Storage questions - battery tender, alarms, heating

[Kmrumedy]

Ok. I am almost done storing the car. I have read every thread I could find on storing these cars. Information was amazing. I've done everything you guys suggested. Thank you.

Just want to clarify a couple of last points where I found opposing views.

Firstly, I rent a single 12 x 20 garage in a unheated storage facility about 30 miles from where I live. I don't have the luxury of going in the garage next to my home so security for me is also an issue. I live in Montreal where the temperature can drop around - 20 F. I have completely covered the garage floors with wood (4ftx8ft's) and also covered the floor with a plastic tarp just to be extra safe with moisture.

Questions:

1. Battery Tender Plus - Just bought one for the winter storage. I have a lojack system on the car as well as the regular alarm system. I want to keep both systems active during storage. Will the battery tender be ok to keep battery charged enough to run these systems or will my battery die?

2. Heating - garage is currently unheated. It seems pretty humid right now in garage and temp today is about 25F. It is going to get much colder. Should I leave the garage unheated or buy one of those professional heaters that you can set a temperature and it turns on and shuts itself off? I am concerend about electricity costs and running a heater in a location where I am not present. What would be the best solution?

3. Working on car - If I leave the garage unheated and use a heater when I want to work on the car are there any issues with heating and then cooling off the garage?

This is my first season storing the car.....be gentle with me.....I am a very protective father!!!! I am already experiencing severe withdrawl!

 

[Mccarlin]

Just to clarify some of the above what is recommended for the floor of an unheated garage? Just put the wheels on tarps for moisture?

 

[carguy07]

1. Yes, you are fine.

2. I would try to squeeze it in a bubble. CarCapsule the Ultimate Car Cover

 

[carguy07]

Just to clarify some of the above what is recommended for the floor of an unheated garage? Just put the wheels on tarps for moisture?

Cover the whole floor.

 

[Kmrumedy]

Just to clarify some of the above what is recommended for the floor of an unheated garage? Just put the wheels on tarps for moisture?

Some people also recommended putting wheels on some old cut up carpeting. So I did put some carpeting on the on top of the wood and tarp.. My vipertech also recommeded the same, he said that is what the dealerships do in there show rooms for their Vipers

 

[All Blue ACR]

John, make sure you staple the plastic to the wood so it is tight.It will be drawn to the heat of the underside of your car when you drive it in or out. Learned the hard way with plastic melted to my exhaust on the road runner and the Vipers are way lower, Also, if the fan kicks in you could potentially **** it up toward the car

 

[Edward 96GTS]

can you get a heavy duty dehumidifier? it will help keep moister down AND provide some heat that it will generate.

 

[Kmrumedy]

John, make sure you staple the plastic to the wood so it is tight.It will be drawn to the heat of the underside of your car when you drive it in or out. Learned the hard way with plastic melted to my exhaust on the road runner and the Vipers are way lower, Also, if the fan kicks in you could potentially **** it up toward the car

Crap Jim!! Just when I started to relax a little.....

I have it as close to the wood as I can. I will be watching it as it cools down as I have to put on a coat of wax this evening before I put the cover on her.

Thanks for the heads up.

John

 

[dave6666]

MINUS 20 DEGREES?

What is THAT???

 

[pocketAA]

Last winter I had my 99 RT/10 hooked up to a schmacher battery tender (you can get them at AutoZone) and I alarmed my car the whole winter. The battery was dead when I took it out (about 4 months). Now I do not know how old the battery was to begin with, but it definitely was drained. I am not going to alarm my car this winter, then again, it is in a garage at my house and not stored else where like yours. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

 

[puma]

don't heat the garage unless you want to run the chance to set the garage on fire.

the battery tender will do the job for the alarm system.

i doubt you'll be able to work on the car in a 12' garage.

 

[Kmrumedy]

Thanks everyone.

I won't heat the garage. Winter projects will have to wait until I can take the car out in Spring. Buying a new home this winter with priority on a nice and roomy garage!!

 

[All Blue ACR]

What ever size you have in mind for the new shack, add another bay.... trust me

 

[Kmrumedy]

What ever size you have in mind for the new shack, add another bay.... trust me

Ok....I don't want to know you anymore!!

 

[past ohio]

Years ago I did something similar to secure my car, IF you don't "bubble it" then make sure it is covered well, put some rags up in the exhaust (keep out any varmints) put in a couple of mouse traps with peanut butter on the floor to catch them and make sure all seals around the garage doors are good and tight and I also put in three containers of "damp-rid" which is calcium chloride to absorb a lot of the moisture in the garage air...keep in mind that the minute you open the door, the humidity goes catty-wonker...OH another thing, make sure your auto insurance covers this set up, a lot of policies only cover your own garage and at a remote site, anyone could break in and cause damage !!! If at a commercial storage space I would keep opening the door to a very minimum, because if other tenants see the valuable car being stored, things can happen and disappear...also buy only very good locks that a bolt cutter may not cut....just my $.02

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

- Start it at least once every two weeks, let it run for at least 5 mins and roll it back and forth at least 10 feet.

