Winterizing a Boxster???
 

Just wondering what tips you have for winterizing a Boxster (987) from Dec-Apr. in Toronto area? Is it better to start and run/move it a few times a month or store it and leave it for 5 months. Pfaff Porsche in Woodbridge said to store it and leave it, but I am doubting this logic. Any suggestions greatly appreciated for this 'newbie' Porsche owner. Thanks!!!

Boxsternut :cheers:
'07 Guards Red

Thoroughly clean the car inside and out.

Change oil and filter.

Add Stabil to the tank and fill with gas.

Park it, check the electrolyte level in the battery, and attach a battery maintainer (NOT a trickle charger)

Leave it alone until spring…………do not start it unless you are going to drive it for at least 20 min.......

I am a firm believer in the store and leave school. I change the oil, fill the tank and add stabilizer, clean the car, add a few more Lbs. of air in the tires, put some mothballs in and around the car( we live in the country and mice are a problem) , cover it and forget it. The biggest strees on an engine is at startup as the oil film has decreased, leaving it for a month at a time and starting it just for a while serves no purpose and by not getting the car up to operating temp and beyond leaves moisture and pollutants in the oil and moisture in the exhaust system , which reduces the life span of both. I have been storing cars like this for the last 35 years and have had no problem. Ed

Thanks Ed and JFP...sounds like store and leave is the desired option. The Porsche dealer sold me a trickle charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter and told me to leave the front hatch closed, but ajar, in case the charger's fuse goes for some reason. Apparently you can't get into the battery compartment if the car's battery if dead....interesting! Appreciate the tips and will try. Can't wait for the spring to come as I've only had my car since start of October and loving it!!!!

Boxsternut :cheers:

Store it and leave it alone.

I usually remove my battery and place it on a shelf in the basement. I attach a charger to it at least once a month to keep it topped up. I use the advanced one from Canadian Tire ($69 on sale) that checks the condition etc. I have not lost a battery since then.

Also, when picking it up in the spring, there is an external source to connect to the front trunk release in the fusebox if the trunk has been closed .... :D

Make sure the tires are over inflated and the vehicle is dry. If you need space ... friend has spaces open in the 401 & Birchmount Rd area ... climate controlled and secure.

Disconnecting the battery resets the cars ECU to default settings. Your car will need to re-learn it's mapping next spring. You're better off leaving the battery in the car connected to a maintainer. My friend had all sorts of trouble getting his car to pass emissions after removing the battery due to the ECU reset.

Throw on a set of winter tires!! It does snow in Germany.

What's the logic in changing the oil before you store it? I would think you'd want to do it after you pull it out of hybernation. Wouldn't there be a chance moisture could form on the inside of the block while sitting for a long period of time? If you change oil before putting it away, that moisture would get in your new oil. If you change it when pulling it out of hybernation, the new oil would be free of moisture.

What am I missing?

Contaminates an such in the existing oil will cause problems as it sits over the winter. CLEAN oil is what you want sitting in it ...

Any other opinion about changing oil before or after hibernation?
It seems they all make sense, how about what the dealer say?
Is not the new oil sitting over winter months will get contaminated with moisture as well? So, new oil again after winter?
I like to be in oil business.... :D

Used oil is loaded with acid and other contaminants that are not good for the alloys used in the M96, plus they further accelerate the break down of the oil, leaving gummy varnish like deposits in the engine............ Store it with fresh oil in it.

Change oil prior to storage. I want my engine sitting with fresh oil over the winter.

You do not need to change it after sitting all winter. UoA's show the oil, providing it was a quality oil and fresh in the first place, is just fine after sitting for months.............

Thanks again for all the info. Still haven't made up my mind on the fresh oil before or after the winter. Will check with the Porsche dealer and get back. Won't be putting snows on her though, even though it does snow in Germany...have my snows(H-rated) on the '08 Accord Coupe V6 and can go through almost any bad weather.

MORE TIPS:

-Tires should be overfilled to 58 PSI (this is in your manual). I use Nitrogen.
-Park on a sheet of plastic- painters tarp from Home Depot.
-Desiccators in the cabin- keeps air fresh and protects leather and wood.
-Block wheels, don't use e-brake.
-Manually turn engine over in the spring by pushing in 5th gear. You will hear the engine turn over and take big gulps of air.
-I move the car the beginning of every month, by hand, about 10 inches. Further prevents flatspotting.
-First drive of the spring is about 350 miles, and then buy fresh gas.

I also change my oil before winter hibernation to remove contaminants suspended within, even though I have approx 2500 miles on the current fill. The moisture accumulated over the winter months will burn right off come the first good drive next spring (with the top down, of course!)

100% unnecessary. One drive will remove the flt spots, if any.

