Seasonal Tips - Colder Weather

[78F350]

What do you recommend or do to your car as the weather starts to get colder?

Just to start the conversation, I just finished putting rodent repellent in all my cars. As the weather gets colder here, the mice look for shelter and chew up wires and interior padding. I'd prefer to kill them, but not *in* my car.

Other thoughts:
I change oil in the spring and fall. Usually the same grade here in Oklahoma, but it makes for a good routine.
I pay a lot more attention to the temperature before opening the top. I have cracked a perfectly good plastic window when the temp was in the 50s and the car had been in the shade.
I have no reason to store a car, but there's some great threads on the forum:
Winter Storage
For those going into Winter Mode.
Winterizing a Boxster???

[Anker]

As for rodents I place mouse poison at all four wheels and I also put mothballs on trunk, frunk and cabin. May add in engine compartment this coming winter. Stuff is working, I have to replenish the poison a couple of times and have had no mouse damage at all.

[Blackcloud]

I live in NY and try to drive the car once a week in the winter, unless there is snow or salt on the roads. Dryer sheets placed around the car can help deter rodents, they don’t like the smell. You can suff that, and steel wool into your exhaust pipe too. Plastic under the car is a good idea to make a vapor barrier as well, especially if you park another wet car next to it, or a thawing snowblower. I change my oil in December after the autocross, rally season ends. Also check your anti-freeze and tire pressures. Bump them up to prevent flat spotting. Replace your summer tires with all season tires. Parking brake off. Leave it in gear. I put mine on a trickle charger. Attach to the battery. Run the cable through the hood at the windshield, and close the frunk. That’s all I do after filling the tank.

[husker boxster]

Check your tire pressures if you continue to drive as well as store. The colder weather will cause the tires to lose a few lbs if they're not filled with nitrogen.

[Ciao]

in addition to already mentioned ... stuff tennis balls in exhaust, wash and wax, condition interior, unlatch the roof (so its not tensioned), put shift in neutral, chock the front wheels, and put cover on

[particlewave]

Chant a protection incantation and pour a line of salt around it to keep the evil spirits out.

[rick3000]

I let my 986 sit for about 30 seconds after startup, and I avoid revving the engine over 3000RPM until the coolant temp is near the 180 mark. I do this year round anyway, but it is especially important as it starts to get colder.

Also, be very careful about putting your top up or down, if you have a plastic window, below 70° F without heating it up in a garage or in the sun.

[MWS]

Mostly what others have said, with the addition of car cover and garaged (actually, heated garage). Regarding the rodent concern, I have a cat in my garage...found this works better than particlewave's "incantation and line of salt", unless you consider a cat an "evil spirit" . Also, or so I've been told, used cat litter is an effective deterrent against mice...I'd be happy to send someone a few hundred pounds should they wish to cover shipping.

Before anyone actually considers filling their car up with used cat litter, I would highly advise against doing so...I don't purchase scented litter.

[dghii]

Move somewhere warm?

[kk2002s]

I don't really winterize I'll drive mine all winter when roads are clear
But sometimes there maybe a month between drives.
I always leave my Frunk and trunk popped so I can open if battery dies. I always pop these when ever I park in garage, good or bad weather
Ah but what about the lights. I have taken the bulbs out
I actually took them out a couple years ago when I started doing camping road trips. At campsites I would leave the Frunk and trunk popped so I had easy access getting to supplies

[Newsguy]

[QUOTE=rick3000;580169]I let my 986 sit for about 30 seconds after startup, and I avoid revving the engine over 3000RPM until the coolant temp is near the 180 mark. I do this year round anyway, but it is especially important as it starts to get colder. ]




Actually, if you research it, LOAD, not revs, are bad at startup. Just don't mat it when you first drive and go gently until you reach normal operating temperature.

[ekam]

Get a viking cat.