"Winter Storage"
 

So I have a 2001 Boxster that I am keeping in a parking lot garage that is covered but not heated, I plan to start and drive around the garage once a week but not take it out on the road because of salt and such. I have already moved it around once and it started up fine and sounded great. Anyone think I need to drive it more or let it just stay on for longer than say 10 minutes a week? I don't want to pull the battery and just have it sit.

When I planned to do that, everyone screamed at me to not do that. Drive it or leave it alone. They've been Porsche owners longer than me so I listened. I just leave it in the garage on a tender, look at it and cry.

Ill say the inevitable here...You need to search. This topic has been covered a lot and there are many methods to winter storage.

To answer your question about once a week run time, it's generally stated that you need to get the engine up to operating temperature and take it on a good run or you don't start it period. This generally takes about 20-25 minutes. I'm gonna guess there's no way you'd be able to do much more than idle it in a garage.

I just put my Boxster away for the winter. Best is to have a recent oil change and make sure the engine is nice and toasty after at least a half an hour drive. This guarantees that most of the moisture has been boiled off and doesn't start corroding things. Like said, put it on a battery maintainer and don't start it anymore until you can put it back on the road again.

This is a great plan, if your goal is say, fuel dilution of your oil and increased wear & tear.

Yes, salt sucks. Main reason my cars are hibernated from Mid October till March/April. They love cold weather, but have dirt and salt.

Have a fresh/recent oil change. Stabilize your fuel (1 ounce StaBil per 2.5 gallons of fuel), over inflate your tires to 55-58 PSI, pull your battery (since it sounds like you have zero access to plug in a battery maintainer) and suspend most of your insurance coverage (call your agent, and save some $$). Leave the car till Spring has sprung.

Wouldn't having the car sit cause the same issues? Oil is pretty darn fresh and I figured starting and driving say 25 minutes in the lot until its warmed up would be best. I would even stable the fuel.

No, having the car sit would cause no issues. As several have said (and a search would support), the worst thing you can do in the winter is start the car for a few minutes and then not drive it for long enough to evaporate all moisture form the oil. If you don't like the answers to your question, then do what you wish. It's your car. Yes, 25 minutes would be better than 10 (which you originally mentioned), but why start it at all. The car doesn't wear out just sitting doing nothing!

Seriously, do a search. Here are 28 threads:

986 Forum - for Porsche Boxster Owners and Others - Search Results

I've been storing motorcycles (8 different ones) doing no more than covering them, changing the oil, and filling the gas tank and adding Sta-Bil , plus a battery tender, for over 30 years now. This is in an unheated shed in Wyoming where it gets to at least -20° F every winter. None of them has ever failed to start right up in the Spring, nor have any of them suffered any problems from leaving them alone for 6-7 months.

It's your car so you can do what you want to it. Paint it pink. No one can tell you that you can't. However you've heard from quite a few people in this thread as to what's the best way to ensure the car makes it through not only this winter but several. If you search the forum for winter storage as I suggested, you will find even more opinions of the same consent.

Driving the car around a covered parking garage is not the same as a drive cycle. The most wear happens on a cold startup. So if you aren't going to enjoy the car why would you put it through that wear if you don't have to.

EDIT: Joe beat me to it lol. I'll leave my response as redundancy may be what op needs.

just a Porsche battery saver plug it in and let it sit...and you be just fine !that's what I do here in Massachusetts.

Ok, I'm in MA so we are in the same boat, guess i'll add air and stabil. Since I don't have any outlets I'll probably either pull battery or get a jump later.

Or consider a solar maintainer; not perfect, but better than nothing.

hmm have any products in mind?

Schumacher and Battery Tender make them, amongst others:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZC3TFC/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative =9325&creativeASIN=B004ZC3TFC&linkCode=as2&tag=car battcharce-20

Amazon.com: Battery Tender 021-1163 5W Solar Maintainer: Automotive

nice, I'll try those cool that it can plug right into the 12v port.

This is what I do: The day after I park it, I pull the fuse for the fuel pump and crank it for a few seconds to build oil pressure. This will get the cold, thicker oil on all internal parts, especially IMS bearings, race, and inner seal. This should be good for the rest of the season, or you can crank it once in a while to re-splash the oil.

The only problem I have with letting it sit is the level of the oil on the IMS bearing and seal. It's partially submerged in oil. Anyone who has changed a gasket, seal, or any plastic that comes in contact with oil will know that the composition changes depending on how much oil it sees compared to just plain air. Part of the seal on the bearing will be soaking in oil, while the rest will be exposed to oxygen. Given enough time the composition of the seal will be different on the different parts of the seal. You just gotta know that can't be good for it's sealing properties.

Now it's probably overkill for the few short months that it will be in storage, and it probably doesn't even matter if the inner seal fails when there is no outer seal, but I'm going to do it anyway, just because I like having oil on my balls! :)