I am thinking of storing the XK from mid December through early March in an unheated garage with a battery tender. I may only be able to visit the car once a month at best. I could use it through the winter and not bother storing it, or just store it...

I don't plan on diving if there is snow on the ground, but knowing there is salt on the roads and just general pounding of the New England winter, maybe storing it is better.

What are you tips and opinions on storing vs driving through the winter. I have access to a Subaru Forrester, so I would not be dependent on the Jag 100%, but it will be out in the elements all winter long unless I do storage.

 

My take on your situation is that 3 plus months is not such a long period. I recommend you put it on the "tender", fill the gas tank, get it up on blocks to prevent flat spotting the tires and nothing else.

Do be sure that the brake fluid has been changed at least once since 07 as cold weather and old brake fluid is bad news.

 

This subject gets discussed every year starting about now.

Here's my view on things

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...storage-44587/

 

I've been storing my P-Car's on a concrete floor, in a converted chicken coop. Full of gas(w/sta-bil fuel), covered. That's it. I change all the fluids in the spring when I get it out. Proper tire inflation. Never had an issue. I WOULDN'T do the blocks. Tires will be fine if inflated properly. You can put undue stress on the suspension if you jack the whole car up. I store my cars from Dec. 1st-April 1st in Maryland.

 

I was hoping not to have to do anything with the tires. I can drive them on to plywood and pump up to 40 lbs. I had planned to use "Stabil" in the fuel and fill the tank. There's a chance I could drive it once a month if the driveway is not snowed in.

 

There's no need to do anything with tires- including parking them on plywood. Use sta-bil if you want but modern day gasolines (including E10) are good for about a year if stored in a sealed container, like the gas tanks in our cars.

Connecting a battery tender is about all I do on any of the toys.

 

I was going to post this question again until I did a search and saw that I already posed this question.

How about taking the battery out or disconnecting from the car over the winter?

Last winter I did not store the car, I drove it through the winter. Every year I say I am going to store it and this year is no exception

 

At a minimum, it needs to have a battery tender attached to keep it fully charged at all times. Whether you wish to also detach and/or remove it is open to debate.

 

Do most battery tenders allow for the boot to be closed while attached in the XK? I don't want anything open or the weather stripping to be damaged.

 

Most tenders have a small diameter cable running from the unit to the battery connections. Why not go out to your garage and evaluate for yourself.

If in doubt, remove the battery for the storage period.

 

My winter garage is 80 miles away. Will check on my next visit.

 

Mosesbotbol,

My trunk lid closes fully over the charger quick connect leads and does not affect the weather stripping at all. It leaves no marks or dents on the weatherstrip. I've used my charger every day for over a year with no problems whatsoever.


Below shows the quick connect cables connected inside the trunk. The pigtail from the lead inside the trunk runs under the removable luggage panel floor to the remote battery terminals. I leave that short pigtail loose in the trunk when not connected to the charger.


For details, see: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...lay-ups-73471/ The definitive thread; over 4,000 views.

Stuart

P.S. There are several good brands of chargers on the market, but in my opinion Battery Tender is not one of them. My experience with them was the worst. Here's my review on Amazon: Amazon.com: Stuart S.'s review of Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Jun... Be sure to read what others think, too. Sure, it's only $23 but you get what you pay for - a fire hazard. Save your $$ and buy a better product such as BatteryMINDER or CTEK. Avoid Battery Tender brand. Just my

 

Get rid of the Battery Tender. I agree with above poster Stuart S. This brand has a reputation of overheating and in some cases melting the unit itself. I would suggest the CTEK 3300 Multi charger and I am sure you would have no problems. Reviews are outstanding and cost is low under $62.00. Available at Amazon.com

I use a CTEK 3300 on my Jaguar XKR and have another for my 2014 Porsche Cayman. As you can see from the photos I also bought an 10' CTEK extension that is hooked directly to the battery and the other end into the charger. When I am ready to drive the car, I simply make the quick disconnect, throw the cord into the trunk and off I go. It is so easy.

I keep the CTEK plugged in all the time, and only disconnect when driving the XKR. It works perfectly. No need to lift car on jacks. Sta-bil makes some sense. Otherwise there is probably nothing else to do. 3 Months is a short period of time. There is probably a good likelihood that you will check on the car within the 3 month period.

Additional Note: Buy a low priced car cover on eBay for about $50.00 and buy a few rat traps (just in case).

 

richzak. What exactly did you buy?

the CTEK 3300 and what additional accesories are needed?!?!? Thanks!!

Loth

 

Was wondering that too. The chargers are not as expensive as I thought.

 

Just ordered these for my new 2014 Porsche 981: and I have these for my 2009 Jaguar XKR.




Personally, I wouldn't go without these. You will never have a low charged or dead battery.

Need any more info? just ask.

 

It looks like I'm not going to be able to have access to power in the garage I'm storing my 2008 XKR in for the winter, so I will not be able to use a battery tender.

Can I just disconnect the red positive lead in the access port or do I need to do more?

If I do disconnect the battery, what will I need to reset/reprogram in the spring?

 

I would personally just use the car over the winter. Perfectly working car could start developing problems just from sitting. Even if you can drive it once or twice a month, don't store it.

I know most worry about the salt, but summer sun does just as much damage - vehicle paint, moldings, interior/leather.

But, if you are planning on storing it, be sure to inflate your tires to maximum. No guarantee in avoiding flat spots, but it will help.

 

I'd bring the battery home and keep it on a tender all winter. Radio and windows will need to be reset, possibly more.

 

I drove it last winter without an issue, but space is tight in my driveway and I have a free garage to store it. We use an additional car through the winter. To the two of us a Subaru and Range Rover are enough. Can't see why I really need to drive the XK too (taking the best parking space for nothing).

I live in the North East and I am expecting a lot of snow this winter.