Winter climate warm up

[Lucky]

I 'm not storing my Vette away for the winter and am wondering how often I should start it up and how long I need to let it run. (It sits in an unheated gararge) I have been starting it up weekly and letting it run (idle) for 5-10 minutes 'till it seems to be up to temperature.

When there is no salt/sand on the roads I've been driving it around for the same amount of time. Any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated............Thanks...Lucky

Note to GS Diva: Took your advice

 

[Corvette-Pilot]

I don't know the anser to this but I can tell you about what happened to me:

Several years ago I had a mint 79 Firebird Formula.
It had nearly no leaks for a car with 116k on it.
I garaged it in an unheated garage as well and would start it up every 1-2 weeks.

Well,
By spring I was finally able to pull her out.
LEAKS ! !

I am geussing that it was the old seals and gaskets.
Starting it once in a while I had rock hard seals from the cold.
I think this wasn't too good for them !

If I did nothing they would just sit there.
Come spring when it warms up again the seals are now flexible again.

My $.02

 

[Interceptor430]

Lucky,
I'd say you're doing about all that can be done. Cranking it long enough to get up to normal operating temp sounds great to me.
Also, driving it some sounds good too. But if not able to drive it some, I'd at least pull it out in the driveway some....that would help keep the tranny seals and stuff lubed, and the brakes cylindars and stuff lubed. Meaning...moving it some is alot better than not at all. And keep the tank full of 93 Octane too.
JMHO.

 

[Lucky]

Lucky,

. But if not able to drive it some, I'd at least pull it out in the driveway And keep the tank full of 93 Octane too.

I've been doing this too........Thanks guys

 

[JimS]

Lucky,

I'm doing exactly the same thing you are. I let the car warm up until the fan kicks on and then I give it about 5 more minutes. I'm doing this to make sure the coolant is flowing and not sitting. I purchased my 95' w/17k miles on it about a year ago, and noticed rust in the cooling system when it flushed it. From what I hear, that is because it sat for the winters without being started, and antifreeze has something in it that will cause the rust if it sits for too long. I'm planning on flushing the system again in the spring. I'm hoping that this will help my rust problem. I'm interested in what others do for the winters as well.

-JimS

 

[tntcorvette]

I usually start the car and let it run until the oil temp get to about 170 or so and usually drive around the neighborhood.

Its a good idea to let the oil warm up to burn off any moisture in the exhaust system.

 

[Remo]

Winter Blues

Lucky,

How about this winter? I'm about 30 minutes north of Bedford right on the New Hampshire border. We have right around 30" of snow on the ground. The snow banks down my driveway are so high it's starting to look like Boston's "big dig".

At any rate - my garage stays right around 40 degrees but I still start it up about every two weeks. I have a battery tender on it so that's a big help. And of course the moth balls under the hood and tin foil stuffed in the tail pipes to keep any wayfairing rodents from getting ideas.

A couple more months and we'll be back on the road.
Regards - Remo

 

[Guy]

Re: Winter Blues

Lucky,

How about this winter? I'm about 30 minutes north of Bedford right on the New Hampshire border. We have right around 30" of snow on the ground. The snow banks down my driveway are so high it's starting to look like Boston's "big dig".

At any rate - my garage stays right around 40 degrees but I still start it up about every two weeks. I have a battery tender on it so that's a big help. And of course the moth balls under the hood and tin foil stuffed in the tail pipes to keep any wayfairing rodents from getting ideas.

A couple more months and we'll be back on the road.
Regards - Remo

It was 0 degrees out and I took my 82 for a spin at 4:30am this morning. Dropped it off for a new inspection sticker before the drive the Orlando Monday :J. And we'll post along the way!


Guy

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

Guy - Have a safe trip & please keep us posted on your progress. Looks like no snow through at least Sunday.....

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

Guy - Have a safe trip & please keep us posted on your progress. Looks like no snow through at least Sunday.....

 

[Interceptor430]

Guy...yea Man, have a safe trip. The weather forecast here in the middle of N.C. is for 2-4 inches of snow Thursday night - into Friday morning......hopefully this storm will not track up the east coast like they normally do.....(just thought you may want to be aware of what's happening down here...shouldn't be as much along the I-95 route, but that's a guess)

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

Interceptor - I live just south of Guy, CT vs. MA, and we are missing that storm. Hooray!!!!! For once it is staying south of us.

