Question Winterizing and storing the C8

[nialll]

Hello all, I’m putting my car away likely in October and I wonder if anyone can give me some essential steps on winterizing it. Planning on leaving it in my garage uncovered with a trickle charger that was supplied with a car and a recent oil change and I’m topping up with 91 octane no ethanol gas. Any further thoughts?

 

[harshadt]

Hello all, I’m putting my car away likely in October and I wonder if anyone can give me some essential steps on winterizing it. Planning on leaving it in my garage uncovered with a trickle charger that was supplied with a car and a recent oil change and I’m topping up with 91 octane no ethanol gas. Any further thoughts?

When I spoke with the GM folks last year- it took 2 months for then to find out the correct answer from their engineers- they said to leave the gas tank at 1/4 full. Also, don’t put dryer sheets on the seats if you’re going to use them. I also inflate the tires to 40 psi but others say that isn’t necessary with modern tires.

 

[Murray20c8]

And I wonder what issues the DCT might have over an extended period of non use.

 

[TCinthe6]

And I wonder what issues the DCT might have over an extended period of non use.

Likely no material difference between a modern DCT and manual transmission in terms of issues that might develop while it sits over winter. Clutch, gearbox...they share a lot of the same components. I can't imagine there being much of an issue while it sits during the winter. If it was sitting for years, that's a different story.

As far as other items to cover for winterization. I will always top up with Shell 91 which is ethanol free and add some fuel stabilizer.

 

[rfh928]

Hello all, I’m putting my car away likely in October and I wonder if anyone can give me some essential steps on winterizing it. Planning on leaving it in my garage uncovered with a trickle charger that was supplied with a car and a recent oil change and I’m topping up with 91 octane no ethanol gas. Any further thoughts?

I do essentially the same, but I do put a fitted cover over it. We use the garage daily and easier to not have to worry about scuffing against it. Garage is unheated but dry.

 

[larryd]

Being a motorboat owner for 10 years or so, I always filled the tank full, added stabilizer. There are many opinions on leaving the tank almost empty as condensation would form and water would remain in the bottom of tank etc.
I NEVER STARTED THE ENGINE to idle MID WAY THROUGH THE WINTER.
I`ve done the same thing(except adding stabilizer) since since 2001 with my Miatas and C7 and now with with my C8 and never had issues filling up with octane 91 and using a battery maintainer (trickle charger for us older folks).
It`s a nice feeling in spring to remove the cover ,get inside and startup with a full tank of gas knowing that gas prices the pervious year where much cheaper.
Oh yes you are allowed inside on occasion and pretend your driving along .

 

[gone]

As others have said:

-add fuel stabilizer to a tank that's not full; let engine run about 5 minutes to circulate the stabilizer before shutting it off for the winter. There's an ongoing debate about whether it's better to park the car with a full tank ( arguably less chance of condensation developing) or a partially full tank. I hear people argue both sides of that debate
-I over-inflate my tires since they might lose some air when sitting. That way there's a better chance of them having the proper air pressure in them come Spring...or you deflate them to the correct pressure in the Spring then you're "good to go"
-I use a soft cover but this item is up for debate. Some think it will allow dust to get between your car and the cover, resulting in potential scratches. I don't buy that since my car is kept up on a 4-post lift and the cover IMO prevents dust from settling on its surface. Others think it a waste of ~$400 for a proper OEM Corvette cover and if there's little chance of something hitting your car over the winter, why spend the dough? I always prefer a covered car since something could fall or otherwise accidentally hit the car since I do other things in my garage over the winter such as carry around ladders. But hey, each to his/her own
-I use a battery tender and think that an absolute must, especially for the C8 which has ++electronics that continue to work and many complain their batteries get drained after only a week or so, of being parked. The good "battery tender" is just that: it charges the battery and stops charging when it's not needed, so it's not simply a "battery charger". You can buy the OEM Corvette version which is made by CTEK and anyone of the CTEK tenders will usually work just as well...or there are after-market that do the same. But check out what you're buying to ensure it's a proper battery tender and the right voltage
-a fresh oil/filter change is always nice however some think the oil sitting there over the winter isn't the best idea and prefer to change it in the Spring so it's 100% fresh then, when first going on the road. Different opinions there too but most prefer to park the car with fresh oil

