessary?
Do I need to hook up the battery to a trickle charger for the Lithium Ion Battery?
Should the vehicle be on stands or can it sit on the tires?
Should I add anything to the fuel such as stabil?

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

I have stored cars in the garages where we have lived before. Climate controlled would be good to keep any condensation at bay. But certainly don't use storage with a dirt floor. The car should be fully detailed including the interior, exterior and engine bay. You don't want contaminants messing with the paint or skin oils on the interior sitting for months. Inflate tires up to the maximum psi rating prior to storage to help with flatspotting. Or get some Race Ramp Flatstoppers to also help with any tire issues. The battery should be hooked up to a trickle charger to maintain the battery. The gas tank should be totally full before storage with fresh gas and use a preservative like stabil or seafoam. I would even change the oil prior to storage so the partially used oil with acid buildup from the combustion process isn't sitting in the crankcase for months. The car can also be covered to protect the finish depending on where it is stored. Cover the exhaust pipes with stainless mesh to keep rodents from crawling inside during winter.

[boss2k]

Why are u thinking of storing car from now , enjoy it.

[Teeone]

Jay, I stored my car at canton car cave this past winter. Check it out. They have a car show every Monday from 5-8 thru the summer.

[RickFLM4]

Geez already talking about winter storage before the end of July?

[allinon72]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Geez already talking about winter storage before the end of July?

He said 40ft of snow is your average day

[OF Hero]

I don't think even Antarctica gets 40 ft of snow a day.

[doug_999]

I've stored my 1M since i got it back in 2012 in a non-heated garage. The basics are simple and you don't need to over think it.

1. Car should be clean *
2. Fill car up on way to storage and add stabil
3. Over inflate the tires from recommended on door, but not over max on tire.
4. Put on trickle charger (CTek is awesome - and yes, get the Lithium Ion one if doing the M3/M4).
5. Put a Cover on it
6. Put a sign on the steering wheel that says "Charger Connected"

#4 and #5 are the TOP two things you can do.

*For #1, you don't need to go crazy, just make sure that putting the cover on it will NOT scratch the paint.

[paliknight]

Originally Posted by allinon72

He said 40ft of snow is your average day

Originally Posted by OF Hero

I don't think even Antarctica gets 40 ft of snow a day.

Lol yeah he was just exaggerating

[JayZap16]

Originally Posted by Teeone

Jay, I stored my car at canton car cave this past winter. Check it out. They have a car show every Monday from 5-8 thru the summer.

Teeone, thanks for the recommendation, i will definitely check them out, the website looks very promising.

[Speedwell-Industries]

Originally Posted by doug_999

I've stored my 1M since i got it back in 2012 in a non-heated garage. The basics are simple and you don't need to over think it.

1. Car should be clean *
2. Fill car up on way to storage and add stabil
3. Over inflate the tires from recommended on door, but not over max on tire.
4. Put on trickle charger (CTek is awesome - and yes, get the Lithium Ion one if doing the M3/M4).
5. Put a Cover on it
6. Put a sign on the steering wheel that says "Charger Connected"

#4 and #5 are the TOP two things you can do.

*For #1, you don't need to go crazy, just make sure that putting the cover on it will NOT scratch the paint.

This!

[Teeone]

Originally Posted by JayZap16

Teeone, thanks for the recommendation, i will definitely check them out, the website looks very promising.

When you check them out, tell them I (Steve Kahrs) sent you.....talk to Matt. Might help.

[PhillyfaanM3]

So...I know there are some of you who will say, don't put it away, throw some winter wheels and tires on and drive it all winter.

The other side will say, I've got a dedicated winter vehicle and I'll put the M away till Spring.

Below are the steps I'm taking to store my car till spring:

1. Washed and used Adams polish
2. Attached BMW Trickle charger
3. Covered to keep dust and dirt while It's stored

So for those of you who will garage your cars, what tips can you share?

Any suggestions for keeping critters from trying to find a warm place to build home in the engine or in the car?

[doug_999]

Originally Posted by PhillyfaanM3

Any suggestions for keeping critters from trying to find a warm place to build home in the engine or in the car?

Put a car cover on it that will scare the critters away. Oh, you did that already

[PhillyfaanM3]

Originally Posted by doug_999

Put a car cover on it that will scare the critters away. Oh, you did that already

Lol

[OF Hero]

Originally Posted by PhillyfaanM3

So...I know there are some of you who will say, don't put it away, throw some winter wheels and tires on and drive it all winter.

The other side will say, I've got a dedicated winter vehicle and I'll put the M away till Spring.

Below are the steps I'm taking to store my car till spring:

1. Washed and used Adams polish
2. Attached BMW Trickle charger
3. Covered to keep dust and dirt while It's stored

So for those of you who will garage your cars, what tips can you share?

Any suggestions for keeping critters from trying to find a warm place to build home in the engine or in the car?

Fuel stabilizer?

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by OF Hero

Fuel stabilizer?

+1

Also, for critter defense, consider stuffing steel wool in the exhaust, and putting in mothballs in the interior and around the car. Also check your garage and seal up the exterior access points.

FWIW, I used to store my motorcycle when I lived on the East Coast, but found that it was better to still take all the storage steps, but to ride the bike and fully warm it up once a month or so, as long as there wasn't any ice on the road and it was cold and dry. Spring always went a lot smoother this way, versus when I fully took the bike off the road.

