i have a nutty question ..there no electric where i have to store my car this year... i take it that the c-tek battery tender needs to have an electrical outlet ? never used or had one before..... maby i'll have to start the car at least once a week ?

 

If you have no power then it will be better to disconnect the battery. If it is in good condition it will probably still start your car in the spring.

 

If you disconnect the battery remove it from the car and bring it inside. Put a full charge on it and you should be good to go in the spring. You don't want it to freeze.

 

There's also no risk of acid in the trunk when it isn't there! Even just a few months storage (winter), it's a good practice. I've replaced enough battery trays/boxes that it's just not worth it.

I don't recommend this repeated starting. Unless you're running it long enough to get everything warmed up and operating for quite a while, issues with condensation will occur. Condensate in the crankcase and exhaust needs to be really heated and evaporated.

I recommend throwing some fuel stabilizer in it, filling it up to the brim, parking it, removing the battery and throwing a cover on it. Then just leave it alone.

 

+1.

Starting the car during storage achieves nothing, is unnecessary and risks contaminating the oil as mentioned. Don't do it.

 

hey jamdmyers how are you...you car looks just like mine ..whats the difference in the xkr and mine (xk8 2001 ) just courious ?

 

storing the car is fine I have done it myself(in a garage that is). Do not lock the car as the battery will go flat with the alarm and sensors drain on the battery. The car can be started every month and must run for at least 40 minutes. While the engine is running test every light and switch on the car, esp windows and screen wash. and run the air conditioning for at least 10 minutes in all the different distribution settings. Then once the transmission fluid has warned up select all gears. If the transmission fluid is cold it will "clunk" when a gear is selected. When warm it will be a smooth transition. Then move the car back and forth using the gears to remove the rust from the brake disks. I have found these measures make motoring when the car is back on the road faultless in my experience. My cars used to spend 6 months on the road and 6 months off as one was a winter car(Jaguar) and a summer car(convertable) and this method worked to keep them running when used. Also a long and slow battery charge before use for the season meant I never had starting problems

 

Don't forget rodent repellent of some sort. Be it anti-static dryer sheets or mothballs or whatever, use whatever you think will keep the little critters away. Some swear by mothballs, but I found an empty peanut shell two inches from a mothball under the hood of the Jag last winter. The dryer sheets have a nicer smell and I use them for the interior of the car and have had no incursions. I live in the country and have occasional mouse visits to my heated garage at any time of the year. My convertible top got a new headliner last year due to a mouse chewing holes in it.

 

You could get a solar battery tender. I just got one for around $50 works great.

 

I run mine. As long as we have no snow or wet roads. Still my routine. Keeps the juices moving, battery charged. During the week she has a nice warm garage. Rich

 

A very good point on the mouse problem. My convertable (not a Jaguar) had the same problem one year during winter storage. It was a particularly cold winter and only happened once in 7 years of winter storage. They came in via the bulkhead and went to the boot. They did no damage to the car but made a nest of anything they could find in the boot which ended up a bit of a mess. The main problem was the smell of the urine. The carpets and spare wheel cover were able to be removed and completely cleaned and the smell went away. The following year during storage I filled the boot with spring loaded mouse traps. It looked like something out of the Tom and Jerry cartoons! but luckily none were caught, and no evidence was found of mice.

On the solar charger comment by a fellow member I stored the XK8 on my parents drive with the doors locked. As soon as the sun came up it set the alarm off detecting the voltage change. They work fine outside if the car is not locked or if there is a way of disabling the alarm to prevent the unwelcome wake up. That being said it was a 2 amp solar charger which is high input. Perhaps a smaller solar panel with a lower input may work and not trigger the alarm

 

I've had exactly the same rate of success as yourself- but without ever starting or touching the car. It's difficult to claim that your methods have any positive effects.

BTW- shifting the gear lever on an automatic transmission while the car is stopped doesn't accomplish much. The transmission will stay in the lowest possible gear irrespective of what is selected.

 

So is using a battery tender recommended & if disconnecting the battery is simply disconnecting the negative adequate? Also I had read on another post regarding parasitic draw(battery kept going dead) that it was because the car wasn't locked??

 

If you're using a lead acid battery, the safest is removing it from the car. I have seen float chargers (battery tender) fail and toast batteries and battery acid likes to eat metal. Just remove from car, let it sit, pop it back in, charge if necessary and enjoy the spring. Most likely leaving it hooked up the car will be dead whether the doors are locked or not; I just prefer the removal approach as whats not there cant damage anything.

 

Thank you Mikey, fair comment on all points. When I bought my Jaguar I was concerned about storage as many members on the forum stated that the cars did not respond well to being unused for months on end with a higher that average failure rate than high mileage cars the were used all the time. My comments were based on recommendations from this forum as to how best store the car when not in use for half the year. I had other comments like yourself that said theirs was stored and they did nothing during the storage period with no problems when it got back on the road. I decided to err on the safe side, not having owned a Jaguar before. But thank you for your response. It may save me some petrol if I choose to store it again.

Cheers
Oliver

 

I tend to not drive my car during the winter months and usually do most of what you suggested, but I had not considered removing the battery. Good advice. Thanks.

 

My routine is simple and much like everyone else's.

1) wash (including undercarriage) and full interior/exterior detail.
2) full tanks of fuel w/ stabilizer.
3) Hook up the CTEKs ( I leave the batteries hooked up and in the trunk)
4) Cover them up
5) Come back in 5 months and drop the top

As far as rodents go, since I live in a rural area, I take quite a few preventative measures. Mouse traps all around and under both cars and mothballs and dryer sheets stuck pretty much everywhere. Once a month I uncover and do a visual inspection for any nests or droppings.

I'm hoping to get my garage heated before next winter... will make winter projects more fun, and I'll just feel better if the cars are kept warm all year round.

 

Stuff rags (don't pack too tight) in the exhaust tips. Just remember to take them out upon startup.

 

I asked my dealer this question a week ago since I'm a part-time FL resident. He recommended pumping the tires up to 50 lbs to prevent flat spots from developing.

 

Does that exceed the maximum rating printed on the tire sidewall?