Now for things not mentioned yet on this thread:

-some ++ fussy people will raise their cars so the wheels aren't contacting anything. They're worried about creating "flat spots" on the tires or otherwise damaging them due to prolonged weight w/o movement. Others will place pads below their tires for the same reason, especially if the tires would otherwise contact concrete. I think all this is over-kill. Some argue the new tire construction makes all this unnecessary. But again, follow whatever opinion you subscribe to on that issue. By over-inflating my tires on the C8 and other vehicles I've parked, I've never had a problem with tire flat spots, and as far as known to me, any problems with tire damage
-some people recommend placing "silica gel bags" (that absorb moisture) in their vehicles: the cabin, frunk and trunk. This may be a good idea if you're in a humid climate or if (for example) your garage door(s) will be open/closed lots during the Winter and you don't have a heated garage...so you're going from hot to cold to hot again and potentially creating condensation from the variable temperatures. A heated garage may make this less of a concern. To me, this is for ++ fussy people so of course, I place bags in my vehicle even though I have a heated garage. Others suggest leaving your windows down somewhat to allow air movement, arguably preventing any moisture build-up and "stale air smell" from developing
-others recommend stuffing the rear exhaust ports with a wire mesh or dryer fresheners, to discourage 4-legging vermin from making a nest inside your exhaust system over the winter months. I don't have any problems with mice in my garage so I don't do this. But if it's a different story for you, then it may be a good idea. As well, some are some worried that mice might get into the vehicle elsewhere and (for example) chew wiring. So some people will place those same dryer fresheners at various locations under the car to ward them off. I've also seen mention of mothballs but most don't like those due to their strong lingering smell

There are some different considerations for those who park their vehicles outside. For example, a proper outside car cover I think is a must and it has to fit ++ "perfect" so it doesn't flap in the wind and rub your paint. A cover is good to avoid paint fading from the sun and body seals wearing out from prolonged temperature fluctuations and wet/dry cycles. Then again, there are those who think any cover on an outdoor car is a recipe for disaster due to dust blowing under it and providing a grit surface between the cover and the paint. So as usual, it's a matter of opinion.

This topic has been covered before on the Forums however it seems to return every Fall for some unknown reason. Hope this helps.

 

[PapaSmurf]

Install 4 of these and that’s all you need for winter.

 

[larryd]

I hear some take their cars into the bedroom for winter too.

 

[DougHGMC8]

Being a motorboat owner for 10 years or so, I always filled the tank full, added stabilizer. There are many opinions on leaving the tank almost empty as condensation would form and water would remain in the bottom of tank etc.
I NEVER STARTED THE ENGINE to idle MID WAY THROUGH THE WINTER.
I`ve done the same thing(except adding stabilizer) since since 2001 with my Miatas and C7 and now with with my C8 and never had issues filling up with octane 91 and using a battery maintainer (trickle charger for us older folks).
It`s a nice feeling in spring to remove the cover ,get inside and startup with a full tank of gas knowing that gas prices the pervious year where much cheaper.
Oh yes you are allowed inside on occasion and pretend your driving along .

I have always done the same. Oil change and a full tank of premium (no ethanol as its hygroscopic) inflate the tires to 38 to 40 ish and connect battery tender. Some cars I have covered some not, and I never run them until it is time to go out on the road for the first drive and then I make sure it is a long one to burn off any condensation that accumulated in the oil.

I am not sure about using fuel stabilizer in the C8. I have never done so in the past with a variety of cars from carbureted Z28s, 944 turbos, 911, MKIV Supra, M5 etc and never had any post storage engine, fuel system or other issues. The C8 is GDI meaning it is potentially more sensitive to deposits on the injectors themselves from fuel additives. Not sure I would take the risk not having had an issue.

Does GM/Tadge have any specific restrictions on the use of fuel additives with the LT2?