My 911 is rarely used these days, so I always keep stabil in the tank and trickle charger attached. I keep the tires at the door placard pressure, and don't take any 'anti-critter' steps. I try to drive it once every 2 months at a minimum and things have been fine this way for the past 12-18 months.

[chatoyer]

Mice also apparently dislike scented dryer sheets. Put a few on each wheel and scattered around the engine bay and interior. Depending on how long it’s in storage, you may need to replenish after a few months.

Edited to add: you may also want to park on some thick carpet, thus preventing the tires from having direct contact with cold, damp concrete. No idea why, just read that years ago and followed that advice when I stored my previous car for the VERY cold winters here.

[edb4164]

Hey guys, I’m hoping you can all provide some input here. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I have a 2017 M4 (8th BMW) and a couple weeks ago I put it away in my garage for the winter. The weather here in the northeast just isn’t worth me taking the car out. So, it probably won’t be driven until March/April.

1.) Should I start the car once per week? If so, for how long should I let it run?

2.) Also, years ago, I remember hearing the worst way for a BMW (not just an M car) to warm up is by sitting at idle. Does this hold any merit?

Any and all feedback is welcomed!

Thanks

[No.401_Speed]

The thing you guys need to consider is the dew point and to understand the relationship between relative humidity and temp. This also applies to the bad habit of starting a car repeatedly in the winter when storage temps are well below the freezing point and where the dew point is normally not an issue.

So long as your car is the same temp as the air surrounding it and regardless of the relative humidity, moisture will not form on any of the internal engine parts or body. When you start your engine, you warm up the interior/exterior of the block which then sets up the possibility of moisture forming from water vapour that might escape from old oil (ergo, change your oil in the fall before storage) and moisture that might form externally (remember also, that very cold air is also very dry). So, if your internal garage temp is well below freezing, and you get a nice warm winter day that rises above freezing, don't open your garage door or your car will be covered in moisture and will then be at risk of corrosion (especially the brake discs).

Best practice is to leave the car on the Li-ion charger and don't start the engine until spring. If you were storing the car for several years, then yes, you would want to start the engine periodically to circulate oil into the top of the engine, but five-six months is not enough time to worry about. Up here, storing cars is an annual ritual, so here's what I do:

1. Fill the tank, add stabilizer to the fuel and drive it home.
2. Change the oil and filter.
3. Add anti-freeze washer fluid to the reservoir if you last filled it with summer grade fluid.
4. Wash and dry the car completely, never store a car with wet brakes or trapped moisture so you may need to drive it around the block to dry it out. (this is especially true of emergency brakes).
5. Place in park, leave the emergency brake off.
6. Park the car on rubber mats so that the tires do not sit on concrete all winter.
7. Ensure the tires are inflated to spec (the practice of over inflating tires is based on the premise that air-inflated tires will loose 1-2 lbs per month while in storage so over-inflation helps to prevent flat spotting of soft tires. If you take this route, then you need to ensure that you check and adjust the inflation in the spring. If your tires are inflated with nitrogen, then you should be safe with factory PSI settings since leakage is minimal.https://www.michelinman.com/tirePressure.html
8. Check coolant and top up with anti-freeze as necessary. Insure you check engine and inter-cooler levels.
9. Hook up a smart charger designed for Li-ion batteries. I use the NO-CO G7200 but others work just as well. https://no.co/g7200
10. Place moth balls around the base of the car, and if you really have rodent problems, place them on top of the tires, inside the engine compartment (dryer sheets work just as well). Only in severe cases would you need to put these in the interior (you won't like the smell any more that the rats).
11. Cover the car and close your exhaust pipes with rags.
12. Check the brake discs periodically, these will tell you if any rust is evident long before parts on your car will corrode (you shouldn't see anything so long as your parking area is relatively dry and your car does not hit the dew point.
13. Do not start the engine while in short term storage, you'll do more harm than good.

Here's an article by Haggerty's you might find useful https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vid...izing-your-car

And here's the one that explains dew point/moisture issues: http://universalclassiccarsstorage.c...Case_Study.pdf

Here's a handy dew point calculator so you can measure local conditions http://www.dpcalc.org/

I've employed these steps for thirty years without any issues. Now if you live in Florida, then you'll need to adjust these steps to address higher humidity and rodent issues. So consider this advice as applying to areas that drop well below freezing for four-five months of the year.

As for me, if I lived in Florida, I'd be driving my ride all year long!!

[matty088]

Don’t start the car. That’s most important. But a trickle charger on it and let it sit. If you have a car cover that’s even better.

Starting it is the last thing you want to do.

Originally Posted by onlybmw

I'm looking into stroing the car in the winter in my garage for 4-5 months. I've done a lot of research and talked to several people and EVERYBODY seems to have different opinions on this. Assuming I have a trickle chrager hooked up and cover over the car, will that be sufficient?

Will the tires develop a flat spot? (some people said YES, some said NO).

Should I keep a full tank or very little gas? (I understand the moisture thing with a little gas in the tank but then a full tank goes bad - I've heard adding 100 percent octane when ready to go in the spring should be fine??).

Most of all - should I start it every 2-3 weeks or let it rest (I know the most damage is done when you start a car but going 4-5 months without ANY engine lubrication, can that be OK??

Thanks-

[avantix]

Anyone know if storing summer ZR compound tires (MPSS or 4S) mounted on wheels in the shed all winter is a bad idea? Temps here can hit -35 in winter but they will be dry and not exposed to the elements aside from cold. I'm pretty sure it's fine but just making sure.