Hey guys, first of all I SEARCHEDDD but this question is more a matter of opinion. I am hoping some of the gurus can weigh in here.
So, i've been researching on what needs to be done before I store my car for the winter and I know jack stands, full tank, top off fluids, coolant flush and fill, car cover, remove batt and floor mats etc. One thing I am wondering though, I changed my oil (full synthetic) in April. Now I know with synthetic some folks only change every 10k miles. I have my nav set to remind me every 6250 mi (10k km), because I like the top maintenance tier.
Well, since I changed the oil I have only driven the car less than 2.5k miles this season (the beater got some use while I was installing coilovers etc.).
Do you guys think I should change the oil again? I will likely change it in April when it comes out of hibernation anyways. Just wanting to see what yall thought. Thanks in advance and long live gdriver!

 

If I were storing SLICK for the winter I'd feel better knowing she had clean/fresh synthetic sitting in her oil pan. Oil isn't that expensive why are you waiting 6K+ miles to change it? I change synthetic 3 times a year regardless of mileage due to my many short trips here and there.
Gary

 

You're already doing everything else, why not shell out another $35 and do it before putting away. It's not that expensive, I understand if it was something around $200. I never wait that long to change my oil anyways, for me on full synthetic its every 3 months.

 

Do you check your oil to see if it NEEDS changing? Synthetics last way too long for 3 month changes, unless contaminated.

That's just a waste of money and oil, otherwise.

 

Wow, I thought I was changing the oil too often by changing it twice a year using Mobil1 synthetic.

 

I drive at least 20,000 miles a year, so every 5k isn't a bad interval for the amount of driving I do.

 

I would take a 30-40 minute drive to rid any excess condensation in the oil(s), and then change all the fluids after storage. The oil at this time is only holding a place during storage. I would change the oil before startup after storing and bringing it back out for the winter. The exception is coolant. I would change before storage just as added corrosion/freeze protection.

Oil may be cheap, but it's wasteful to change your oil at storage just to change again when bringing it out.

I wouldn't store the car on jacks. I'd air up the tires to 40-45psi instead. Remember to put steel wool in the exhaust.

 

I would get the oil change after winter. The current oil will probably be good. The first thing after the winter period would be get new oil.

 

Thanks for the input fellas.
I've decided to change the oil in the spring.

Also, I thought jackstands were recommended for winter storage? I had heard something about flat spots developing on your tires.

 

Who did you hear this from? I guess jackstands arent bad. But if you keep the tires properly inflated and there is not previous holes they should be fine all winter. You could over inflate them a bit since tires tend to leak a little bit of air over time.

 

This is not good advice. Even at 40-45 PSI, you can get flat spots on the tires storing it for that long. The car doesn't have to be fully up on jacks, but I'd at least partially lift it to take most of the weight off of them. This also relieves the pressure on the suspension.

As far as oil, you should do it either before storing or before you drive it in the spring. There are advantages to both. Do it now and the engine isn't sitting with dirty oil, do it in the spring and you're not starting it with all of the oil drained to the bottom of the engine. Personally, I'd do it now. When spring comes around, you're going to want to drive it, and you won't have to change the oil then, just start it up, let it run for a bit, then drive it. After you take it off the jacks.

Also, fill the gas tank all the way up and put some fuel stabilizer in it. Disconnect the battery and take it inside where it's warm. You might also think about relieving the fuel pressure (start the car, pull the fuse to the fuel pump, wait for engine to die). A car cover might come in handy too. Lots of dust and stuff will get on the paint, making it more prone to scratches.

 

Same here and perfectly safe with today's synthetic oils. The 3000k mile interval is no longer necessary like it was 30 years ago.

 

But Tim, what if you have OCD? Changing oil 3 times a year makes me feel good....
Gary

 

Awareness is the first step Gary. You've taken the first step towards ... umm ... only changing it twice a year? Let's all thank Gary for sharing today.

 

And who says that an less laden car or increased right height for the suspension is better? Why? When a V35/z33 suspension is unsprung you are flexing the compression rod bushings into a state that would cause it to prematurely wear, ditto for the upper A-arm bushings since they are suppose to be tightened at ride height.

If you are worried about flat spot, you can buy circlular shaped ramps that will more evenly distribute the cars weight across a larger patch of the tire.

In the end, the OP is just looking for advice, but first hand experience is the only thing that can really be trusted.