DIY: How to propertly store you car

AyooooJay · 01-07-2013, 08:46 AM

Hey Everyone,

I’ve been doing a lot of research on what to do to store your car away for the winter. There are probably other posts out there but decided to make my own post on how to store your car property so here goes:

Things you will need:

Sta-bil (To keep the fuel fresh) *Note: One year
Car cover (Get a good quality car cover)
Full tank of gas
Battery Tender Plus
Some plywood pieces

Let’s get one thing straight before hand.. Battery trickle charger VS. Battery tender charger. Essentially, you are better off with a battery tender because there is a self-monitoring system that knows when the battery needs to be charged. It shuts off automatically when the battery has been charged fully. The battery trickle charger will most likely fry the battery if you leave it connected for a long time (months) without any supervision.

So I included some pictures of everything. To start off, make sure your car is clean inside and out. A good layer of wax will do wonders. Clean and treat the leather.

Before filling up tank, start by putting in some Sta-bil. Then fill up your tank (helps to mix everything up).

Cut a few pieces of plywood. Drive up to the plywood. Make sure you get all 4 under the tires to prevent the tires from touching the cold concrete surface. Inflate your tires to 45-50’ PSI.

Next, put something under the wipers to prevent the rubber from sticking to the windshield.

Next, connect the battery tender charger to the car. Note* MAKE sure the positive clip of charger does not make any contact with the hood of the car.

Next, cover that beauty up with some nice, soft and breathable car cover.

Note* If you have a car cover that does not cover the exhaust ends up, get a piece of cloth and put them inside the exhaust to prevent insects and other animals from making nest inside.

Next, take a few pictures

Enjoy guys! If I missed anything or have any suggestions, please feel free to add a comment below.

Optional: Some people like to take the wheels off and leave the car in jacks. This is up to you.

MSteve5036 · 01-18-2013, 10:36 AM

I like this a lot...its mostly common sense but sometimes thats what people lack, myself included

THE TECH · 01-18-2013, 10:47 AM

I'm wondering how necessary some of this is if you're car is in a garage? I understand the Stabil. Is there some concrete (no pun intended) evidence that the tires shouldn't touch the cement? Also, I don't see an issue with the wipers since a garage is insulated and should still keep temps way above what's going on outside. I'm new to having to store a car and haven't done a ton of searching in regards to it.

1MOREMOD · 01-18-2013, 11:37 AM

what do you mean when you say make sure your car is inside and out.

THE TECH · 01-18-2013, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriszeh

what do you mean when you say make sure your car is inside and out.

Pretty sure he meant to say "clean".

BLACK OPS · 01-18-2013, 11:53 AM

I needed to store my car for 9 months duration, I couldn't find much so it's good to have this DIY. My car was able to be started weekly but not driven (non manual driving caretaker).

I used:

Jack pads to put car on jacks
Stabil
Steel wool balls to plug exhaust pipes
Trusting wife

THE TECH · 01-18-2013, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACK OPS

I needed to store my car for 9 months duration, I couldn't find much so it's good to have this DIY. My car was able to be started weekly but not driven (non manual driving caretaker).

I used:

Jack pads to put car on jacks
Stabil
Steel wool balls to plug exhaust pipes
Trusting wife

Why did you need to plug the exhaust pipes?

BLACK OPS · 01-18-2013, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

Why did you need to plug the exhaust pipes?

Read somewhere that bugs/spiders crawl inside, nest and cause problems. Who knows if that is true but it's an easy go to solution.

THE TECH · 01-18-2013, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACK OPS

Read somewhere that bugs/spiders crawl inside, nest and cause problems. Who knows if that is true but it's an easy go to solution.

I would think that one start of the vehicle would take care of that.

BLACK OPS · 01-18-2013, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

I would think that one start of the vehicle would take care of that.

Haha. Good point! At the time of storage it was a very rush last minute project and these were the only solutions I could find on internet search so I just did it. Additionally it was very possible the car would sit there without any attention for months. I don't wish anyone to be away from their car this long.

