Winter Storage

[clivesaunders]

'Winter Storage' XK8 Convertable 1998, New Member Berk's," Do’s & Don’ts "

Dear JEC members can you assist

Over the winter the car will be in heated garaged, I will need to move it from time to time do 'not' want to disconnect battery or chock it.

I have assumed the following;

Hood-- Up and in ‘locked’ position
Windows-- Partially open
Tank-- Full tank
Auto-Pyjama-- Cotton cover over car
Battery Charger-- I note Nov JEC mag page 60 CTEK XS 7000 recommended..
Tyre Pressures-- What pressures during store..?
Tyre Pads-- Any benefit or better to move the car monthly…@ £ 200 a set !
WD40-- What to spray or not…?
To Start-- Any benefit to start institute or best left until I can give it a run lots of snow last year.

What have I missed..?

Your comments & observation would be much appreciated
Regards, Clive (Newbury)

[Nik]

Hi Clive ,
I'd agree with all of the above but I'd consider putting her up on axle stands , that way you can start and run her and have no fear of flat spots on the tyres , a monthly run out on a dry salt free day would be beneficial , also an oil and filter change would help prevent any acids in the oil corroding any of the engines innards , a fine coat of rubber seal lubricant on door and boot lid seals should keep them supple , give the car a good waxing before laying her up , I'd forget about WDing anything , better to coat any bright work with Vaseline , if the brake fluid hasn't been changed recently I'd change it as it's hygroscopic and if it's absorbed any water it may lead to caliper pistons seizing ,

Hope this helps ,

Nik

[mike020150]

Hi Clive,

As Nik says, you seem to have covered most points. However, if the garage is heated (and therefore dry) the use of WD40 or Vaseline shouldn't really be necessary providing the car is clean when put away in storage.
If my car will rest on its tyres for a long period, I pump them up to 40psi in an attempt to stop them acquiring flat spots. It's not a guaranteed cure. Regular use is better.
There is a choice of trickle chargers from CTEK. Just to keep the battery topped up, you may not need the XS7000 (7 amps max charging rate), the XS3600 (3.6 amps rate) or similar may serve your purposes just as well for slightly less outlay. Of course, larger outputs enable you to charge dead/low batteries quicker, should that be required.
For long term storage in damp conditions, it may help the condition of the interior to use a dessicant kit. I believe suitable items are often available from caravan accessory stores. Mike.