WINTERIZING ?THIS MAY BE A SHORT WINTER ?

[Allthumbs]

Well .. here we are and it is almost December ! I have been driving the car on a weekly basis due to the fairly warm (and dry) weather. I have an almost full tank of gas, all fluids etc.. are good and it is an attached heated garage with an exhaust port through the front door.

If this winter is anything like last year I will probably be able to get on the road atleast every few weeks and plan to start it up and let it run to temp on a weekly basis no matter what the weather. My guess is by mid march (in about 90 days) regular weekly cruising will be fine.

As this is my first winter with the car... and I have never owned a vehicle simply for fun/cruising etc.. before ...

Am I setting myself up for mechanical problems ? Should I fully winterize as I have seen written on the boards so often ? All thoughts and input appreciated !

Thanks !

Tom

[JOE BYRNE]

Im in Eastlake Ohio and I have been running mine on the weekends. I change my oil in the in the late fall and run it every few weeks. I also have a heated garageand have not had any problems over the last couple of years....just my 2 cents

[Allthumbs]

Hey Joe ! Thanks for the reply. I am in Akron and the weather has been ok this year , eh ? So far anyway ! I just want to be careful not to do anything to hurt the car. Looks like a fairly short winter here in NE OH. I dont drive it in the rain or colder temps below 50 or so.. How long have you had your vette ? Nice btw !

Tom

[C3 4ME]

If you drive it even every few weeks, there's no reason to winterize. My take on winterization is for people in the Northeast, or other similar places who get snowed in for 3 or 4 months. Here in VA, I'd never put mine away for the winter, you can always sneak in a drive every so often over the winter. In fact I'm gettting ready to start detailing the engine this weekend and the car will be laid up for 1 or 2 months, but I'm not doing anything to it special, I just the other night changed the oil because it was time, not for winterization purposes.

[Allthumbs]

That is exactly it C3 ! I plan to sneak in as many drives as I can during the winter.. hopefully with the tops off and a warm jacket on ! I would guess you will see better days in Mechanicsburg than here but still.... Thanks !

Tom

[wishuwerehere82]

My rules:

1) Keep the battery charged.
2) Keep the Vette covered.
3) Keep the oil fresh.
4) Don't drive if there's salt on the roads.
5) Don't drive on wet roads until the salt is washed off for the season.
6) Don't drive in snow.

My Vette's in a garage until the salt is off the roads in the spring. Rust never sleeps, but driving in salt can cause a nightmare to occur overnight.

[JOE BYRNE]

I have had mine for a little over two years now. Bought it down at NorthWest in Canton. Never been in the rain since I have had it anyway. I think last year the longest it sat was about a month in January. I will take it out on a dry day if the roads are dry and clear of any salt.If not I will just start it and let it run for a while. This winter Im just detailing the engine bay a bit...no major projects this winter....but then again you never know with a Vette

[Vettehead Mikey]

This question comes up every winter on every board for every type of car/bike/boat/lawn mower/chainsaw etc in existance.......................

It's easy to get carried away thinking that bad things will happen if the car is not 100% mummified for an eternity. In reality, very little is necessary

- wash it, gas it up and change the oil just before storage
- disconnect the battery, put on a tender
- keep the car in a stable environment, large temperature and humidity swings cause condensation

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT (sorry, do not) run the engine unless you're going to actually drive the car long enough to get everything up to normal temps. Contrary to internet urban legend, the seals will not dry out and leak any faster than normal by letting the car sit.

Everything else is just 'the sky is falling' bubba engineering

[81kix]

Originally Posted by Allthumbs

That is exactly it C3 ! I plan to sneak in as many drives as I can during the winter.. hopefully with the tops off and a warm jacket on ! I would guess you will see better days in Mechanicsburg than here but still.... Thanks !

Tom

Hey Allthumbs, drive it like no tomorrow.

I have had the 81 out at least twice every week this month and plan to as the weather is good here in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

[MRANT212]

Had my 71 out last weekend and the 88 was out the week before...looks like winter is coming now but still as others have said I always try to squeeze in an extra drive if there is no salt. Best thing about this late fall early winter is no bugs splattering!!!

[leeboy66]

Originally Posted by Vettehead Mikey

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT (sorry, do not) run the engine unless you're going to actually drive the car long enough to get everything up to normal temps. Contrary to internet urban legend, the seals will not dry out and leak any faster than normal by letting the car sit.

Everything else is just 'the sky is falling' bubba engineering

Can you explain why you state that running the engine for 5-10 minutes is not a good idea? I never realized this was bad practice.

[wishuwerehere82]

Originally Posted by leeboy66

Can you explain why you state that running the engine for 5-10 minutes is not a good idea? I never realized this was bad practice.

I can.
Your engine needs enough running time to replace the charge in the battery that it took to start it.
The oil absorbs moisture when it cycles from cold to hot. You need to run it long and hot enough to evaporate all the moisture out of the crankcase. The combustion of gasoline in a cold engine actually generates a lot of moisture. That's the steam coming out of the tailpipe.
If you don't get the engine up to normal operating temperatures and run it under load, the exhaust system will trap that moisture inside, and it will condense inside the cylinders when you shut it off. I will also combine with acids in the exhaust gasses and eat the exhaust system from the inside.

Get it good and hot,if you are running it at all. 20-30 minutes minimum.

[John-C5]

One thing no one has mentioned yet is fuel stabilizer. Late fall I change the oil, start adding fuel stabilizer each time I top the tank up, cause you never know when the snow will fly around here, and take it out for a run when the weather is nice and the roads are clean and dry. If it looks like it going to be sitting for more than a month I’ll pull the battery so I can put it on my battery tender. Unfortunately I have no AC where the car is stored and I haven’t yet found an easy way to charge the battery at the storage unit.
John

[C3 4ME]

Allthumbs, you mention as long as the weather is over 50 and it's nice you'll drive the car. I don't care what the outside temp it, my heater works great. For me it just has to be a perfectly sunny day and the roads have to be perfectly clear. It's not too many days here in VA that they salt the roads, usually only a couple of times a year, so all of that would have to be washed away.

[vett boy]

Being from Maine it looks like April 1st is about 121 days .Might be longer in Ohio ,but thats my bench mark as coming out day.Iwouldn't consider 121 days as long term.I'll probably disconnect the battery and do little else, Good guys drive white.