Hi all,

So snow is finally falling, and it's about time for to tuck the mazda away for the winter. Does anyone have tips for winter storage? :sadwavey:

My current plan is to park it in a garage (with car cover), put in a fuel system maintainer, pump the tires up, and pull the battery out and put it on a battery tender.

Is there anything else I should be worried about? This is my first time storing a car, so I'm trying to make sure I'm not missing anything.

Thanks!

Make sure to give it a proper cleaning before parking(not necessary, but recommended). Also, depending on the storage facility, you may wanna cover any holes (intake, exhaust, etc) that pesky rodents could get into.

Make sure to give it a proper cleaning before parking(not necessary, but recommended). Also, depending on the storage facility, you may wanna cover any holes (intake, exhaust, etc) that pesky rodents could get into.


Thanks! Yea, I figure I'll wash it a couple of days before it goes in, that way I make sure it dries out. Some steel wool in the exhaust pipes should do for keeping out critters.

+1 it's gonna be my first time putting my 8 for storage.. Were can I get the fuel maintainer? Also what does it do?

+1 it's gonna be my first time putting my 8 for storage.. Were can I get the fuel maintainer? Also what does it do?

I picked some up at O'reillys (auto parts store) called sta-bil. From what I've read, it's pretty much the standard fuel stabilizer. It claims to "keep fuel fresh" by "preventing gum and varnish" and "removing water" from condensation.

http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/products.aspx#stabil

Good luck with the storage! When are you putting it away?

I keep mine under a car cover. I haven't used any fuel system stabilizers in the 4 years I've owned the car. I also pump up the tires to between 36-38 psi and disconnect the battery. This year I can just use the battery disconnect siince I relocated the battery to the trunk last month. If you have abnormally long winters or if you plan on storing the 8 for a significant amount of time (6+ months) I would rub the tires down with vasoline to avoid dry rot.

I picked some up at O'reillys (auto parts store) called sta-bil. From what I've read, it's pretty much the standard fuel stabilizer. It claims to "keep fuel fresh" by "preventing gum and varnish" and "removing water" from condensation.

http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/products.aspx#stabil

Good luck with the storage! When are you putting it away?

I'm actully gonna put my 8 away this Friday since here in NYC it started to get 30f weather.. Thanks for the advice I'm gonna get the fuel stabilizer today Also a car cover plus givE it a good wash....

i have an amateur question regarding battery tenders. i just ordered a ctek battery charger and it comes w/ eyelet terminal connectors, which i'm going to install and just leave on the battery for good. if i do this, do i install the eyelets to both battery terminals? or do i install one to the positive battery post and the other to a negative ground somewhere?

My only tip.. Take your car to a storage facility... they usually take care of everything there.
last winter i made the mistake of keeping my car in the garage...
this past winter, used a proper storage company. Just took it out a couple weeks ago and my baby runs great.

if anyone's interested, I used Auto Vault in Toronto.
http://www.autovaultcanada.com/