 

[Interceptor430]

Great!
I was watching the local news channel to get the forecast for around here, and naturally, by time and design, they don't go into 'where the storm is going' very often. Although they did show a map indicating Virginia is gonna get a whole lot more...hopefully the forecasters will be right for you guys!
It's not supposed to start snowing here til 7-8 pm Thursday(tomorrow)....so I'll get to make the drive into work - and get back home in my Vette. He likes to get out to play at least once a week...if not more.

 

[Guy]

I didn't mean to hyjack this thread. I'll start a new one tomorrow, but I have been looking at www.weather.com all along the east coast every day. If I wake up to the white stuff Monday, then it's Bimmer time. But out of a 2001 CRV, a 99 Explorer and a 94 BMW, the 82 has by far the least amount of miles on it :L .

Thanks for the support.

Guy

 

[Lucky]

I didn't mean to hyjack this thread.


Guy

Thanks..Guy.....

JimS and I were hoping to get a few more responses to the original thread. ...and have a safe trip

 

[Guy]

Thanks, Lucky. Now back to your topic.

I can only tell you what works for me. I installed a battery quick disconnect switch in the 82. In the winter I just park the Vette in it's spot and switch off the battery. I don't start it up and run it unless it's a nice day and I'm going to take it out for a ride regardless if it's been sitting weeks or a month. I have not had any problems and my mechanics (all vette freaks) tell me I don't need to do anything else. As a matter of fact, the owner of the shop I go to has owned a 63 for over 30 years and he doesn't do anything else special. BTW - this 63 is driven to Florida every year.

Just my .02 and oppinions are like you-know-what, everyone's got em.


Guy

 

[Interceptor430]

:duh
I kinda drove it off course too...



If you are cranking it, as discussed, and can't move it anywhere,
I'd think it would be a great idea on the automatics to shift it into forward and reverse gears, turn the steering wheel left to right a couple times, and do the brakes too. Just by doing that, the fluids
get moving/circulating/etc...
JMHO

 

[JohnZ]

Don't start it at all - just leave it sit and take care of the battery (remove it or leave a (genuine) "Battery Tender" on it); no seals are going to dry out over the winter. If you're going to take it out and drive it 10-15 miles, that's fine, but just starting it and "letting it warm up" won't get the oil to full normalized temperature, and that's what matters - the oil needs to get to full operating temperature in order to get hot enough to boil off the condensed moisture and rich-mixture blow-by contaminants from starting it and running it with the choke operating, and that won't happen unless you take it out and drive it. If you just start it up and let it "warm up", it'll just create more contaminants in the pan that become acidic and create sludge. Starting it while it's in cold storage without driving it is NOT a good idea.

I've been storing my Corvettes, Ferraris, etc. in the garage through Michigan winters for 40 years without any problems at all; just change the oil and filter before you put it away, air up the tires to 40 psi, take care of the battery, and when Spring comes, fire it up and drive it.

 

[Rob]

I have to agree with JohnZ here. Lucky, if you haven't already done so, take a look at our Long Term / Winter Corvette Storage article.

If you are storing the car, one of the most important things you can do is to make sure that the fuel tank is full to the top, you use a fuel stabilizer (if it's going to be stored for an extended period of time) and don't start the car unless you really have to.

If you do start the car, make sure you give it at least a good 20 minute warm up and if possible, take it for a ride in order to insure that all fluids reach normal operating temperature.

 

[lt4 gs]

Don't start it at all - just leave it sit and take care of the battery (remove it or leave a (genuine) "Battery Tender" on it); no seals are going to dry out over the winter. If you're going to take it out and drive it 10-15 miles, that's fine, but just starting it and "letting it warm up" won't get the oil to full normalized temperature, and that's what matters - the oil needs to get to full operating temperature in order to get hot enough to boil off the condensed moisture and rich-mixture blow-by contaminants from starting it and running it with the choke operating, and that won't happen unless you take it out and drive it. If you just start it up and let it "warm up", it'll just create more contaminants in the pan that become acidic and create sludge. Starting it while it's in cold storage without driving it is NOT a good idea.

I've been storing my Corvettes, Ferraris, etc. in the garage through Michigan winters for 40 years without any problems at all; just change the oil and filter before you put it away, air up the tires to 40 psi, take care of the battery, and when Spring comes, fire it up and drive it.

I have done exactly as JohnZ has done......I used to live about 7 miles from him in Rochester, MI.....
Tell you what..........pretend it 's a big SeaRay w/ two big blocks........lay it up proper and fire it up proper in the spring.......