Winter storage
10/18/14, 10:45 AM
#1
Winter storage
What does everyone do for winter storage?
I'm storing the boss today is it necessary to disconnect and remove the battery if in a heated garage? I've read that disconnecting the battery could mess with the electronics
I'm storing the boss today is it necessary to disconnect and remove the battery if in a heated garage? I've read that disconnecting the battery could mess with the electronics
10/18/14, 11:05 AM
#2
FR500 Member
I'll thoroughly clean and detail it before it goes into hibernation. Mine's a convertible, so the top and windows stay up, and will be under a cover....unheated garage though.
But I'm not disconnecting anything. I plan on starting it and letting it idle at least once a week. On those days where there's no ice/snow or salt, I'll take it for a spin around town, maybe on the highway just to keep it's juices flowing. And we do get those occasional 60 and 70 degree winter days here in the Northeast. During those times I'll drive it.
But I'm not disconnecting anything. I plan on starting it and letting it idle at least once a week. On those days where there's no ice/snow or salt, I'll take it for a spin around town, maybe on the highway just to keep it's juices flowing. And we do get those occasional 60 and 70 degree winter days here in the Northeast. During those times I'll drive it.
10/18/14, 11:17 AM
#3
Cobra Member
Detail it and I put those little moisture absorbing containers in the cabin. I tape a large tarp on the floor to keep away moisture that comes up from the concrete floor. Super soft cover goes on it. I will hook a battery tender on it and probably start it once and a while. I also take off the full insurance coverage since it will not be driven at all until next spring.
10/18/14, 01:12 PM
#5
FR500 Member
First, if you have a loan on the car your insurance company is required to notify the bank that physical damage has been removed, and the bank could possibly force you to reinstate coverage or provide you with an even more expensive policy.
If you own the car outright, it's still not a smart idea. While in storage in your garage, should a fire occur or the roof collapse onto the car, or if the car gets damaged in any way, you have no coverage. Your homeowner's policy specifically excludes damage to vehicles that you own.
Just prior to my retirement I handled and denied a claim under exactly those circumstances. A customer had an '07 Corvette Z06 which he was storing and removed the car from the policy during the winter. A tree fell on his unattached garage, destroyed the roof and crushed the car. It was a total loss. The damage to the garage was paid for under his HO policy, but he had no recourse for the Corvette.
If you're looking to save some money on insurance for your Mustang while not in use (and there's no loan on the car), you can:
Reduce your liabilty limits. In NJ for instance the minimum required by law is 15/30/5
Remove Towing and Rental coverge
Increase your deductibles for comprehensive and collision to $1000 or more. That'd be a big savings.
While it's probably unlikely that the car will get damaged in the garage, it does in fact happen. Why take the chance? And if it does happen, you're out of pocket the higher deductible instead of losing the whole car.
10/18/14, 06:18 PM
#7
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No its not. I have USAA and it states in the policy that while I have my car in storage should anything happen (fire, flood, house caves in lol) my stang will be covered.
Last edited by Ajcruz1; 10/18/14 at 06:20 PM.
10/19/14, 07:41 AM
#9
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Fill the gas tank, add stabilizer to the fuel, clean it, change the oil, add an extra 10psi to the tires, put on a battery tender, out of gear, no e-brake, use wheel chocks, cover it and leave it alone until spring.
Do not start the car unless you plan to drive it, and drive it enough to get everything up to full operating temps. At least 20 minutes, idling until the water temp is up is not enough. That does more harm than good. If you aren't driving it to temp, let it sit until spring.
Do not start the car unless you plan to drive it, and drive it enough to get everything up to full operating temps. At least 20 minutes, idling until the water temp is up is not enough. That does more harm than good. If you aren't driving it to temp, let it sit until spring.
10/19/14, 08:17 AM
#10
FR500 Member
Yes, you are correct. It doesn't matter where your car is stored, or where/how a loss occurs. The vast majority of auto policies provide coverage anywhere in the United States and in Canada.
But the key is having physical damage coverage (i.e collision and comprehensive).
