HELP - Friggin weather caught me before my storage was completed - questions

[Kmrumedy]

Ugh! Unpredictable Canadian winters.

Note - I rent a secured storage facility 30 miles from my home to store my car. I do not own my own garage.

Ok...Was storing my car 2 weeks ago (1997 GTS) just finished changing the oil when I suddenly remembered that I bought this car in Oregon this year. The coolant inside was not appropriate for the Montreal climate. So I took an extra day to flush the system and replaced it. I did not have time to complete the following: (everything else is done).

1. Wash/wax the car
2. Fill up tank with Gas (Put in Stabil - I know I know....I'm doing it anyway)
3. Over inflate the tires
4. Bring car up to running temp..shut off and store ( I have my list of what to do next once the above items are completed).

No problem..it was supposed to be sunny for the next 5 days....told myself I'll do the final items tomorrow. Since that day it has snowed and ice pelts almost everyday. The salt trucks came out and CREAMED the streets with salt. And in Montreal when we put salt.......we really put it! Worse roads in North America are in Montreal!

So.....I'm stuck. The car cannot go on the road. I can't drive the car to a gas station to fill it up or inflate the tires. Temperature is in -10 Celius (in the low 20's or high teens for you guys) and I can't wash the car inside the storage facility (no drain) and I don't want moisture. So here is what I plan to do and I have questions.

1. Wash/Wax - back up car outside just outside of garage door (slight snow on ground but no salt) and wash and hand dry. Push back in and dry completely with portable air blower. Goal - get all water off car and minimize any moisture inside the storage facility
Q's - any issues washing car in sub freezing temps? Will I be able to get in completely dry with a leaf blower?

2. Fill up tank - Borrowed a portable gas tank to go to gas station to pick up gas. I think I need about 1/4 tank. Put in stabil, pour in gas in tank. Concern - overflowing tank
Q's - Gauges aren't too accurate on these cars. When filling car manually how do I ensure I don't overflow and spill gas? Any issues putting gas in this way? What do I do with all the leftover gas? (Never had to do this before).

3. Over inflate - have a manual pump to do this. Going 10 lbs over. Any comments?

4. Getting fuel through system and running temp - back car's exhaust just outside garage (not on snow) so no fumes come back in and let car idle 15 - 20 minutes. Rev car a few times. Drive back in turn off and complete the last storage steps.
Q's - how long should I idle? Will car get hot enough? Will this get feul/stabil through the system. Any issues letting car idle this long?

Any help is welcome. I'm a little fragile at the moment so no comments from the southern boys asking "What is Winter?"

Thanks in advance.

 

[JonB]

I have owned a bunch of Vipers in WA-OR area. They come from the factory with a factory-fill of coolant+water mix, good to minus 30 f.

We ALWAYS use COOLANT even in AZ-CA not becasue we fear freezing!

Your car is almost certainly OK, but a simple $5 tester can tell......without starting the stored car. If you already changed it, no harm done.

All your questions were answered in 3-5 searchable threads on this same subject. 20f is no biggie...but have a SILICONE DAMPENED RAG to wipe down the rubber door-windo-trunk-hatch seals before and after the sub-sero wash. This keeps the doors from freezing shut.

You can spray WD-40 in rear keyhole (year matters) before and after to chase (Destroy) water.

You will be able to HEAR the fuel neck begin to fill if you use a long-skinny ATF funnel. Dont worry about filling the neck. When you hear the fuel rise, STOP.

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[Kmrumedy]

I have owned a bunch of Vipers in WA-OR area. They come from the factory with a factory-fill of coolant+water mix, good to minus 30 f.

We ALWAYS use COOLANT even in AZ-CA not becasue we fear freezing!

Your car is almost certainly OK, but a simple $5 tester can tell......without starting the stored car

Thanks Jon. It was the OR dealer that suggested it. I wasn't sure so better safe than sorry. I did a complete radiator flush 2 weeks ago....thus.....my current predicament.

Oh...the RandemTech exhaust I got from you..... much better than the Corsa or Borla I was going to buy. Thank you!

