Well, winter is fast approaching and I'm getting ready to store the car within the next week or so.

I've read quite a lot on what needs to be done:
- oil change
- fill up the gas tank and add a stablizer
- check coolant density
- take out the battery
- wash, wax, clean, etc
- block tail pipes with steel wool
- put on jack stands (which i won't do as it's apparently bad for newer cars)

I'm planning to do most if not all of the above, but I'm a little concerned about taking out the battery JUST b/c of possible electronics problems when I put it back in. I have an 2003 G35 coupe 6MT w/Nav.

Has anyone taken out their battery for an extended amount of time? I'm wondering if it would have any effect on the Nav or any of the other electronics.

Any comments on winter storage experiences?

 

Add the fuel stabilizer before you fill the tank, not after - it needs to mix and get into the fuel lines.
Pump the tires up to the max rating on the sidewall if you're storing it on its wheels.

 

My '03 Coupe got put 'to bed' without the battery connected with no ill effects.
All you need do in the spring is reset clock(s), and radio presets.
You'll lose odometer trips and some navi calculations like mileage and trip calculations but that's no biggie.

If you don't disconnect the battery, you'll need to recharge it every 2-3 weeks to counter the slight drain from live circuits.

It's not recommended to put it up on j-stands -- just let it sit on all 4's.

After you've washed her, dry it off well and drive it enough to heat the brakes to dry them too.

Colin

 

^+1 I just disconnect the negative terminal. Last year I didn't even do that as I had it out every 4 weeks or so because the winter was light.

Also fuel stabilizer isn't recommended by Infiniti. I haven't used it the past two winters. The fuel system is very tight and moisture isn't an issue.

Pump up the tires to about 40 PSI to help avoid flat spotting.

 

Thanks guys for the tips.

I'm storing it a storage facility but the building isn't heated. I plan on parking it up until March or so, or at least until they stop using salt on the roads (I have crome rims which i want to preserve as much as possible).

So it will be exposed to pretty cold temps (less than -20 to -30 C). I read in the manual that at temperatures below -30, that the water in the battery might freeze. So they actually recommend taking it out. I'll see i guess...i don't have to do it now...won't get terribley cold until Jan/Feb.

Good tip on Tire pressure....will do....gosh just remembered i forgot to pickup the steel wool to cover the tail pipes...grrrr.

Confused on the fuel stabilizer though....if infiniti doesn't recommend it, then maybe I won't. I did plan on filling up the tank with fresh fuel. I'm trying to use up the remaining 10 L reserve.

 

Mine gets stored from mid Dec to mid-late April and I've been doing this for over 30 years with different cars.

I checked with my service manager on the stabilizer and that's what I was told. Because Infiniti can't test all types of products for compatibility they say don't use any. FYI, BMW does the same.

G/L

 

I store my car indoors in a heated garage. All I do is fill the tank with 94octane gas, and disconnect the negative battery terminal.

I dont even have a cover for mine. Doesnt need it if the garage is unused the entire winter. (no dust is stirred up).

Cheers,
Anders

 

if u have some old carpet (preferably with the anti-slip rubber bottom)... cut up 4 pieces and place them under your tires. this will help against flat spotting. u can even buy some urethane (or equivalent pads) from local car shops to put under the tires. i used to leave my corvette jacked up on stands over the winter... that's your best bet. i've never heard of any issues with new cars being jacked up... and i only had around 6k km's when i 1st winterized my vette.

it's also a good idea to place large moisture absorbing packs (large desiccant dry pack) into the car. this will help keep the interior dry and prevent any mildew/smell over the winter.

lastly.. spraying some silicone lubricant on the weatherstripping around the windows will help keep it soft and pliable so that it doesn't dry out and crack.

 

. Hope thats not an issue for a daily winter driven G, haha. I really need to clean out my garage this weekend then.

 

So my G survived the winter but one last tip to add (if anyone has to do it in the future)

I didn't take out the battery or disconnected the terminal and the car was TOTALLY dead. Keyless entry didn't work....which caused an even BIGGER problem. I had stored it in a shipping container, and just b/c how it got parked, the driver side door was against the wall (I got in/out via the passenger side)....so there was NO way to get into the car. ABSOLUTELY NONE!

Just by chance though, i got last minute advice in November to leave it in neutral and release the parking brake....so that enabled me to push it out of the container, so I could get the driver side door open to boost'er up. My poor buddies civic didn't even have enough power to giver' but thank god for CAA. LOL.

So, long and short, i think i'll pull the battery from now on if it's being parked outside-ish.

OHHHH!- the steel wool i used to blocked the tail pipes (for rodents): bad idea....with the condensation building up (it was an air tight container), it started to rust and left markes inside the tail pipe....thank god the exhaust is stainless...but DID leave marks that will take a while to disappear....

 

I don't disconnect or take my battery out either, never had a problem. My friends Z's battery died because of that though.

 

My brother's integra died that way as well; it was stored for 3 months though. I think it was that flashing LED for the security light; haha.

 

There are certain 'live' and active circuits in the G's such as security, auto-on headlights, door locks etc that drain the battery gradually thus requiring a battery recharge every 2 to 3 weeks while stored....

If the car is stored in a secure area, leaving the windows down, the hood unlatched and draping a cover over the car would help. -- Next time .

Use the same steel wool to clean up the INSIDE of the tailpipes, and powdered chrome and glass cleaner to clean up the outside.
Stainless is fairly easy to maintain.

C.

 

That's funny about the door thing. You could have opened the trunk, pulled the seat back release and slithered through the trunk.

For many years I took out the batteries from my cars and recharged a few times. About 8 years ago I stopped doing that as an experiment, that ended up working fine. To date I've never had a low or dead battery including the last 4 winters of storing the G. The past 3 years I have started and drove the car at least twice between Dec 1 and April 1 however.

 

I bought a battery tender for mine this year.
Of course that won't work in a storage facility.....