ahmad

Hi,

Forget winter storage, I store my S2k (and my bike) during the summertime. It's hot ( 35 - 50 c deg), dusty and mostly dry.
With fully synthetic oil, I used to change the oil after summer storage. with less than 500km per annum.

During drainage, the oil looks just like new (darker in bike, blame the wet clutch).

I've heared that quality oil lasts far more than one year in the sump if the car is not driven.


So am I wasting resources and time?
Or Better buy peace of mind?
Or may be I'm getting old

BTW as far as I know, there are no oil testing facilities in Kuwait.....


Cheers.

mosesbotbol

Best practice is to change before and after storage to ensure clean oil on both ends.

deepbluejh

If you have no intention of running the car over the winter, you might as well leave the used oil in, right? I can't think of any benefit of letting clean oil sit in the oilpan all winter over used oil.

ahmad

Actually I drive it few times in winter (10 - 25 C). Some times I do Auto X and track days.

JonBoy

You want to put new oil in when you store it. You don't need to change it when you start it up again after storage as that oil will definitely still be fresh. You're not gaining anything by changing the oil when you bring it out of storage.

Removing oil prior to storage allows you to get out any metal/particles/dirt that might be suspended in the oil. If you just let the old oil sit, those particles can settle out and cause you major wear/headaches later.

TLR - change oil when going into storage but no need to change when you bring it out of storage.

ahmad

That's logical. But I think that oil with around 10 drive cycles is still new.

Changing oil just before a track day or Auto X gives "confidant" feeling...

afzan

Well said. Agreed.

budgy

Good thread; I have a little check list of things that I do before I put my 2nd car into storage:

1. Add fuel stabilizer to tank and fill tank almost completely full, drive another 5 minutes or so to ensure the entire fuel system has fuel stabilizer in it to prevent it from going bad.

2. Add a little extra tire pressure to your tires to prevent flat spots, some people think its better to store on jack stands but your struts actually get worn by being hyperextended for a long period of time.

3. Chalk all 4 tires to prevent sliding, park car out of gear and with the e-brake off. It is a good idea to get into the car once every couple months to operate your clutch and shift a gear or two, pump the brakes, pull the e-brake a couple times to make sure nothing is going to seize up.

4. Lubricate all the hinges and locks with a quality grease like white lithium grease, NOT WD40.

5. Put a paper towel in the exhaust or tie one on with an elastic to keep critters from deciding to make a nest in it.

6. Use engine fogging oil to prevent corrosion to the engine as well as protect it on the next start up which could be months and months away. On an engine that uses carbs this is super simple as you can spray it through the intake while running and there are no sensors to ruin. On a fuel injected motor you have to remove your spark plugs and spray a little into each cylinder. You can then turn the engine over with the plugs disconnected to get everything lubed up. This is always my last step.

7. Remove battery, place on battery tender once every couple months to charge. Do not use a typical battery charger as they can over charge your battery and kill it or start a fire.

8. At your earliest convenience its a good idea to wash and wax your paint particularly if your storage area is really dusty. Protect your paint! If your place is really dusty you may actually NOT want to use a car cover as the dust will still get in through the bottom of the car and can simply be rubbed into your paint actually causing more damage.

To be honest I always changed my oil AFTER sitting in storage, I would think that if there are any metal pieces left they are not going to get rinsed away simply by performing an oil change and then letting it sit still anyway. But now you have me second guessing it. Either way it seems the consensus is that you want to change your oil atleast once before you drive it away again.

One more note, some people start their car periodically in storage as they believe it is better than letting it sit an extended period of time. This is a BAD idea, especially if you are not using fogging oil, there will be no oil on your cylinder walls after 3~4 weeks of storage which means you can score up the cylinders on start up. Better to only do it once instead of multiple times a year if you're not using fogging oil.

ahmad

Thanks for the tips

Actually I use two car covers, the one touching the paint is very soft and absorbs lots of dust. Still damage is likely to happen.

Still I need to know if the oil is still in good condition after a year of inactivity.

windhund116

I'd use 0W-30 or 0W-40 motor oil. That way on first startup, the oil will reach working temp viscosity faster. As the first fire-up prolly causes some of the greatest wear, after a long rest --- most lubricant being at the bottom, in the oil pan.

I'd pour maybe 500ml, fresh motor oil into the engine, before that first fire-up. To coat the top end valve train.