I have a built 2006 duramax that i just bought and will not be driving in the winter here in maine. It will be stored in my garage not heated for around 5 months. It gets very cold here. Just looking for advice on storage procedure. As in filling up fuel vs not. Adding additives to fuel to store it ect. Thanks guys
Winter storage advice
- Thread starter Mainecobra
- Start date
I park mine from Thanksgiving until Spring. Full tank with a double dose of additive is about all I do. I do roll it out on those rare sunny days we have here Cleveland every few weeks and let it run for a bit to move everything around. I also close the windows tight as I get a fair bit of condensation in that garage when the weather starts bouncing around a lot.
Throw some additive in the tank if you have summer fuel (or it will not start until the spring, no matter what you want), close the windows, and put it on a battery maintainer (you can disconnect the batteries too, but there is no need). If the garage might have rodents, put some bait out. I have found leaving the hood open discourages them from trying to nest in the engine bay as well (but then your engine gets dusty, so choose wisely!).
5 months of sitting won't hurt anything. The only potential issues are dead batteries, rodents, dust, and gelled fuel (if you need to start it when cold). Not hard to take care of :thumb:
To un-winterize it, I recommend changing the motor oil after the first or 2nd heat cycle on the motor. This is not strictly necessary, but it can get rid of any remaining moisture/whatever that doesn't boil out on the first drive. That, and give it a bath, I am always amazed how much dust accumulates in 5 months!
5 months of sitting won't hurt anything. The only potential issues are dead batteries, rodents, dust, and gelled fuel (if you need to start it when cold). Not hard to take care of :thumb:
To un-winterize it, I recommend changing the motor oil after the first or 2nd heat cycle on the motor. This is not strictly necessary, but it can get rid of any remaining moisture/whatever that doesn't boil out on the first drive. That, and give it a bath, I am always amazed how much dust accumulates in 5 months!
I just add some fuel additive to my tank, but I do start it about once a week and let it idle for an hour or so. I'm not sure if that helps or not but that's what I've always done.
I do drive the truck a few times each winter though. Probably no more than 5.
I do drive the truck a few times each winter though. Probably no more than 5.
The last three winters all I have done is fill it full of fuel, dump in a bottle of fuel additive, put it on a battery tender, put on my stock wheels/tires for it to sit on, and then put dryer sheets everywhere. Someone told me that trick and I've never had an issue with rodents.
Just drop it off at my house and I will take good care of it for you! :thumb:
You will need to leave the key's!
Thanks guys this is such a great site. What do you guys recommend for additive? Stabil for diesels?
Yea they use liquid salt up here in Maine so my beast stays in the garage for the winter and stays rust free. This liquid salt is deadly!!,
Yea ill drop it off to you and you drop off like 60k cash to me!! My dad lives out in St. Paul had a friggen blast last time I was there in my college days. My dad gave me his credit card for the night and said "have a good time son"
I met some college girls at a bar woke up with one of them in her apartment have no clue how I found my way back to my dads place. Flew home and he called me and said WTF I have a $1200 liquor bill when u were here!! I must have went a little nuts ordering drinks for many!! Good times in MN��
Man wish we could park ours... Nothing sucks more than the weekly desalting of the underside of the truck in below freezing temps.
I don't store my dmax but I've been storing 3 of my other summer only trucks, as well as bikes, for over 10 years. its a heated garage. Hell my dad has been storing his chevelle for probably 30 years, it might have some of the same old leaded gas in it still!
We don't do anything special to them other than put them on a battery tender. If I can I fill up the tank, but there are years I put them away with only a half tank. I never bother with jack stands. only storing for a few months has not had any ill effects on my tires. Might be a little bumpy first ride out, but nothing major.
When I pull them out in spring I check the air pressure and let them idle for probably 30 minutes. first drive is easy. never had a single issue related to sitting
We don't do anything special to them other than put them on a battery tender. If I can I fill up the tank, but there are years I put them away with only a half tank. I never bother with jack stands. only storing for a few months has not had any ill effects on my tires. Might be a little bumpy first ride out, but nothing major.
When I pull them out in spring I check the air pressure and let them idle for probably 30 minutes. first drive is easy. never had a single issue related to sitting
Truck got parked last night. I got it good and clean then wiped it down with detail spray. I have an LMC truck 4 layer cover coming. I have a battery tender Jr ordered and I have 4x dose of fuel treatment in a full tank. I'll probably throw some dryer sheets in it when I put the cover on just for good measure. Any other tips?
Drink beer while looking at it in that bad ass garage
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All I've ever done is clean it up well, fill the tank and/or dump in a small bottle of the white diesel kleen, battery tender on it, and dryer sheets around it. I have always put my stock wheels on so I didn't worry about jack stands or anything. Its also never been a heated space. I've never had an issue.
Do any of you that let your rigs sit for 5+ months at a time without starting have any excess material in the oil filter after that first start up? ive always had a concern in the back of my head of dry oil starts from an engine sitting so long and oil migrating its way off the cyl walls and bearings. may just be paranoia though as ive not done much research on the subject. just having my motor sit for a month made oil pressure take time to finally come out my turbo oil feed (to the point i was pressing the remote start kill when i saw oil finally come out).
I have always been under the impression that the motor will be just as dry in one month as it will in five months so instead of starting it multiple times I will just wait and do it once when I am ready to bring it back out of storage.
Edit: If my thinking is wrong then by all means let me know.