Tech Talk - Ask Jason!
Green Mountain PCA Member Jason Eastman, mechanic and owner of Bullfrog Auto in Milton, Vermont, has graciously agreed to answer members’ questions about their Porsches in a club feature we call “Ask Jason,” appearing here in the Mountaineer and in the Tech Talk section of our
website
.
We asked Jason, How do you store a Porsche for the winter? He responded with the following info sheet he hands out to his customers when asked:
JASON EASTMAN'S WINTER STORAGE TIPS
There are many thoughts and opinions of how a car should be stored over a winter season. The following items are the how I prepare customers' cars for storage.
·
Wash and wax the car just before storage.
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Cover the car with a quality car cover. Inspect it to make sure it is free of dirt and debris.
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Change the engine oil before storage. Preferably the car will be driven fewer than 100 miles from the time of the oil change to the time of storage.
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Inflate the tires to the maximum rated pressure (PSI) indicated on the sidewall of the tires.
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Add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank. Follow the instructions on the product label.
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Fill the fuel tank with fresh premium fuel.
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Clean out any trash from the interior and trunk areas, especially any food or food wrappers.
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Attach a
HIGH QUALITY battery maintainer. If you using a cheap maintainer on a modern car with computers then the negative battery lead should be disconnected. Cheap battery maintainers often allow too much A/C voltage through the maintainer and into the car. This can damage sensitive electronics. Remove the battery if there is a chance it could freeze (storage not heated).
·
Once parked in storage, don't start the engine until it's time to remove the car from storage. Running the engine without driving causes more harm than good. It's best to let it sit untouched. If the car should be parked/stored for an extended amount of time, then further measures to protect the engine should be taken. Ask me for more details about this in the event of a planned extended storage.
·
Rodents are always a concern and while there are no guarantees of how to kee
p them out, the following seems to be effective. They like to nest in the car where it's comfortable and warm. There are 101 different opinions on how to keep them out of the car. To date I've found that dryer sheets seem to work best. Bounce dryer sheets specifically seem to work better than most. The stronger and longer lasting the scent the better. Moth balls will also work but they leave a lasting scent in the car that is unpleasant and hard to air out.
DO NOT PLACE DRYER SHEETS ON LEATHER OR VINYL!
Once it's time to start driving the car again, the following items need to be addressed.
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Carefully remove the car cover and place in a garbage bag for next year's storage.
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Lower the tire pressures to the pressure specified on the specifications label found on the car. These labels are located in different places on different models.
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Connect the battery terminal if removed.
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Remove any dryer sheets from the air filter housing if there were any placed there.
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Test the brake pedal and ensure it still feels firm and normal.
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Start the engine and idle it outside of the garage so as not be overwhelmed by exhaust fumes. Once outside allow the engine to idle for a couple of minutes.
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While the engine is idling, remove the dryer sheets from the car.
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Check the vehicle registration stickers and the vehicle inspection sticker to make sure they are up to date.
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Drive the car and allow the engine to reach full operating temperature.
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During the next few trips with car, run the fuel tank low so as it can be topped off with fresh fuel.
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Most importantly,
DRIVE THE CAR AND ENJOY IT!
After all what good is a summer car if it just sits in the garage unused?
Jason Eastman
Any member with a question should email Communications Chair
Sandy Gilmou
r or
Webmeister Alessandro Iuppa
who will forward to Jason after which we will publish the answer(s). Likewise, if you would like to submit a an article on a technical subject regarding Porsches, email to Sandy and/or Al. It's a great opportunity to get some great advice.
