[TheHunterHofman]

Hi all,

So what are some things to take into account when storing a car for 2+ years?

Think of the tyres, the suspension, the paint, rubbers, seals, gaskets, fluids, lines, hoses etc.

What to do with the battery? Wheels on or off? The car on jackstands? Should the brakes be under pressure or not? Should you have a dehumidifier in the car?

Any tips?

Thank you!

[BallHog5873]

I've only stored for 6 months but my 2 cents are:
Disconnect battery, take off wheels and store on jack stands, fill up tank and use a fuel stabilizer.
And obviously use a good cover.

Wondering if anyone on here has stored for that long and can give you more details.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by HunterHofman

Hi all,

So what are some things to take into account when storing a car for 2+ years?

Think of the tyres, the suspension, the paint, rubbers, seals, gaskets, fluids, lines, hoses etc.

What to do with the battery? Wheels on or off? The car on jackstands? Should the brakes be under pressure or not? Should you have a dehumidifier in the car?

Any tips?

Thank you!

1) Tires should be inflated to operating pressures, and resting on flat stoppers to avoid flat spotting. Generally winter storage for around 6 months is really getting to pushing a tire's ability to rebound from flat spotting - so people generally rotate the tires to avoid it sitting on one patch of rubber for too long, so 2 years would way too long to let a tire just sit. So imo for a 2 year storage flat stoppers are a must.

2) Suspension - imo it is better to leave a car resting on its suspension, having a car on jack stands and having the strut being stretched out likely isn't good for it since it was designed to be compressed essentially forever - as cars sit on their struts forever. Having it stretched out can induce corrosion on the shaft if in a really humid environment - although this is really unlikely.


3) No brake pressure, because this can cause the pads to sieze to the rotors, also having the rubber brake lines to be cosntantly under pressure is not a good thing. As long as your calipers are properly bled you will be fine.

4) No real need for a dehumidifier in the interior so long as it is not in a super humid environment.

5) Otherwise fresh fluids in a standard oil service, battery tender, close all vents and plug the exhaust, cover the car and you should be good.

Also put plenty of pest repellent around the car incase you have rodents in your area because they can eat wiring harnesses.

[TheHunterHofman]

Thank you both, very good info. Happy to hear of more tips & tricks from others

[F87source]

Originally Posted by HunterHofman

Thank you both, very good info. Happy to hear of more tips & tricks from others

Oh and also like the other user said, full tank of gas until it is about to over flow, this way moisture will not enter the fuel tank and cause issues. Fuel stabilizer will help as well, I prefer stabil fuel stabilizer. In terms of fuel try to get ethanol free gas so moisture absorption doesn't occur during the 2 years of sitting.

[ZL9M2]

Rather than pump gas and stabilizer it would be much better to simply fill with a more stable gas. VP C9 or similar.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by ZL9M2

Rather than pump gas and stabilizer it would be much better to simply fill with a more stable gas. VP C9 or similar.

VP C9 is $80 per 5 gallons iirc, you need 52L to fill up the tank so 15 gallons is needed as they sell in multiples of 5 gallons. This means you need 3 barrels at $80 a barrel you would pay $240 to fill up the car. and regardless of fuel type, in 2 years you will have oxidation in the fuel rendering it garbage.

This is not a cost effective solution at all, if your goal is to keep the fuel system saturated and prevent moisture from entering the loop and causing issues. Fuel stabilizer + pump gas is the best option. Then in 2 years you can just drain the tank and pump in fresh fuel for a fraction of the cost.

[ZL9M2]

I don't believe VP will oxidize in 2 years, but that's just what VP has told me. Pump gas will turn to varnish no matter how much stabilizer you add over that timeframe. We spend $240 for one tire on these cars... I'd call $240 on storage fuel money well spent. But that's my opinion, I respect yours.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by ZL9M2

I don't believe VP will oxidize in 2 years, but that's just what VP has told me. Pump gas will turn to varnish no matter how much stabilizer you add over that timeframe. We spend $240 for one tire on these cars... I'd call $240 on storage fuel money well spent. But that's my opinion, I respect yours.

That depends on how full the tank is filled, because if you have a near empty tank the gas will volitilize easier leaving varnish behind. If your tank is near full the headspace for volitilization is smaller making it harder and thus slower to volitilize and leave varnish behind. Generally 1-2 years will be fine on a full tank of fuel, any longer and issues will occur. IIRC stabil was tested for 2 year fuel storage.


Also any fuel will made of hydrocarbons will eventually volitilize and leave varnish behind, so even with c9 that'll still happen to an extent.


So it is better to run pump gas and just drain the tank after storage, then run some fuel system cleaner for the next tank or two of gas right after.

[ZL9M2]

I would not leave regular gas in anything for 1-2 years. But that's just me.