Im thinking of letting the car i won sit for the winter and put it on jack stands or rolling dollies. Is it ok to let the car sit or should you start it up. Someone was telling me some stories about letting these cars sit.

Thanks

AC

 

Yes
Add fuel stabilizer - follow directions - requires driving
Get a battery tender - follow directions
Pump the tires to max allowable pressure

Then it can sit

Set air pressure before you return to the road

 

My 8 will be going into winter hibernation soon. Two months off the insurance, jack stands (do not want cracking or flat spot on my new extreme summer tires), and fuel stabilizer.

 

^ good advice for tires.

 

I planned on putting it on jackstands as well, what points of the chassis do you use, do you let the suspension hang as well?

 

My car sat for more than two years, no jack stands, no battery tender, no fuel stabilizer, no anything special. Just disconnected the battery. Started it once every 2-3 months for a minute not even warming it up, moved it on the driveway couple of times just to stir the brakes/rotors/suspension/tires. No any problems. Drives like it never sat for that long.

 

I rub my tires down with vaseline and inflate tires to the maximum pressure. I've been hibernating my car every winter since I got it. (about 4 years now.)

 

Use the cross-member in the front and i think the frame extends to the back. DEFINITE DO NOT PUT THE JACKSTANDS ON THE METAL LIP FOR WINTER STORAGE.

I also know that you can jack it up on the differential but that's kind of sketchy to leave it for a few months on 3 jackstands. Best bet is definitely the frame somewhere.

Here's a pic of the front jack points.

 

I also stored my 8 last winter. didn't do anything special except put a bit of fuel stabilizer in the tank, took out the battery and plugged the exhaust with steel wool (because there are mice where I live). Didn't jack up the car and I felt no difference in the spring. I'm opting to drive it this winter though. Not sure how well that's going to go

 

For all-seasons it is not necessary, only summers and especially r-compounds. You might get slight flat spots for all-seasons or winters if you let it sit for weeks in cold temps, but they will even out after a few miles drive.

 

Its ok to put the car on jack stands. Just make sure you put them on the suspension and not the frame. On the front you can put the jack stands where the lower control arm hinge is. It will be a rounded spot closer to the wheel. On the rear do the same thing. The control arms naturally bear the weight of the vehicle.

The only risk you have is blowing out the shocks. A car where the suspension is fully extended has a risk of the shocks leaking out. I have seen it happen on a lift. Just lifting the car up working on it for a couple hours and setting it back down the shocks leaked enough to have to be replaced.

It is kind of a double edged sword. If you leave it on the tires you can damage the tires, if you leave it on jack stands you can damage the shocks.

 

this year, i'm gonna keep driving mine when there's no snow. when it's snowed over for extended periods, i'm gonna run the engine at least once a week. i don't like the idea of parking it, since i don't have a garage so can't trickle charge it or put it on jackstands. i hate non-california winters =(

 

Alternatives to jack stands I have also heard is thick cardboard or carpets folded over a couple times to soften the ground to prevent the flat spots. Sta-bil and a battery tender should also be used if you are in an area with fluctuating temperatures and adjusting humidity. I did try and make it through the winter 2 years back without the battery tender and starting it from time to time...but the battery didn't make it as a month of <10F and weekly starts weren't enough. The steel wool is also a really nice addition for most...but I have yet to need to stuff my 4" tips with it. One thing I didn't see mentioned, that may or may not be a good idea, is that I like to break loose the lug nuts and loosen them a little during storage.

 

Don't forget a big horse blanket to keep her warm and clean.

 

for fuel stabilizer, I suggest seafoam. add a bottle to the tank then fill up.

 

keep a fuel can in your garage or at least a one gallon one around someplace. The fuller you keep the tank, the less water that builds up. With temp change you get condensation in the fuel tank which is not good. Keeping the fuel tank topped off leaves less room for condensation to build up.

 

http://www.raceramps.com/wheelcribs.html

has anyone ever tried these instead of jack stands?

I always keep the car full of gas and have a cover for her!!!

Thanks for the advice

 

http://www.raceramps.com/flatstoppers.html

these look cool also

 

never even seen anything like it, but if it works let us know. I would go with the 8 inch ones just so you can work under your car.

 

New idea: Show car stands. I have no idea what the correct name for them is, but i searched show car stands and only found a limited amount of correct results.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifie....php?id=925133

 

Hell you could weld those yourself lol. That way you can even pick the height you want, and it would allow you to work on the car with great ease.

 

You got lucky. Gasoline can easily go bad in that time. Fuel stabilizer is cheap and easy insurance. Lots cheaper and easier than dealing with a fuel system full of varnish.

 

Vaseline is a petroleum product. Petroleum products break down rubber.

 

Question - How long can the RX8 sit before having to take these storage precautions? If one were to let the car sit for only a couple weeks or a month does this still apply?
JT

 

Depends on the environmental conditions really. After a month of sitting in a dry area like Plano your fuel should be ok and the squarring of the tires will go away after a good spirited drive. You might want to take some other precautions though, like putting some high end Tire Protectant on your tires to keep them soft or a couple extra layerss of wax and leather softener if you plan on leaving it in the sun.