DIY: Storing your car for the winter (with pics)

[MachinesWithSouls]

Originally Posted by Nice Rumble

Wouldn't it be easier to attach your battery maintainer to the positive terminal and ground lug under the hood rather than directly to the battery?

No. The battery connector stays permanently attached to the battery, just plugged when not in use. I believe the tender gets a more accurate reading when connected right to the battery as oppose to under the hood. However, if you do the hood, I would not dissuade you. Either would be ok me thinks. As long as you charge it.

[RoshDawg]

Originally Posted by JoeM3SSII

Your procedure is 60% wazoo unecessary mania and 40% common sense limited to battery tender, fuel stabilizer in a full tank and wheel chocks (no handbrake).

1. No need to mess up you clear coat with paint sealant. The best is to rinse the car in the summer with a car wash manual pressure water then do a no touch foaming of the whole car and rinse (still no touch), followed by a regular wash. This is by far safer than messing with a paint sealant not to mention unecessary work.

2. Air compressor. Not needed, after warming tires they're back to normal.

3. Car cover. I own 2 car covers one of them 3 times the price of that BMW Noah cover you use. It's good to keep a car perfectly showroom clean for longer time between washs. It's good for winter storage but no sweat if you don't have one follow 1. no problems at all.

4. Baking Soda (2). if you put that inside your car you should do it all year round, not just during the winter storage. Winter is much dryer than summer. Bottomline it's unecessary.

5. Microfiber towels to stop critters. Approved.

Confused on why you keep mentioning messing up the clear coat by adding a non permanent paint sealant like ammo skin - which is very similar to a wax, can be thought of interchangeably. Especially when applying with a finishing pad on a dual action polisher. The small amount of harm that can occur during this step is completely overshadowed by added shine, protection, and satisfaction. Not to mention those very light swirls can be easily filled in or removed by even the lightest polishing methods.

Back to op, I agree with the leather conditioner. You can also use that time to apply a very oily conditioner. Ammo moose -I think that's what they call their conditioner, assuming you use that too- is very light and absorbs very quickly.Whenever I leave on vacation I put on a lot of a very oily conditioner like leather honey without buffing it off. When I come back I buff off the rest, and sometimes lightly apply a light coat of leather cleaner to remove excess oils. Leather feels crazy soft and flexible after that. Just a thought.

[jdamore]

Hey! What do you guys do with the insurance?

I spoke with my broker and he told me the only correct way to suspend the insurance is to hand in my plates. He is probably just being technical and covering his own butt.

Would like to save a few hundo $ this year if possible! Maybe I can just knock it down to the bare minimum coverage

[ezndo]

I have USAA insurance. They have a "storage" option when a vehicle is not driven longer than 30 days. This decreases the premium approximately 60%. I place my vehicles in and out of storage when I go between FL and NJ.

Originally Posted by jdamore

Hey! What do you guys do with the insurance?

I spoke with my broker and he told me the only correct way to suspend the insurance is to hand in my plates. He is probably just being technical and covering his own butt.

Would like to save a few hundo $ this year if possible! Maybe I can just knock it down to the bare minimum coverage

[MachinesWithSouls]

I list it as a weekend vehicle and limit it to 7,000 miles a year. Don't take it off insurance, in case anything damages it in storage.

[TomHudson]

Originally Posted by ezndo

What's the deal with the fuel stabilizer? Is it really necessary or are we a bunch of Kool-Aid drinkers? Is there any published data on this other than what the companies put out there? I've personally never used it and never once had an issue after storing different vehicles over the years, a log splitter and an atv all for up to 6 months at a time. I just fill the tank with gas before storage and everything starts up and runs fine when the time comes.

Since you're starting with a high octane fuel to begin with, it won't make much of a difference. Also the winter grade gasoline has a higher oxygen content in it, which the engine will enjoy.

Of course the stabilizer does impede the evaporation rate and keep water away. It also prevents any gummy deposits to settle out in your gas tank. So for what its worth, do it.

[ResoKP]

How do people living in condos store their cars?

