Epic2112

I'm going to store my M3 in a garage for maybe 1½ - 2 years. Here's what I'm planning to do so far:

1- Put it on jackstands (on the frame) so the weight will be off the suspension, and the tires will be off the ground.

2- Run it out of gas, so the fuel in the tank and lines does not turn into varnish. It's been suggested to me that this is better than fuel stabilizer, which may not last long enough.

3- Put a couple drops of oil in the spark plug holes so things in there don't corrode.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

bearone

i put a combo of 1/2 50w oil & 1/2 atf and filled up the sparkplug holes and spun the sparkplugs in finger tight.

it was stored a little over 2 years when i was out of the country.

i needed to replace the fuel pump and was surprised that turning the starter over with the plugs out that nothing came out.

jackstands, drained fuel, removed battery.

why are you storing it for 2 years?

i lived in levittown back in the early 80's.

87951

Epic2112

I need to store it because I'll be in Phoenix and I don't think I'll have a chance to come back during that time.

So you are saying that you filled the tops of the cylinders up all the way? When you say that when you turned it over and nothing came out, do you mean all the oil leaked through the the rings?

DDP

No need to store it man, I'll come pick it up for you and take good care of it.

Eyal 951

Im sure thats what happened, probably within weeks. Why not just drain the tank, theres a drain plug.
~Eyal

Epic2112

Beacause the moisture in the air will corrode things.

ACG

I found this useful link in the Off-Topic Section:
http://www.porschenet.com/winter.html

Dave

That's a pretty good set of instructions but there's a bit of room for improvement.
WD-40 is a poor choice for winterizing a car, there are better products for spraying on surfaces to prevent corrosion (my choice would be CRC 6-56, great on metal, do not use on rubber) and WD-40 should NEVER be used internally on any engine so DON"T spray it into the spark plug holes (it isn't compatible with the engine oil and will pass through the rings so fast that there will be zero benefit!).
I spent some time working at a marina and every engine in the place had to be winterized every year (several hundred engines), we never had a problem when they were restarted in the spring. The instructions above are pretty close but I'd make a couple changes. Add fuel stabilizer to the tank and then fill up all the way, air anyplace in the fuel system brings humidity and this will cause corrosion. I have used Sta-bil in boats that have sat out a season (16-18 months of storage) and started up without a problem, so top off that tank.
As above, change all fluids, oil, brake, trans/diff, and coolant, so that all contaminants are removed and protective properties of these fluids are at their peak. The cylinders are the hard part, fogging a carb engine is easy but I left the marina around the same time that FI became available so there may be a trick that I'm not aware of. Last I heard, the best you could do was to pull the plugs and add 2-3 tablespoons of fogging oil (available in bottles or spray cans at marinas, boat supply stores, etc.) to each cylinder, crank the engine over a few turns by hand to distribute the oil, add a couple more spoonfuls to each cylinder and reinstall the plugs. Fogging oil is thick sticky stuff and it will coat the cylinder for a long time, usually you will see a thick black cloud of sweet smelling smoke on start-up which will take a few minutes to decrease, this is the fogging oil burning off.
The article mentioned covering the exhaust but it's even more important to cover the intake to keep out any debris and humidity. Remove the battery and store it someplace warm and dry, preferably on a trickle charger.
While you're at the marina picking up fogging oil, look for a product called Mil-du-gas or something like that, it's kinda like an air fresener but it releases vapors that keep mold and mildew from forming in case any moisture finds it's way into the car. The smallest size is plenty for any car I've ever seen and let the car air out before going in to remove the bag at start-up time, the fumes will be potent but the odor goes away in a couple days. This might not be needed in a nice garage but mine gets a little damp so consider it as an optional step.

Porsche-O-Phile

I'd also change the oil (and trans. fluid) immediately before storing. Used oils can be rather acidic as I understand.

FRporscheman

Just let it idle for the whole time you're gone.

Seriously though, find a friend who can run it once a week or something. Though, the above advice is probably better.

Epic2112

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. For the record, I'm pretty unhappy about having to store the car for so long, unfortunately there isn't another way for me to deal with it right now, and selling is out of the question.

xsboost90

atf in the spark plug holes then run the motor a couple revolutions to get it spread around in there. That can be done to get a motor that has sat unstuck, or prevent the sticking.

ahofam123

I would be concerned with draining the gas. I would rather top off the tank and add fuel stabilizer so as to prevent the gas vapors from causing rust. If rodents are a threat, you can place moth ***** in the cabin or in the engine bay to deter them. Also, make sure that you condition the leather and all of the rubber seals on the body.