Noob Questions for Storage

[Pachanga718]

For those who are more knowledgeable than me, a few questions on my first storage of my first P car. I have searched the forums and not been able to find some clear answers. Some P car dealerships have helpful checklist, but not specifics.
https://www.porschenashua.com/porsche-w ... cklist.htm

I have stored numerous boats indoors and outdoors for the winter, as well as a few cars and motorcycles.

Aside from cleaning, etc., and all of the other items, for my garage stored 718 Base, I have two outlying questions. Any input would be great!

1) Fuel stabilizer: - Do you use? What brand?
I have read that STA-BIL and SEAFOAM work. I successfully used STA-BIL on all of my boats/cars and that was in western NY. I live in
CO.

2) Battery maintainer: Using a CTEK MXS 5.0 with cigarette lighter plug in passenger footwell. Arriving next week.
Is there a sequence to using? Ignition is on, CTECK is plugged into car, then plugged into wall outlet, turn car off.

Thanks for entertaining the noob oriented questions!

[WillyDaP]

I have used Sta-bil for years in past race cars, my Viper and will use in my Cayman. I do have a Porsche battery tender and it will be hooked up over the Winter months. I can't say anything about the CTEK for your 718 but I have to imagine it should work okay , though I have one of their other models that attaches to battery terminals on the Viper. My experience working in the Automotive Industry for over 30 years were the tenders that were hooked up to battery terminals or remote terminal vehicle systems worked better than the 12V plug ins. That said I know a few folks who like them and I am sure someone else will voice their thoughts on what they use.

[RDMcG]

I use StaBil on three GT3s,a Mercedes and a a Jeep. Ctek on all cars. Apart from the Jeep I use the lighter plug. The Jeep is better on the terminals.
I add a few PSI to the tires and where I use summer storage in Arizona I use tire cradles to prevent flatspots -not necessary except in extreme heat.

[blueline]

I've used StaBil for many years for stored fuel and continue doing same. I am driving all the vehicles often enough and year-round so no need for fuel stabilzer in the current vehicles, although if it was necessary I'd have no issues using Stabil. I used it off-season for the no longer owned C6 racecar.

Ctek is excellent - they actually make the Porsche branded version too. The difference is that the Porsche one is supposedly for both Lithium and regular batteries, and I'm not so sure that works well - lots of issues with them over the years. I have a dedicated lithium Ctek for the Turbo S. I use Granite Digital maintainers for regular batteries and love them. Have used them for many years - I own several Granite Digital (non-lithuium) devices. One is always on a car that's going to sit for more than a few days.

Also, I too use the accessory plugs for the Porsches and have never had any issues doing so. No special sequence to use then either.

[jack911s]

Comment valid for a 1976 911S 3.0L PMO Carbs, in a moderately heated garage (50F) (Canadian winter)

Fuel: premium 1/4 to 1/2 tank, topped with fresh fuel before starting engine in spring.
Tires: pumped up to 40-45 PSI
Battery: Unplug terminals and give a good charge once or twice during storage.
The car always started on first/second attempt. (and has done so for the last 40 years !)

[slilley]

One other bit of advice for winter storage: go to Lowes or Home Depoit and buy the 2'x2' padded gym squares found in their flooring or carpeting section (sold in packs of 6 or 8 I believe). Put one under each wheel/tire, and they are just as good as the Flatstoppers than you can spend a couple hundred bucks on. I've been using the same 4 squares through probably 5 winters now, so they don't seem to break down even when a car is sitting on them all winter. No flat spots at the start of the next driving season!

[dr bob]

My now winter-stored cars get StaBil in the fresh fuel with tanks full, and I keep CTEK maintainers attached. Very similar to what @RDMcG describes. I fill the tanks to avoid possible corrosion issues on the tank on metal bits like the level sender. There are varying schools of thought on how important that is.

I use the CTEK US7002 maintainers mostly out of habit. The lower-rated versions are plenty for maintaining over a winter. I had a particular owner-caused episode ten-plus years ago that triggered the US7002 decision, and I've just been getting more and more cars are added to the stored-and-maintained fleet.

The 928 gets stored on tall safety stands, higher than an average mouse is willing to jump. It ends up with the lift pads a little over 2ft off the floor for the winter. There are enough horror stories about rodent damage that it just seems like a good idea. I keep a couple bucket-traps in the area, and regular spring traps along pathways that might look attractive to a mouse. So far only a few mice in a decade. Doesn't mean there aren't any, just means that's all I've caught so far.