In my condo underground parking, there are no power outlets I can use to plug in the battery tender.

Is there like an external battery pack I can use to power the battery tender, which then trickle charges the car's battery?

Would it be a bad idea to drive around underground once in a while?

If I inflate the tires at a nearby gas station to 50 PSI, would it be dangerous to drive it back home?

It's my first time storing a car for the winter.

[MachinesWithSouls]

Originally Posted by ResoKP

How do people living in condos store their cars?

In my condo underground parking, there are no power outlets I can use to plug in the battery tender.

Is there like an external battery pack I can use to power the battery tender, which then trickle charges the car's battery?

Would it be a bad idea to drive around underground once in a while?

If I inflate the tires at a nearby gas station to 50 PSI, would it be dangerous to drive it back home?

It's my first time storing a car for the winter.

Well I can tell you what I'd do in your situation.

1- go to the nearest gas station and inflate to 45 psi. As long as the drive back is under a few miles you'll be ok.
2- if you're going to drive the car around the lot only, that won't do any good. A good rule of thumb is a half hour drive to get everything warm. But this will increase the amount of cold starts and thus wear. If you can park it for winter, it's your best bet.
3- the tender is your biggest issue, and sadly I don't really have an answer, short of getting an extension cord to the nearest outlet if possible.

If finances allow, a storage garage would be your best bet. They can usually fit a car, and some have power. The ones by me are about 170 a month.

[FashionablyFast]

A question regarding the baking soda in the interior to absorb moisture...

Won't the cold, dry winter air be dry enough? Don't you want some moisture in there to keep the leather soft? With all the different conditioners available, isn't dryness the enemy of leather?

[MachinesWithSouls]

Originally Posted by OhSoCal

A question regarding the baking soda in the interior to absorb moisture...

Won't the cold, dry winter air be dry enough? Don't you want some moisture in there to keep the leather soft? With all the different conditioners available, isn't dryness the enemy of leather?

My garage is somewhat climate controlled, so when combined with an open door for a bit, condensation forms. The baking soda will prevent it from building up on electrical components and keeping fabric dry.

As for leather, I believe direct sunlight, intense heat, and sudden temp changes cause the most wear. 2 small boxes won't make a different. A 10 pound bag might.

[Rat3d ///M]

Originally Posted by ResoKP

How do people living in condos store their cars?

In my condo underground parking, there are no power outlets I can use to plug in the battery tender.

Is there like an external battery pack I can use to power the battery tender, which then trickle charges the car's battery?

Would it be a bad idea to drive around underground once in a while?

If I inflate the tires at a nearby gas station to 50 PSI, would it be dangerous to drive it back home?

It's my first time storing a car for the winter.

Someone correct me if i am wrong, but I believe CTEK makes a DC plug accessory where you can plug the charger directly into the cars power outlet to avoid using a wall socket. Any power the charger uses to operate the CTEK is more than made up for with it charging the battery. If the M3 has a switched power outlet (i.e. it is off when the car is turned off) this won't work, but it is worth a shot to check and see if the power outlet is not switched.

Another option is just to remove the battery for the winter (or unplug the negative terminal).

[Helmsman]

We have a perpetual machine coming up..

[MachinesWithSouls]

Originally Posted by ||||||||||

Someone correct me if i am wrong, but I believe CTEK makes a DC plug accessory where you can plug the charger directly into the cars power outlet to avoid using a wall socket. Any power the charger uses to operate the CTEK is more than made up for with it charging the battery. If the M3 has a switched power outlet (i.e. it is off when the car is turned off) this won't work, but it is worth a shot to check and see if the power outlet is not switched.

Another option is just to remove the battery for the winter (or unplug the negative terminal).

Actually that is a good idea. The car outlet won't work, but take the battery out of the car, get a trickle charger, and hook it up in your apartment. That's your best bet. It's easy to take it in and out.

[vsix]

Originally Posted by SoManyBlueCars

Actually that is a good idea. The car outlet won't work, but take the battery out of the car, get a trickle charger, and hook it up in your apartment. That's your best bet. It's easy to take it in and out.

