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Car Forum / Jeep / September 2007Parking for the winter in extreme cold - proper precautions?
I'm parking my '99 TJ Sport for the winter and would like some advice on what to do beforehand. Where I live it gets to about -35C with about 3-4 feet of snow cumulative for about a 5-6mth block. Here's what I will be doing already: 1. Taking the tires off and storing them in the shed or outside but under poly, lying on their sides and stacked (is this recommended?) They are 32" procomp mud's on chrome rims. 2. Setting the Jeep on 4 axle stands (any particular spots I should set them on?). I'll be putting cinder blocks under as well for added security. What is the recommended method for all of this? 3. Getting a full car cover and covering the whole thing. I've also got neoprene seat covers. Should these be stored inside for the winter or will they be OK? Any special precautions for my battery, winch, connections, etc? What about fluids, gas tank, etc? Thanks! For that kind of storage I'd suggest: Clean oil: do an oil and filter change, run it 100 miles or so to get things well warmed up and mixed with any of the old oil. Check your anti freeze, replace as necessary. Your '99 may not have had any cooling service, this would be a good time to flush and refill. I don't have the table in front of me but IIRC you may need to go to 60% ethelyne glycol instead of the regular 50% mix. Make sure the tank is full of gas to minimize condensation. Using something like Stabil is a good idea but not really necessary for the reasonably short storage time. Tires need to be off the ground and protected from UV (they should not see sunlight!). If you are storing outside, by all means take them off. Horizontal or vertical is fine, just don't store them with weight on the wheels. Jackstands can be on the axles (under the spring mounts) or on the frame with the springs relaxed. You can go either way, I guess I prefer the frame to let the springs relax and not sag. You can get a maintenance charger for the battery and leave it on all winter. Something like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42292 We normally leave the batteries in the vehicle but for that temp it wouldn't hurt to bring it in to a cool (10 C to 20 C would be good.) storage area. Store it on a wood base, use the maintenance charger. Plug the exhaust loosely with a rag, keeps the rodents out. Ditto for the air intake to the engine and the heater/AC Make sure the cover is one that is compatible with the paint. The cheap ones are nylon, the rain/snow/melt will stick it to the paint quite nicely. I much prefer tenting it with a blue tarp. Put a 2x4 on the front and rear bumpers that supports another one about a foot over the top of the cab, drape the tarp over the top, anchor it down on each side with another couple of 2x4's. > I'm parking my '99 TJ Sport for the winter and would like some advice on > what to do beforehand. Where I live it gets to about -35C with about 3-4 [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Thanks! When storing snowmobiles for summer, we use a good fogging oil in the cylinders so they don't seize up. I think it might be a good idea to so this in your Jeep, at the very least so the cylinder walls aren't too dry on re-start after storage. I'd suggest if you are going to use jack stands, there's no need to remove the wheels. I'd just use the stands to keep the wheels off the ground, and covered with small tarps or even big trash bags. One less thing to do in the spring. Re: the antifreeze, if you change it don't forget the block drain, on the driver's side of the block, toward the rear half of the engine. You'll leave almost a gallon of old coolant in the engine otherwise. Good advice on plugging the intake and exhaust. I had a mouse build a nest in the transmission case of a Kawasaki Mule once, not pretty. Expect to have to clean out mouse nests from the nooks and crannies under the hood in the spring. A judicial application of mothballs may help. > For that kind of storage I'd suggest: > [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] >> >> Thanks! Thanks for the tips guys! Been a cold fall and I expect an early snowfall so I'm going to get started on this asap. Any other opinions on tires on VS tires off? >Thanks for the tips guys! Been a cold fall and I expect an early snowfall so >I'm going to get started on this asap. Any other opinions on tires on VS >tires off? I kinda think you are making a bigger issue out of this than need be. ^ months is not that long and during the winter when it is cold, very little if any aging will take place even in tires. I would put fresh oil in it and a full tank of fuel and try to get it out of weather if you can. Gas will not really age much in 6 month of cold so I would not be too worried about fuel stabilzer. (use it if it makes you feel good) I have stored many vehicles for winter over the years and basically just parked them with fresh oil and full tanks and in winter I throw on battery charger on them a time or two to make sure battery is topped off. (one concern is if battery discharges is can freeze and split in extreme cold) I never had any problems and I have been doing this for many years. If you were going to let it sit for a few years through several climate changes I would take a lot more steps but 6 months in a deep freeze you can basically just park it with fresh full fluids. Do more if it makes you feel better but it is kinda wasted effort. ----------------- TheSnoMan.com I'll further that concern with mice. After many attempts at cleaning out an engine compartment nest in my GCL, now going to the dealership for disassembly of a portion of the compartment to finish removing and disinfecting the nest, (likely) extending it further back through interior ducts into the air circulation system. All in all, they estimate $600 - $800 (about 6 - 8 hours) for the job. Jesus! For the coming winter, I've taken local advice ranging from placement of Irish spring bar soap to "Bounce" laundry sheets at discrete locations within the vehicle. That and I won't keep the garage off limits for my cats during the winter (despite chilling temps leading into the house). >Good advice on plugging the intake and exhaust. I had a mouse build a nest >in the transmission case of a Kawasaki Mule once, not pretty. Expect to have [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] >>> >>> Thanks! -- Monroe Good advice. We have a vole problem where I live because of people putting bird-seed outside during the winter. And squirrels ...millions and millions of squirrels that like to store their food in odd places. Definitely going to seal up the Jeep. What about protecting my seats? I've got the neoprene covers on now but they could chew right through those if they wanted the material. When I took the rear seat out of my YJ years ago and left it outside for a few weeks, they got at it and took out the stuffing. I'm worried about that inside the Jeep. Field mice in Michigan love those dryer sheets, they make great nest insulation. BTDT. :-( > I'll further that concern with mice. After many attempts at cleaning > out an engine compartment nest in my GCL, now going to the dealership [quoted text clipped - 92 lines] > > Monroe |
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