If I didn't have a relatively easy way to get the car up on the tall stands, I'd still unload the tires and suspension some while it sits. I've given casual thought to adding a 12'x24' thick poly sheet secured on top of the stands and taped up the sides and ends of the cars, another mouse barrier. There's potential for fluid and fumes settling in the 'tray' that would create, but for sure it would keep mice from finding a way in. Home Depot sells the plastic sheets in 6mm flavor for a lot less than fixing just the one wire that the mouse family would munch on. So long as I can still safely get the car up high though, it will be enough I think.

FWIW, the car sits cleaned and covered in the garage between uses year round. For the extended winter storage here I add a few cheap Harbor Freight movers pads on top and down the exposed side over the car cover. If it was easier, I'd make a car-cover-cover out of those just because. Saves from most casual damage from people walking by there. K parks her 4Runner progressively closer as winter continues for some reason. The movers pads/blankets are really cheap especially on sale.

Otherwise --
-- Full oil change and related service prior to storage, limiting moisture in the oil. Or drive it to full operating temp before you park it for storage.
-- If a coolant service is due soon, I do that before the car goes to storage so less chance of internal corrosion.
-- Ditto a brake fluid service. No need to store the car with 'damp' fluid in there.
-- For the 928 anyway, there's an annual electrical service protocol that's best done prior to storage, Battery gets checked and terminals cleaned, cables and all ground connections get cleaned, etc.. Then plug in the maintainer and all is good.

Besides the basic restart reliability concerns, I have a small worry about how long the car will actually sit in storage. In my deep dark past I prep'd and stored a couple vintage race cars and scooters 'for a couple years' of post-grad, along with spares and support gear. That 'couple years' turned into decades with school, life, work and other projects in between. Fortunately all the pickling and preparing was sufficient, and everything looked new and perfect when the cars were uncrated for sale inspection at almost 60 years old. Ditto the scooter collection at the same time, less 20-some years of storage time. These days, my concern is more about how long the cars might sit between the time that K stages my suicide and when she finally gets around to distributing my toy assets.

Do spend an unreasonably extended bit to time and effort in cleaning inside the car before you close it up. Treat the leather with a great preservative/moisturizer before storage, and let it do its magic for you over the winter. Clean the rugs and other soft interior components carefully, dry thoroughly, etc. That box of takeout fried rice you lost under the passenger seat will haunt you bigtime by spring. Trust me on this one. My prep plan includes the goal of being able to pull the blankets and cover off in the spring. check the air in the dangling tires, map any dribbles on the garage floor underneath,... Then get it back on its wheels and it's ready to go with no more than maybe some casual dusting.

With care, you'll find the car in better condition than you remember storing it.

[Tom]

My now winter-stored cars get StaBil in the fresh fuel with tanks full, and I keep CTEK maintainers attached. Very similar to what @RDMcG describes. I fill the tanks to avoid possible corrosion issues on the tank on metal bits like the level sender. There are varying schools of thought on how important that is.

I use the CTEK US7002 maintainers mostly out of habit. The lower-rated versions are plenty for maintaining over a winter. I had a particular owner-caused episode ten-plus years ago that triggered the US7002 decision, and I've just been getting more and more cars are added to the stored-and-maintained fleet.

The 928 gets stored on tall safety stands, higher than an average mouse is willing to jump. It ends up with the lift pads a little over 2ft off the floor for the winter. There are enough horror stories about rodent damage that it just seems like a good idea. I keep a couple bucket-traps in the area, and regular spring traps along pathways that might look attractive to a mouse. So far only a few mice in a decade. Doesn't mean there aren't any, just means that's all I've caught so far.

If I didn't have a relatively easy way to get the car up on the tall stands, I'd still unload the tires and suspension some while it sits. I've given casual thought to adding a 12'x24' thick poly sheet secured on top of the stands and taped up the sides and ends of the cars, another mouse barrier. There's potential for fluid and fumes settling in the 'tray' that would create, but for sure it would keep mice from finding a way in. Home Depot sells the plastic sheets in 6mm flavor for a lot less than fixing just the one wire that the mouse family would munch on. So long as I can still safely get the car up high though, it will be enough I think.

FWIW, the car sits cleaned and covered in the garage between uses year round. For the extended winter storage here I add a few cheap Harbor Freight movers pads on top and down the exposed side over the car cover. If it was easier, I'd make a car-cover-cover out of those just because. Saves from most casual damage from people walking by there. K parks her 4Runner progressively closer as winter continues for some reason. The movers pads/blankets are really cheap especially on sale.