Checked with the Porsche dealer and they said to do the oil change in the spring after hibernation. Interestingly, they said "NOT" to put fuel stabilizer in the tank over the winter...doesn't make sense though!

Wow, I take the tires up to 50 and throw in fuel stabile... and drop the insurance to storage level. And this year I get to put on a used car cover. Maybe I'm not doing enough? I do use a 78% Nitrogen mix for the tires.

Your owners manual tells you to change the oil and run the engine for several minutes before storage.

The same owner manual recommends oil changes at 15,000 miles. I have chosen to be selective about the service & maintenance requirements. Some I'm more strict, others I choose to ignore.

But thank you.

You need a new dealer, both their suggestions are dead wrong............

You need a new dealer, both their suggestions are dead wrong............


Will check with another dealer...thanks again!

Thanks to all who replied. I am changing the oil this weekend, adding stabilizer to a full tank, raising psi's to 50 and plugging in the trickle charger after cleaning the car and putting it's cover on for hibernation!

Sounds about right, except you don't want to use a trickle charger, use a battery maintainer like the battery tender jr. And disconnect the battery from the car.

That sounds like a good plan. I usually also set up a couple of mouse traps around the car as added protection.

Not necessary, particularly if you use a maintainer (like the OEM units) that plugs into the cigarette lighter……………

My battery tender gets hot enough to melt the plastic casing if I leave the battery connected. Current draw can be too high for some maintainers. If you can figure out how to reset the clock, there's no benefit to leaving the battery connected unless you use the cigarette lighter maintainer, which then you have to stay connected of course.

It's actually safest to completely remove the battery from the car in case the maintainer or battery have problems while charging.

If that is the case, something is definitely wrong with the car or the maintainer. I have been storing Porsches for more than 30 years, both for myself and customers; none of the maintainers (OEM, CTEK, Deltran, etc.) ever gets more than very slightly warm to the touch when first connected, after which they are nearly room temperature. Sounds like you have an excessive current draw problem…………….

No indication of any other problems. I can leave the car for a month+ and it starts right up.

The trickle charger I bought from the Porsche dealer came highly recommended. It plugs into the cigarette lighter and only charges when necessary. They told me in the 987's, there's no need to remove the battery anymore. It cost $80 and has a long cord, which is great for the garage.

I just went into the storage area where there are currently 6 cars with maintainers on them. Room temp is 58.5F; non-contact pyrometer check of the maintainers averaged about 68F. Porsche early OEM unit (black box unit) was 68.5F, late model OEM (Ctek type) 68F, and Deltran unit (four car bank) was 69F. If yours is getting hot to the touch, it is because there is a drain in the car's electrical system it is trying to keep up with. Like I said, something is not right.....

I don't know how you guys can do without your Porsche for months.

I'll be out of the country for 3 weeks. I'm leaving in a few days but already suffering withdrawals.

Just put the snow tires on yesterday too. :-(

It's a sad day when you put it away for the winter, but 2 years ago you needed 4 wheel drive to get to my house from mid-December through mid-March. Would have been impossible with the Boxster.
The day you take it out of storage in the spring is great. It's like getting a new car every year.
I definitely feel the withdrawl symptoms and for the next several months will have to live vicariously through this forum ;-)

Dave S.

I think I'll be feeling the same way Dave...this will be the first time for me. Ekam, I'd be interested in hearing more how your winter driving goes this year with the snows. I'm up in Caledon and the snow gets a lot worse than in Toronto. Do you worry about the salt that it gets covered with? I'm changing the oil tomorrow, then will slowly get her ready for hibernation...it WILL be a sad day!

Check your Owner's Manual. Tires should be 58 PSI.....not 50 PSI. At least this is what mine says.

Thanks for the headsup with the PSI's...I'm going to check my tires for their max. pressure rating....they're Michelin Pilots PS2's.

I'm up in Erin, not far from Caledon.
I've stored my 01 Boxster for last 5 years each winter for 6 months.
I fill car to brim with Ultra 94, increase tire pressure to 60psi
I have a cover for the car.
Also park on a large sheet of plastic.

I remove the battery and place a large cloth so the hood cannot close.
I take the battery home, put on a wooden workbench and do not touch until couple days before I'm due to bring car out of storage end of April.
I, too, asked many people about changing oil before or after.
My trusted independent said as soon as it comes out of storage change oil for the driving season. I usually do about 6,000k per season.
Andy

I have 19" PS2's and overfill to 58-60 PSI prior to winter storage with Nitrogen.

Thanks Andy for your input. Why do you store on a plastic sheet? I just changed my oil yesterday and will winterize this weekend. Will fill tires up to 58psi's. Do you move the car a few inches each month like others have suggested? Also, do you add fuel stabilizer before hibernation? Thanks.
Scott