AyooooJay · 01-18-2013, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSteve5036

I like this a lot...its mostly common sense but sometimes thats what people lack, myself included

Glad to help

AyooooJay · 01-18-2013, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

I'm wondering how necessary some of this is if you're car is in a garage? I understand the Stabil. Is there some concrete (no pun intended) evidence that the tires shouldn't touch the cement? Also, I don't see an issue with the wipers since a garage is insulated and should still keep temps way above what's going on outside. I'm new to having to store a car and haven't done a ton of searching in regards to it.

Everyone's situation is different. It's not mandatory for the plywood but it's only $2 bucks at home depot, doesn't hurt to have it there. I recommend wiper option in case you're planning to stuck your car for a long period (more than a year). Help prevent the rubber from sticking to the windshield (I've seen it happen before).

AyooooJay · 01-18-2013, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriszeh

what do you mean when you say make sure your car is inside and out.

Corrected that typo. Thanks!

THE TECH · 01-18-2013, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AyooooJay

Everyone's situation is different. It's not mandatory for the plywood but it's only $2 bucks at home depot, doesn't hurt to have it there. I recommend wiper option in case you're planning to stuck your car for a long period (more than a year). Help prevent the rubber from sticking to the windshield (I've seen it happen before).

While I understand that everyone's situation is different, I'm just trying to figure out why certain things are done and if there are any logic behind them. Yes, plywood is cheap but what is it's real purpose?

AyooooJay · 01-18-2013, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

I would think that one start of the vehicle would take care of that.

Always looking for the easy way out huh?

Think about it, how about if they crawl into the engine itself? You wouldn't want to risk it.

THE TECH · 01-18-2013, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AyooooJay

Always looking for the easy way out huh?

Think about it, how about if they crawl into the engine itself? You wouldn't want to risk it.

Either way, it's a simple fix without doing anything out of the ordinary.

AyooooJay · 01-18-2013, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

While I understand that everyone's situation is different, I'm just trying to figure out why certain things are done and if there are any logic behind them. Yes, plywood is cheap but what is it's real purpose?

I believe it's to prevent the flat spots from happening.

AyooooJay · 01-18-2013, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

Either way, it's a simple fix without doing anything out of the ordinary.

Agree

BLACK OPS · 01-19-2013, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AyooooJay

I believe it's to prevent the flat spots from happening.

Maybe going along with what The TECH is saying, how does the weight of the car on plywood differ from concrete? My conclusion was a car on jacks solves the flat spot problem.

AyooooJay · 01-19-2013, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACK OPS

Maybe going along with what The TECH is saying, how does the weight of the car on plywood differ from concrete? My conclusion was a car on jacks solves the flat spot problem.

Whatever floats your boat

W/// · 01-19-2013, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACK OPS

I needed to store my car for 9 months duration, I couldn't find much so it's good to have this DIY. My car was able to be started weekly but not driven (non manual driving caretaker).

I used:

Jack pads to put car on jacks
Stabil
Steel wool balls to plug exhaust pipes
Trusting wife

I wouldn't recommend starting it like that weekly. Never a good idea to leave the engine idling without the car being driven, especially if you aren't going to let the engine get warm. That takes forever on these S65's.

Look on Amazon for a Schumacher 1.5Amp battery maintainer. They are like $15 and I've had mine for 2 years with no problems.

Is there really no chance for anyone to drive it for a full 9 months?

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

While I understand that everyone's situation is different, I'm just trying to figure out why certain things are done and if there are any logic behind them. Yes, plywood is cheap but what is it's real purpose?

I've seen people do this with styrofoam and card board. Makes sense to me. Spreads the weight a bit better because the material compresses. Might not help much though, but better than nothing.

Kwando · 01-19-2013, 08:24 PM

Instead of plywood I use some soft foam on all four corners. But I've considered using jacks.