Yeah, one of the coolest chargers ever is the CTEK.
Just get one of these and your Batt. is safe for the rest of the winter

[ResoKP]

Originally Posted by SoManyBlueCars

Actually that is a good idea. The car outlet won't work, but take the battery out of the car, get a trickle charger, and hook it up in your apartment. That's your best bet. It's easy to take it in and out.

Can't operate the trunk without battery power though

[MachinesWithSouls]

Originally Posted by ResoKP

Can't operate the trunk without battery power though

Leave the bench down and use the emergency release.

[ResoKP]

I wonder if I can just tie a rope to that latch so I can just pull it to open.

I have short arms lol.

[oolas3]

Originally Posted by SoManyBlueCars

Leave the bench down and use the emergency release.

I believe they make solar powered trickle charges if you have access to sunlight where you park?

[Rajmun340]

Originally Posted by RoshDawg

Confused on why you keep mentioning messing up the clear coat by adding a non permanent paint sealant like ammo skin - which is very similar to a wax, can be thought of interchangeably. Especially when applying with a finishing pad on a dual action polisher. The small amount of harm that can occur during this step is completely overshadowed by added shine, protection, and satisfaction. Not to mention those very light swirls can be easily filled in or removed by even the lightest polishing methods.

Very light swirls ? that's the difference, my car does not / never had swirls that i needed to mask with a paint sealant or polish away with a DA. That is because I only use wax on a car twice washed with a minimum contact process wash approach and even with the wax removed my clearcoat has stayed factory immaculate. People confuse how their native clearcoat looks bare with how it looks with products temporarily masking the condition of the clearcoat. Modern clearcoat is softer and minimizing contact is key to keep it factory like. Less is the key to perfection without cosmetic correction.
Also, you can tell the difference, the car looks immaculate even when those product starts to wear out, whereas you are in a perpetual vicious circle to correct more and apply more stuff on it.

[Dr3wM3]

Originally Posted by SoManyBlueCars

No. The battery connector stays permanently attached to the battery, just plugged when not in use. I believe the tender gets a more accurate reading when connected right to the battery as oppose to under the hood. However, if you do the hood, I would not dissuade you. Either would be ok me thinks. As long as you charge it.

Quick to say no, huh? I would say it is a lot easier to pop the hood and connect it through the terminals. Do you have any actual data or professional advice that you should connect straight to the battery? My theory is if you can jump start a dead car from the under the hood, then you can surely trickle charge it from there too.

[MachinesWithSouls]

Originally Posted by Dr3wM3

Quick to say no, huh? I would say it is a lot easier to pop the hood and connect it through the terminals. Do you have any actual data or professional advice that you should connect straight to the battery? My theory is if you can jump start a dead car from the under the hood, then you can surely trickle charge it from there too.

I'm not a professional . There have been countless discussions on these very boards about what is best when it comes to battery connections, and I have noted that it can go either way. My advice is always this: if it works for you, don't change anything!

[RoshDawg]

Originally Posted by JoeM3SSII

Very light swirls ? that's the difference, my car does not / never had swirls that i needed to mask with a paint sealant or polish away with a DA. That is because I only use wax on a car twice washed with a minimum contact process wash approach and even with the wax removed my clearcoat has stayed factory immaculate. People confuse how their native clearcoat looks bare with how it looks with products temporarily masking the condition of the clearcoat. Modern clearcoat is softer and minimizing contact is key to keep it factory like. Less is the key to perfection without cosmetic correction.
Also, you can tell the difference, the car looks immaculate even when those product starts to wear out, whereas you are in a perpetual vicious circle to correct more and apply more stuff on it.

I never said its not important to do a proper wash before waxing. I think we're agreeing on the same thing here, just bc of the fact that you use wax as well. OP just prefers sythetic polymers as opposed to natural waxes. But you can't say don't use a sealant but use a wax, since they're pretty identical in application and removal. Waxes actually contain more fillers than sealants do.