Disconnect battery after last ride put in mothballs close up Windows turn out the lights . Reconnect bath and remove mothballs for first ride. Never had a problem. Running it in garage not driving Not enough to boil off moisture and does more harm than good. Pretty similar story with boat.
I checked my responses. I can’t find where I said he will ruin his engine. I just said it’s not good to start and idle a cold engine .
You will only do harm in starting it. Disconnect battery, store and tend it properly, and reconnect in the spring. Years ago, before we had really good oils, the acidic nature of used oil used to eat away at the thin metals inside of the engine - windage tray, oil dipstick, etc, and it was advisable to change your oil before storage.
Well, I am glad I asked. I know that both the exhaust and the oil can hold moisture especially if not brought up to full operating temps under highway driving conditions. I do not disconnect my battery, if the digital radio pulls it down, it gets put on the charger for an hour before I start it in the spring. I have a float charger somewhere, but unlike many of you, my garage looks like a house on Hoarders and will continue to do so until all the parts are put back on the Corvette. The float charger is floating in the confusion... If I look this way, it floats that way.
And I do not rev my engine to 4500 rpm cold. As a matter of fact, it sadly rarely sees 4500 rpm, hot or cold.
The battery for my GS is on my bench with battery tender attached. If the roads, in winter, are salt free & clear and weather good, I reinstall the battery & take the car for a 30 minute run..
Yes I have seen guys ruin engine doing this. I did not say he WILL ruin his engine. Much evedence supports what I state. It causes more wear plain and simple bottom line I say periodic winter starts without driving car is not good and you say it is good. Not really worth a pissing contest. It’s your money cars and money.
In the fall, I always drive my cars to fill them with fresh fuel. Upon return, I change oil and filter, then top all fluids. I clean them inside and out, then park them for the winter. I disconnect the batteries and never start them until I am ready to drive them. I never use moth balls inside the car. The smell never goes away. I used dollar store scented desiccants, usually lavender throughout to cars. I drop the visors down and leave the glove box, the hood and trunk lid open. I seldom cover them. Mice like the dark places to hide. On the cars with any 'cam' in them, I rotate the engine with a socket and ratchet every so often. I change oil and fill the lawn equipment as well. I do check them all winter, and put a trickle charger on the batteries.
It's not a pissing contest. It's not my contention that the cars need started every 17 days and 21 hours. You guys are painting a picture of doom and gloom if it's started unnecessarily. Ruined engines and rotted exhaust in 6 months? I once heard of a guy who walked into a bar and 3 blonde triplets sat next to him and he had the time of his life that night..... I don't go out of my way to start any of the junks but i do when i have to. Ive been in the game long enough to say with confidence that no one has wasted a motor by starting it once a month in the winter for 1 year, 10 years or more.
My cars sit for 6-8 months, depending on how long and lousy the winters are. If they get started and run up, it's only on days when it goes above freezing and the harm done by idling off and engine will be minimal because at freezing or warmer, the engine will get close to full operating temperature. At -40, no, it never will. I've never rotted out an exhaust. Kick it into reverse and load it up with the brakes on, all the water gets blown out. Don't do it too long, you could do damage to the tranny. I've never wrecked an engine. The oil doesn't last and gets dumped in spring before the driving season starts. I've never had to reseal an engine. I have seen it where seals dry up and crack, mostly on SBC. With cord seal engines, you want to run them up once or twice during the winter to ensure that the packing stays wet. So in the end, it comes down to personal preference. The better argument is whether or not to idle a car off until it hits operating temperature before driving it, or to do what the SAE recommends and slowly drive off after the engine starts to run "round". We're talking about temperatures at around 0 F or colder. I've always idled mine off until they get into the bottom of the operating range, and then driven off. The reasoning is this; yes, it doesn't get fully "hot" because it isn't working. But the oil is now in the operating range, and not like the butter it is at 0 F or colder. And for Transmissions this can be crucial; that oil freezes and gels at -10 F in small passageways, so you can imagine what it's like in the valve body. Since I've done this, I've never had a car freeze up and die, and I've never had to reseal transmissions. My dad followed SAE rules (he's a mechanical engineer, and therefore knows things better than everyone) and he was always on the back of a tow truck or in a transmission shop. Just my personal observations, don't shoot the messenger!
In recent years I've always been tweaking/changing things on the car during winter term that necessitated starting it to check function. But that's a different reason than being discussed here. This year I'm not messing with anything, so the cars get filled with fresh gas and some stabil, one goes up on the lift, the other goes underneath it, the batteries are disconnected and hooked to tenders, and that's all she wrote till it's time to get them out again.
Starting an engine that isn't going to be driven and letting it reach operating temps is fine, won't hurt a thing, otherwise let it sit! Bob H.
Most times I just let them sit. IF for some reason I need to start them I bring the idle speed up to about 1200RPM's & let it run for at least a half hour. Should be enough to bring things up to temp.