Otherwise --
-- Full oil change and related service prior to storage, limiting moisture in the oil. Or drive it to full operating temp before you park it for storage.
-- If a coolant service is due soon, I do that before the car goes to storage so less chance of internal corrosion.
-- Ditto a brake fluid service. No need to store the car with 'damp' fluid in there.
-- For the 928 anyway, there's an annual electrical service protocol that's best done prior to storage, Battery gets checked and terminals cleaned, cables and all ground connections get cleaned, etc.. Then plug in the maintainer and all is good.

Besides the basic restart reliability concerns, I have a small worry about how long the car will actually sit in storage. In my deep dark past I prep'd and stored a couple vintage race cars and scooters 'for a couple years' of post-grad, along with spares and support gear. That 'couple years' turned into decades with school, life, work and other projects in between. Fortunately all the pickling and preparing was sufficient, and everything looked new and perfect when the cars were uncrated for sale inspection at almost 60 years old. Ditto the scooter collection at the same time, less 20-some years of storage time. These days, my concern is more about how long the cars might sit between the time that K stages my suicide and when she finally gets around to distributing my toy assets.

Do spend an unreasonably extended bit to time and effort in cleaning inside the car before you close it up. Treat the leather with a great preservative/moisturizer before storage, and let it do its magic for you over the winter. Clean the rugs and other soft interior components carefully, dry thoroughly, etc. That box of takeout fried rice you lost under the passenger seat will haunt you bigtime by spring. Trust me on this one. My prep plan includes the goal of being able to pull the blankets and cover off in the spring. check the air in the dangling tires, map any dribbles on the garage floor underneath,... Then get it back on its wheels and it's ready to go with no more than maybe some casual dusting.

With care, you'll find the car in better condition than you remember storing it.

First, I want to come back as one of your cars. Should they all be so lucky! Second, I was going to make some wise crack about the height an average mouse is willingness to jump, and how one might know that, only to discover a disturbing number of YouTube videos dedicated to mouse jumping. Figure 13 to 16 inches for a stationary leap, and up to 24 inches with a running start, though it varies by breed.

[dr bob]

The risk with the way I have the car supported is from a super-athletic triple-jump gold-medalist mouse, able to connect sequential leaps starting from the floor to the inside of a front wheel, and on to the engine undertray and up into the engine bay wiring on top.

For good or bad from a mouse perspective, the garage workbay is kept at 55ºF or greater all year. My office is at the far end, and I don't want to have to parka and mukluk to wander in there in the winter. Plus K enjoys getting into her not-frozen car, and that alone is worth the heating effort. For mice, the car doesn't offer any extra refuge from cold. With food available via the spring and bucket traps, no need to eat wires to stay warm and not hungry. Goal really is to make the car the least attractive option.

Related to this, a neighbor just bought a new 4Runner, and pre-delivery had the dealer install extra metal screening at the cabin air inlets. He drives all year in it, and his last one had hosted several mouse families in the the HVAC air box in each of its years, according to physical and fragrance evidence. Apparently this is a common enough problem that the dealers here stock the screen kits.

I also see electronic mouse repelling devices advertised, with various levels of testimonial about their effectiveness. If I didn't have the elevated storage option available I would probably add a few of those as extra disincentive for mice in the car. I have no way to say definitively that they work. But maybe like deer whistles in the front bumper, they just might in spite of the scientific evidence. I do suspect those would break off when you actually hit a deer though. I inherited a dozen of the electronic mouse repellers when a neighbor passed, sitting safely in a box somewhere. There may be mice living in that box too.

[slilley]

Speaking of mice...here's my solution! I place rat glue traps around the perimeter of the inside of the garage. There are 5 of them total, placed in locations where they are under something so I don't accidentally step on them. I have a calendar reminder to check them every 2 weeks year-round.

As a second line of defense, I have a green Benefiber lid (any plastic lid will do) with ~4-5 mothballs next to each tire. Since the mothballs evaporate slowly, I add a new mothball every month or two to each lid. It's my hope that these act as deterrents, forcing any little critters away from the car and into the clutches of the glue traps.

When I first started my mothball defense, I filled each lid with a couple dozen mothballs. Turns out, that was FAR too many! After a day, you could smell the mothballs inside the entire house - and the garage totally stunk with the smell. My wife and kids were not happy. So I dialed it way back, because I don't want it smelling like mothballs inside the house.