If you remove physical damage there is no coverage for your car under your own auto policy, regardless of how a loss occurs, whether it be by collision, theft, or if the car was damaged while being stored. Period.
10/19/14, 10:30 AM
#11
Well it's stored I filled the tank put stabil in it cleaned it real good chocked the wheels no e brake out of gear and disconnected the battery. I threw some dryer sheets on the front and back seats and I also closed up the exhaust with some old t shirts and tape and put the car cover on, I left the driver window down a little bit so air can circulate a little.
Last edited by brc028; 10/19/14 at 10:32 AM.
10/19/14, 12:36 PM
#12
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Yes, you are correct. It doesn't matter where your car is stored, or where/how a loss occurs. The vast majority of auto policies provide coverage anywhere in the United States and in Canada. But the key is having physical damage coverage (i.e collision and comprehensive). If you remove physical damage there is no coverage for your car under your own auto policy, regardless of how a loss occurs, whether it be by collision, theft, or if the car was damaged while being stored. Period.
10/19/14, 02:15 PM
#13
FR500 Member
You don't need collision or comprehensive if your car is in storage. Why would you, it's not being driven? As I said before MY auto policy covers anything that will happen to it while in storage. If you drive it while under the storage mode than that's your fault. I don't see what your getting at bud. If any damage happens while in storage it covered. It all depends as each issurance company is different.
First of all, my name is Tom, not Bud. And you are 100% wrong.
I retired recently as an auto insurance claims adjuster after 34 years in the business. I've handled thousands and thousands of auto damage claims, too many to even estimate. During the last seven years of my career I was a total loss and salvage specialist having settled and assisted more than 25,000 total loss claims. I know of what I speak.
I'm not trying to get into a pi$$ing match with anybody. But there are many misconceptions about auto insurance and I simply want to make my fellow Mustang owners aware of the consequences of their actions should they decide to alter or remove the coverage temporarily on their cars. Most car owners haven't a clue about their auto policies, and what is, and what is not covered.
Automobile policies are generally standardized forms and with common, industry accepted language and definitions, and would apply no matter the state in which you reside or which carrier you are insured with.
Here's some basic definitions in an auto policy:
1) LIABILITY: coverage for injuries that you cause to others
2) PROPERTY DAMAGE: Coverage for damage you cause to someone else's property (auto, bicycle, mailbox, building, lawn, etc.)
3) COLLISION: applies to YOUR vehicle if you have an impact with another vehicle or object, or suffer overturn/upset of the car.
4) COMPREHENSIVE: coverage for YOUR vehicle in the event of fire, theft, vandalism, missles and flying objects, impact with an animal.
Liability insurance is mandatory in most states if not all. Physical damage (Collision/Comp) is not required by individual state law. However, if there is a loan on the car, your bank may require you to to carry Physical Damage on a car of which they are part owners.
If you store your car in your own garage and the roof collapses on the car, or if the garage/car gets flooded due to a storm, or the garage and car catches on fire, you are covered ONLY if you have Comprehensive coverage. If you store your car elsewhere and the same thing happens, you are covered if you have Comprehensive. The location where a loss occurs is inconsequential as long as it in the US or Canada.
If your neighbor's car goes out of control, smashes through your garage and damages your car (it does happen), you are covered under your policy ONLY if you have Collision.
However, if you DO NOT HAVE Physical Damage coverage, and a loss occurs in your garage, your auto policy will not respond; neither would your Homeowners Insurance since HO specifically excludes coverage for damage to vehicles that you own.
Damage to a car can occur for any number of reasons even while it's in storage. Just because it's not being driven doesn't mean there is no exposure to risk.
The decision is yours if you want to accept that risk in order to save what amounts to a few dollars compared to a loss in which you must absorb the full amount.
Argue with me if you wish, but before you do I suggest that you carefully read your auto and homeowner policies, or get an explanation from the insurance company or your agent.
10/19/14, 02:38 PM
#14
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
I spent 10 years in Alaska and have stored many cars. Not having comprehensive insurance on a stored car is beyond a bad idea... It's boarder line retarded.
