Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:10:37 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Winterizing Newbie Question
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reply-type=response
I strongly advise against just running and engine on a stored vehicle.
DRIVE it ...........all the systems need to be exercised and moved and
'woken up' .,.........and drive it until fully warmed up.
it's a toss up too ...........just sitting is kinda rough on things, and
putting Sta-bile in the gas is a great thing to do for sure .......
and driving it just 'some' is rough on it too.
Either way ..........not using any vehicle fairly regularly is rough on it.
all things considered, I think letting it 'sleep' with the precautions
you've mentioned is better, by a small margin, compared to just driving it
some.
in any case, I strong advise against just running the engine. It's got to
get in gear, and get moved around. Don't put the parking brake on for
letting it sit of course.
All cars are happiest when maintained properly and driven regularly.
running the engine with no load...............not using the clutch
..........not using the brakes a little.......that's really rough on things.
Let it sit peacefully, and then give it a good drive once in a while, once
in a great while I'd say. Like once every two months or so.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stacie Wunsch" <swunsch@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 9:34 AM
Subject: Re: Winterizing Newbie Question
> Can I throw in another question here?
>
> I store my 82 Vanagon (w/rebuilt water boxer) outside all winter here
> in Montana, which everyone will say is cold regardless. I plug the
> battery in, top off anti freeze and put an additive in a near full gas
> tank.
>
> That being said, should I be starting it up and letting it run for a
> bit regularly throughout the winter or just let it be until spring?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Stace
> The SolShine
>
>
> On Sep 19, 2008, at 10:12 AM, Mike Elliott wrote:
>
>> On 9/18/2008 7:18 PM Dennis Haynes wrote:
>>
>>> What do you really call cold weather?
>>
>> Fellow who grew up in the Bahamas would call SoCal's winters cold.
>> Fellow
>> that grew up in SoCal would likely call Bend's winters cold. Folk here
>> would probably call Siberia's winters cold. It's a safe bet that
>> whenever
>> someone calls their winters cold, someone who lives in a colder
>> climate
>> will snicker and say, "You call that cold? Lemme tell you about the
>> winter
>> of '37 -- /that/ was a cold winter. [Long story follows with graphic
>> descriptions of failed crops, dead livestock, people found dead feet
>> from
>> houses, Londonesque tales of survival.]"
>>
>> That said, Bend is a arid place, being high desert, so rust should
>> be no
>> more a problem here than SoCal, and probably less than coastal SoCal.
>> Thanks for the tips on the oil grades. I may want to upgrade the
>> starter
>> wiring, though, so it gets plenty of oomph for turning over a cold
>> engine.
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>> Bend, OR
>> KG6RCR
>>
>>> The freshwater tank and sink need to be protected from anything near
>>> freezing temps. Drain all either blow all lines out with air or use
>>> some
>>> RV antifreeze. The pump and faucet are the first parts to break from
>>> freezing.
>>>
>>> For the engine, the proper antifreeze mix is good for anything you
>>> will
>>> encounter. Unless you need to operate it during winter, nothing
>>> needs to
>>> be done there either. If you need to drive it, 20w-50 is good down
>>> to the
>>> mid-twenties just drive it gently until it warms up. Synthetic
>>> 15w-50 will
>>> go down to the single digits. If going lower than that consider the
>>> 0w-40.
>>> Keep fuel full as practical to avoid condensation and if the brake
>>> fluid
>>> is old, change it.
>>>
>>> As for maintenance battery chargers, be careful as many will do
>>> noting
>>> more than dry them out. Are you dry docking the van or will it
>>> still be
>>> used occasionally? If being stored outside you need to think of
>>> undercoating, rust proofing and regularly airing out the interior.
>>> If it
>>> sits all winter consider inspecting the brakes each spring.
>>>
>>> Dennis
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>> Behalf Of
>>> Mike Elliott
>>> Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 9:28 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Winterizing Newbie Question
>>>
>>> Okay, as some of you know, Mrs Squirrel and I just moved our darn
>>> selves--lock, stock, and barrel--to Bend, Oregon from a place much
>>> closer
>>> to the tropics: southern Californian. Coastal SoCal. Where winter
>>> temperatures seldom drop below 45F.
>>>
>>> My son, who came with us, today noticed what looked like the male
>>> end of
>>> an extension cord hanging out from the hood of a pickup truck and
>>> asked
>>> what it was.
>>>
>>> "Engine block heater," I said. "For when it gets real cold." Which
>>> totally
>>> exhausted my knowledge in matters automotive and climes Really Cold.
>>>
>>> NB: I probably got that wrong, but it's important to try to look
>>> Really
>>> Smart to our kids. But see Note 1, below.
>>>
>>> Which got me thinking: if Mellow Yellow (MW), a 1984 WBX, will be
>>> pretty
>>> much doing nothing during these much colder winters, what should I
>>> do to
>>> winterize her? (Or him. Whatever.)
>>>
>>> MW will probably sit in sub-freezing temps for several months with
>>> maintenance chargers hooked up to the starter and house batteries.
>>> I could
>>> use a "Dummy's Guide to Winterizing Your Vanagon" here.
>>>
>>> ==========================
>>>
>>> Note 1. As a side note: My son's Jeep Cherokee -- anyone here have
>>> any
>>> Handy Tips for dealing with these colder conditions? P-mail me as
>>> that is
>>> extremely NVC.)
>>>
>>> --
>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>>> Bend, OR
>>> KG6RCR
>>>
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