I suppose it's a bit early to discuss this, but the fellow I store my other car with called me today to ask if I'd need an extra space this winter, which prompted me to think about long term storage concerns.

Is there anything special I should do to prepare my '03 XK8 Convertible for 5-6 months of storage? It will be kept in a clean barn, unheated but well protected from the elements.

I'm mainly wondering if I should put the car on jackstands over the winter. Sometimes if it sits for just a few days the tires get flat spots in them which take ~5 miles of driving to get back into shape, so I'd imagine that sitting over the winter might have the potential to do more severe damage. Or would they still go back into shape after a bit of driving?

Anything I should do regarding the window seals, battery, interior, top, or anything else?

Any input will be appreciated.

 

The one think I learned years ago was if you're in a very cold area then fully charge the battery and then disconnect it or remove it. I had a battery crack. Apparently it was slowly discharging over time and a discharged battery has a higher freezing point than a charged battery. I installed a quick disconnect terminal so I can unhook and re-hook the positive terminal by hand.

Other than that I haven't done much although there are probably some things that could be done. I used to put it in a self storage room years ago but now we only have two cars so I just keep it in our 2 car garage over the winter.

 

As mentioned, in a cold climate, charge up the battery, then wash the car, add Stabil to the gas, drive it out to the storage area and disconnect the battery and cover her up. Some folks add Bounce fabric strips to the interior, trunk, under the hood to discourage mice.
Flat spots on the tires occur after 2-3 weeks of sitting still, but I find that they resolve after a ten minute drive.
Alfred

 

Last winter I just put some extra air in the tyres and connected a battery charger every other week. Use a ctek charger and you can have it connected all through the winter, see CTEK Battery Chargers

The reason I unplugged mine from time to time is that I have the car in a big public garage and I just don't trust people to not steal the charger

I also gave the seats a treatment with some Leather Care | Leather Cleaner GT12 cleaner and GT11 conditioner. Gotta love that smell

When spring came I just restored the air pressure and the car was good to go.

Another thing they usually recommend is a full tank of gas to avoid condensation and water in the tank. And if you get a lot of moist in the cabin, add a de-moisturizer in the cabin (what are they called in english? Torrboll in swedish)

Perhaps a conv owner can give some input as to whether the top should be prepared in some way.

 

I try to drive the car once a month if the weather permits it, but I think most everything is covered here. A battery minder is ideal if you have power to keep the battery charged, otherwise it is wise to disconnect it and store it someplace a little warmer. You don't really need a fuel stabilizer like Stabil, but if it makes you feel better, it isn't going to hurt anything.

 

I store two cars in a heated garage. but I do put a rodent repellant packets in the engine compartment, trunk and interior. It does work It's called "Fresh Cab" It's a botanical repellant. and it has a very nice fresh smell. If your going to store in a barn it would need to be a top priority.

 

Thanks for all the info, it is appreciated. A trickle charger is definitely on my list, as is some form of rodent repellent. Fresh Cab or Bounce seem much more pleasant alternatives to my first thought, moth *****

Any idea what pressure I should inflate the tires to?

 

I just leave mine at normal pressure. Surprisingly I don't lose much over the winter. Be sure you remember to check them in the spring though.

 

If a few times during the winter you can start it up, warm it up and back it out of the garage and then pull it back in you will do a world of good without leaving the driveway. A full tank of gas with stabilizer and a trickle charger is the only other items you will need.

 

People all have their own way of preparing for storage. Do a search on topics like "winter" or "storage" to see some thoughts on this. Just don't put your car up on jack stands for an extended time period,

My car is in a heated controlled area with rodent control. I change the oil, fill the tank, put 45psi in the tires, pull the battery which I take home and put on the charger. Put on the car cover and come back six months later for summer fun

 

I remember reading more than once in the past that this is a bad idea with a car being stored. Something about this causing condensation in the exhaust or various engine parts. Because of this I've avoided starting my XKR in the winter unless I was going to be be actually driving it around for 20 minuites or so, after a short warm-up, so that it could truly come up to operating temps and have a chance to burn off any condensed moisture. The idea was that idling in the driveway warmed the engine but not as hot as full running temperatures of driving.

Again, not sure about this as it is just something I've read on the internet. But perhaps someone whith better technical knowledge can comment.

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Additional thoughts - after writing the above I googled the subject and quickly found a bunch of high end car forums and blogs on the subject. After 10 minuites of internet research reading a half dozen or more non-authoritative postings or articles I can say there are two schools of thought on the subject covering both the start every "X" number of weeks theory you have and the don't start for short periods of time theory that I've heard. Oh well...

 

I used dryer softener sheets as a rodent repelent. Inside the car and a few under the hood and in the trunk. I guess they hate the scent.