- Over inflate the tires a little ( 8 psi, remember to bring them back down in the Spring).

- If you can find a real heated spot....do it now, pay the price.

 

[JonB]

The comment about the "other brand" of battery charger is important. Schumachers just are NOT as dependable as Deltran Battery Tender Plus. However: If you have an old battery, and charging the Lojack and Alarm and OE alarm, even the BT+ might not be enuf for an old, past-its-peak battery at minus-20f

Heating: Spend $50 on one of those oil-filled radiator-looking heaters. 2-3 levels of wattage; Dial T-stat; Digital T-stat is double the price. I have used these for YEARS in garages and storage facilities to "take the moisture and chill out" safely. SAFE ! You could even stack paper on em. I used them when I live in Alaska as well as here in the WA Cascades. Love em.

Im not a fan of starting the car for 5 minutes. Up to FULL OPERATING TEMP for 5 MINUTES MAYBE....but this just adds impurities to the clean storage oil. Rolling the car 6-10 feet lubes the trans+ rear gears, can be done MOTOR OFF!

IGNORE MICE AT YOUR PERIL. TRAPS, not poison. Poison = dead rotting mice 'somewhere inaccessible' inside your Viper. Put Traps underhood, and atop tires, and in the trunk areas as well as cockpit. 7-8 traps, or regret it later. I like the "Better Mousetrap" by Intruder. Photo to CHAD, as usual, thanks..... Hands-Free, E-Z set, E-Z empty.

 

[HISSNAKE]

Anyone have any experience with the CTEK brand charger/tender?

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

IGNORE MICE AT YOUR PERIL. TRAPS, not poison. Poison = dead rotting mice 'somewhere inaccessible' inside your Viper. Put Traps underhood, and atop tires, and in the trunk areas as well as cockpit. 7-8 traps, or regret it later. I like the "Better Mousetrap" by Intruder. Hands-Free, E-Z set, E-Z empty.

Here's a pic Jon B sent and asked me to post. RIP Mickey

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Folks, the colder the air, the drier it gets. That is exactly how your defroster works - the air runs through the airconditioner evaporator to chill it, dropping out the water, then reheats it to warm the glass. By heating garage air you allow the air moisture content to increase. Don't be fooled by the confusion of "relative humidity", it's the moisture content. 50% humidity at -20F is still real dry air.

Similarly, don't start the engine if you're only going to run it for 5 minutes. All you will be doing is getting condensed water vapor to accumulate in the oil. In 5 minutes at idle you won't even get the thermostat to open. With my oil temp gauge, it takes 20-30 minutes of driving before the needle gets anywhere close to hot enough to boil off any water.

 

[Jerome Sparich]

Do not use rags in the exhaust, it will just be some more material for the mice and or rats to make nests out of.

Use steel wool, they don't like to chew on that. I wonder why.

Some people say that fabric softener sheets (Bounce) keep mice away. Bull

Make sure to also fill the fuel tank up all the way before storage. I use Stabil in everything. Some people say not needed, I say what is a few $s just to be sure.

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

"at least 5 min", I let mine run for a good 15-30 min and I used to do it once a week. Now it sits in a heated garage...well worth it.

Pushing a freezing cold Viper back and forth risks doing a heck of alot more damage than starting it up, allowing the engine to warm up and allowing all the fluids to come to operating temp and circulate. -20 below body panels don't like to be shoved around to free up frozen wheel bearings.

If you really love this car...find a heated garage.

 

[Asp Man]

Thanks everyone.

I won't heat the garage. Winter projects will have to wait until I can take the car out in Spring. Buying a new home this winter with priority on a nice and roomy garage!!

I just assumed that it was your garage pictured in your avavtar!

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

What is the benefit of idling for 15-30 minutes? People post about the water spitting from the exhaust - the same is going on inside the engine via blowby and the PCV system. One of the reasons you change the oil is to get rid of that nasty polluted water that accumulates. And since I measured 20-30 minutes of drive time to see the oil temp rise, you won't ever get oil temp over 212F with 30 minutes just idling.

As a lubricant formulator, I'll pass on that the fluids are not unhappy being left alone at cold temperatures. Waiting until spring is not automatically bad. If you're not going to drive the car, then don't start it, either.

 

[ViperTony]

What is the benefit of idling for 15-30 minutes? People post about the water spitting from the exhaust - the same is going on inside the engine via blowby and the PCV system. One of the reasons you change the oil is to get rid of that nasty polluted water that accumulates. And since I measured 20-30 minutes of drive time to see the oil temp rise, you won't ever get oil temp over 212F with 30 minutes just idling.

As a lubricant formulator, I'll pass on that the fluids are not unhappy being left alone at cold temperatures. Waiting until spring is not automatically bad. If you're not going to drive the car, then don't start it, either.

How do you actually measure the oil temp? I assume you installed an oil temp guage somewhere? Where's a good spot for it?