Corvette Long-Term / Winter Storage - Page 4 of 4

• Engine Start
  Last but not least:  "Should I start my Corvette periodically, or leave it alone until it's ready to come out of storage?" This is definitely the most commonly asked question when it comes to automotive storage and there seems to be two opposing sides. One side feels that you should start your car at least once per month and let it run for a good 20 minutes plus until the cooling fans kick in. The other side feels that you should leave the car alone until it's time to remove it from storage. Again, we asked David Scott at GM. "It is always best to start your vehicle once a month if possible." When this is not practical, David offers the following guidelines:
  
  

  ---

  Vehicle Storage of 9 months or less:
  
  •  Change oil and filter
  •  Store vehicle with full fuel tank using winter fuel - available nationwide after Oct. 1 (Higher Vapor Pressure)
  •  Disconnect negative battery cable
  
     To prepare vehicle for use:
  
  •  Change oil and filter (eliminates moisture in crankcase)
  •  Charge battery
  •  Connect battery cable

  Vehicle Storage of 9 months to 18 months:
  
  •  Change oil and filter
  •  Store vehicle with full fuel tank and use a fuel stability additive
  •  Remove the spark plugs and add approximately one (1) ounce of engine oil to each cylinder. Install spark plugs and rotate engine.
  •  Disconnect negative battery cable
  
     To prepare vehicle for use:
  
  •  Change oil and filter (eliminates moisture in crankcase)
  •  Charge battery
  •  Connect battery cable

  Vehicle Storage of 18 months and longer:
  
  •  Change oil and filter
  •  Remove the spark plugs and add approximately one (1) ounce of engine oil to each cylinder. Install spark plugs and rotate engine.
  •  Disconnect negative battery cable
  •  Drain the fuel system
  
     To prepare vehicle for use:
  
  •  Change oil and filter (eliminates moisture in crankcase)
  •  Charge battery
  •  Connect battery cable
  •  Remove the spark plugs and add approximately one (1) ounce of engine oil to each cylinder. Install spark plugs and rotate engine.
  •  Fuel vehicle

  ---

Hopefully, this article has provided you with some valuable information to help you better prepare your Corvette for long-term or winter storage. Feel free to print a copy of our handy Storage Checklist to help you remember what to do in preparation for storage and to provide a source of documentation that you can look back upon should you repeatedly store your Corvette each winter. The long winter months when we can't drive our Corvettes may be long and brutal for some of us, but it doesn't have to be for your Corvette!

The Corvette Action Center would like to thank the following people who took time out of their busy schedules to provide valuable insight and information for this article:  Hib Halverson, Automotive Journalist & Contributor to Internet Media, Thomas A. Read, General Motors Corporaton, David A. Scott, General Motors Corporation, Dave Tillotson, Operations Director - Guldstrand Engineering.