01-07-2013, 08:46 AM	#1
AyooooJay M Power Drives: M3 Coupe Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 723 iTrader: (7)	DIY: How to propertly store you car Hey Everyone, I’ve been doing a lot of research on what to do to store your car away for the winter. There are probably other posts out there but decided to make my own post on how to store your car property so here goes: Things you will need: Sta-bil (To keep the fuel fresh) Note: One year Car cover (Get a good quality car cover) Full tank of gas Battery Tender Plus Some plywood pieces Let’s get one thing straight before hand.. Battery trickle charger VS. Battery tender charger. Essentially, you are better off with a battery tender because there is a self-monitoring system that knows when the battery needs to be charged. It shuts off automatically when the battery has been charged fully. The battery trickle charger will most likely fry the battery if you leave it connected for a long time (months) without any supervision. So I included some pictures of everything. To start off, make sure your car is clean inside and out. A good layer of wax will do wonders. Clean and treat the leather. Before filling up tank, start by putting in some Sta-bil. Then fill up your tank (helps to mix everything up). Cut a few pieces of plywood. Drive up to the plywood. Make sure you get all 4 under the tires to prevent the tires from touching the cold concrete surface. Inflate your tires to 45-50’ PSI. Next, put something under the wipers to prevent the rubber from sticking to the windshield. Next, connect the battery tender charger to the car. Note MAKE sure the positive clip of charger does not make any contact with the hood of the car. Next, cover that beauty up with some nice, soft and breathable car cover. Note* If you have a car cover that does not cover the exhaust ends up, get a piece of cloth and put them inside the exhaust to prevent insects and other animals from making nest inside. Next, take a few pictures Enjoy guys! If I missed anything or have any suggestions, please feel free to add a comment below. Optional: Some people like to take the wheels off and leave the car in jacks. This is up to you. __________________ 08' M3 Coupe / Coded / ZCP Wheels / Performance Steering Wheel / CF Mirrors / CF Spoiler / CF GTS 2-Piece Front Lip / MS Air Filter / LED License Plate Lights / Lux Angel Eyes / ACM Exhaust Mod / LCI Tail lights / Matte Black Kidney Grills / IND Reflectors / H&R Springs / MS Spacers Last edited by AyooooJay; 01-18-2013 at 12:16 PM.
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01-18-2013, 10:47 AM	#3
THE TECH BimmerPost Supporting Vendor Drives: BPMsport 2012 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 11,884 iTrader: (39)	I'm wondering how necessary some of this is if you're car is in a garage? I understand the Stabil. Is there some concrete (no pun intended) evidence that the tires shouldn't touch the cement? Also, I don't see an issue with the wipers since a garage is insulated and should still keep temps way above what's going on outside. I'm new to having to store a car and haven't done a ton of searching in regards to it. __________________ Check us out on Facebook at BPMsportLabs

01-18-2013, 11:37 AM	#4
1MOREMOD Major General Drives: at a moderate pace Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: garage Posts: 6,493 iTrader: (3)	what do you mean when you say make sure your car is inside and out. __________________ 02 Tiag e46 M3\|6MT\|GC plates\|MCS c.o.\|GC race control arms\|GC bushings & bearings\|BW eng. & tran. mounts\|subframe kit\|BW race shifter\|BW Jaffster knob\|Euro header\|Eisenmann sport\|K&N c.a.i.\|Seibon CF hood\|CSL bumper\|CSL brakes\|RS19s\|SS lines\|half cage\|Recaro profi\|Profi 2 harness\|race pulleys\|BMWpedals\|Apex studs\|1995 Ford Probe gt chump car\|

01-18-2013, 11:53 AM	#6
BLACK OPS Captain Drives: E92 M3 6MT Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Bremerton, WA Posts: 636 iTrader: (0)	I needed to store my car for 9 months duration, I couldn't find much so it's good to have this DIY. My car was able to be started weekly but not driven (non manual driving caretaker). I used: Jack pads to put car on jacks Stabil Steel wool balls to plug exhaust pipes Trusting wife __________________ 2011.75 Jet Black e92 ///M3: ZCP\|6MT\|BB interior\|Turner Motorsport black pedals\|IND Edition Cosmetic Package \|LUX 5K\|35% tint\|clear-bra\|Vorsteiner GTS-V diffuser

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01-18-2013, 10:36 AM	#2
MSteve5036 Second Lieutenant Drives: 2008 M3 / 96 328is Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: blue dot Posts: 260 iTrader: (1)	I like this a lot...its mostly common sense but sometimes thats what people lack, myself included

01-19-2013, 08:24 PM	#22
Kwando Lieutenant Drives: plus oil Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: London Posts: 443 iTrader: (0)	Instead of plywood I use some soft foam on all four corners. But I've considered using jacks.