Winter Storage-late model cars

Planning to store our Lincoldn 2002 LS and 2004 350Z for five month storage. I have decided to topp up tanks and add stabilizer, pumped up tires 5 lbs psi all around, and considering disconnecting batteries. Also wonder if changing oil is needed even though both cars have at least 1.5 k before schedule change and both cars have regular oil changes at 3k. Is oil change and battery disconnect needed?

For a 5 month storage, it does no harm to have a fresh oil change in both cars. Batteries should be stored indoors and preferably on a battery minder; that way they will stay charged and not freeze up. If the cars are stored indoors, I would open one window just a crack to let the air circulate.

I would plug up the exhaust and engige air intake to keep out rodents, etc.

Hope you have a pleasant trip.

Remove the battery and store it in a dry/warm area. If you don’t it’ll be dead after five months. And it’s a good idea to charge the battery on occation or use a battery maintainer/trickle charger.

Change the oil and filter before storing. Oil with mileage on it can contain acids that can attack precision surfaces.

Plug the intake/exhaust systems with stainless steel wool/pot scrubbers. This allows air into the exhaust system/engine to remove moisture to pevent corrosion. And critters can’t chew this stuff because it cuts their lips and gums all to hell.

Tester

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Remove the battery and store it in a dry/warm area. If you don’t it’ll be dead after five months. And it’s a good idea to charge the battery on occation or use a battery maintainer/trickle charger.

I would add that a car in a garage without a battery is a lot harder to steal than one with a battery. Store the battery away from the cars.

There really is not much to storing a car for that long.

Don’t forget you may be able to cancel all by comprehensive insurance while in storage since they will not be driven and subject to traffic accidents. Check with your agent.

In addition to topping off the tank and adding fuel stabilizer, make sure you run the engine a little afterwards to cuirculate the fuel stabilizer throughout the fuel system.

Since your oil change interval is so short, I would change the oil before I put it in storage and change it again 3,000 miles later.

Oh man, 2008? I hope the 5 month storage went well 7 years ago. But winter is coming again and people may be heading to warmer climes so maybe they’ll want to wade through 8 years of comments.