I know that some owners mentality is "its tucked away and I'm not driving it, therefore I don't need to pay."
Just wait till a storage unit roof falls in on your car because of snow load...and it will.
Seriously, pay the comprehensive. No excuses.
I know that some owners mentality is "its tucked away and I'm not driving it, therefore I don't need to pay."
Just wait till a storage unit roof falls in on your car because of snow load...and it will.
Seriously, pay the comprehensive. No excuses.
10/19/14, 03:48 PM
#16
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First of all, my name is Tom, not Bud. And you are 100% wrong. I retired recently as an auto insurance claims adjuster after 34 years in the business. I've handled thousands and thousands of auto damage claims, too many to even estimate. During the last seven years of my career I was a total loss and salvage specialist having settled and assisted more than 25,000 total loss claims. I know of what I speak. I'm not trying to get into a pi$$ing match with anybody. But there are many misconceptions about auto insurance and I simply want to make my fellow Mustang owners aware of the consequences of their actions should they decide to alter or remove the coverage temporarily on their cars. Most car owners haven't a clue about their auto policies, and what is, and what is not covered. Automobile policies are generally standardized forms and with common, industry accepted language and definitions, and would apply no matter the state in which you reside or which carrier you are insured with. Here's some basic definitions in an auto policy: 1) LIABILITY: coverage for injuries that you cause to others 2) PROPERTY DAMAGE: Coverage for damage you cause to someone else's property (auto, bicycle, mailbox, building, lawn, etc.) 3) COLLISION: applies to YOUR vehicle if you have an impact with another vehicle or object, or suffer overturn/upset of the car. 4) COMPREHENSIVE: coverage for YOUR vehicle in the event of fire, theft, vandalism, missles and flying objects, impact with an animal. Liability insurance is mandatory in most states if not all. Physical damage (Collision/Comp) is not required by individual state law. However, if there is a loan on the car, your bank may require you to to carry Physical Damage on a car of which they are part owners. If you store your car in your own garage and the roof collapses on the car, or if the garage/car gets flooded due to a storm, or the garage and car catches on fire, you are covered ONLY if you have Comprehensive coverage. If you store your car elsewhere and the same thing happens, you are covered if you have Comprehensive. The location where a loss occurs is inconsequential as long as it in the US or Canada. If your neighbor's car goes out of control, smashes through your garage and damages your car (it does happen), you are covered under your policy ONLY if you have Collision. However, if you DO NOT HAVE Physical Damage coverage, and a loss occurs in your garage, your auto policy will not respond; neither would your Homeowners Insurance since HO specifically excludes coverage for damage to vehicles that you own. Damage to a car can occur for any number of reasons even while it's in storage. Just because it's not being driven doesn't mean there is no exposure to risk. The decision is yours if you want to accept that risk in order to save what amounts to a few dollars compared to a loss in which you must absorb the full amount. Argue with me if you wish, but before you do I suggest that you carefully read your auto and homeowner policies, or get an explanation from the insurance company or your agent.
10/19/14, 07:27 PM
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10/19/14, 07:37 PM
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Except I add Sta-bil to the tank - then fill it - then drive it to get the Sta-bil fuel throughout the system.
While I could use a battery tender, so far I have not needed to because I fire it up every 4-5 weeks and my battery keeps its charge fine.
I (do NOT lock it in the garage so the alarm is not set - some people have issues with dead battery and my guess is the alarm is a constant drain.)
I idle for several minutes (turning the AC on at first for a few minutes to lubricate the seals) in the driveway, then drive (with AC off so fan goes off) my dirt road to the highway and back in first gear (2-3k with some revs along the way), then idle in the driveway until the fan comes on.
Why do I do this? To lubricate the seals in the engine, trans, diff.
After 6 winters of this practice, I have zero leaks on my garage floor. Engine runs strong, 6 yr battery still strong (though this may be the last winter for it?)
Last edited by cdynaco; 10/19/14 at 07:43 PM.