 

[RTTTTed]

Sounds like you're ready to call a flatdeck towtruck to haul your car to storage.

Ted

 

[agentf1]

You can wash it without water or very little water using Protect All QEW. I can wash my car with less than 1/2 gallon of water. You will need a Sheep skin wash mitt and some soft microfibers for drying. Let me know if you want more specific directions.

I use this method all the time in the winter when it is too cold to wash outside.

 

[IEATVETS]

I have mine stored where it is a constant 68 degrees but was told to pull the computer fuse, it is the one labeled i/o or something like that. Guess there is a constant draw and pulling this fuse helps alleviate that.

 

[All Blue ACR]

John, I think your plan is good. If it makes you feel better, I just had to drive mine a few more times and I'm in the same boat except for the move to another garage; my spot is just across the yard but there is 4 inches of snow now!!!! From last night. All was dry yesterday when I went to bed. Live and learn.
1) Listen to Agent, skip the water, or most of it unless it is filthy. Its going to be dusty in 5 months anyway.I am just going to ensure mine is dust free, hit it with some final inspection (Mequiars) before I spread the cover on it and I put a soft sheet on the roof and hood between the cover and the car. 2)Not sure what the tanks are made of in these cars but fill the tank somehow.3)Run to Canadian Tire and buy a $40.00 compressor that plugs into your lighter; pump em to 45 lbs. Screw the manual labor! 4) I'm a newbie too so I'm winging it but at the rate these cars go through fuel, I'm assuming the 15-20 mins is lots to pull the stabil through the system. I'm not parking mine until the exhaust is HOT and engine is right up to temp. Rev her up and see if the the water is done spewing out the pipes.
Done this with the road runner for 9 years. It is more fragile than the Viper and never had an issue.
I also leave the door windows cracked just a hair. Thought is to keep in car and out car same relative temperature as it fluctuates in storage.
Sorry man, you must find someone with an enclosed trailer or leave her in the house garage until a dry day and send her on a flatbed tow truck. That salt, even dry dust flicking up is nasty crap.
Jim
I know you know the rest... mouse traps,etc.etc

 

[Madduc]

If the car isn't real dirty why not use some quick detailer spray? I use Griots SpeedShine between washings. Also if mice may be a problem a couple of sticky traps by the tires. Also if your exhaust system has no cats, plug the tips to keep mice from entering the engine by way of a nice tunnel! Had a friend bend a rod when he tried to start his car after a winter storage. The mice made it thru the exhaust, past the exhaust valve and made a nest in the cylinder.

 

[All Blue ACR]

Put tin foil over the exhaust outlets like you would around a baked potato or steel wool in them NOT rags (nice nest material)Either will blow off or out even if you forget.

 

[viperdude118]

If it were me, I'd wait on the wash thing until the temp is above 0 C or 32 F for us here in the states, otherwise the water will freeze into small ice chips before you can dry everything really well. It might be a pain....I've washed cars when it was 40 F and thought it was a pain as my hands were numb.

 

[georgethedog]

You can wash it without water or very little water using Protect All QEW. I can wash my car with less than 1/2 gallon of water. You will need a Sheep skin wash mitt and some soft microfibers for drying. Let me know if you want more specific directions.

I use this method all the time in the winter when it is too cold to wash outside.

Can you post your method? Thanks.

 

[dave6666]

Man, if I has to do all of that I would just quit driving and get a home desk job with a grocery store within walking distance.

Sunny and sixty in Texas...

By the way, Mr. Parts Rack Jon, I'm alerting PETA to your excessive usage of mouse traps...

 

[thebigsnake]

I hate to break this to you, but you don't have to do anything if you're just storing it over the winter in a heated garage.
You may need to charge the battery when it's time to roll out in Spring time though.

How come we never hooked up like we said this summer anyway? Did you drive your car much?

 

[RTTTTed]

I have mine stored where it is a constant 68 degrees but was told to pull the computer fuse, it is the one labeled i/o or something like that. Guess there is a constant draw and pulling this fuse helps alleviate that.

I believe that would shut off the active alarm system.

Ted

 

[Denny Wagner]

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