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NSX in garage in winter?

Over 90 percent of the owners in my neck of the woods. Probably the same for most northern locations, while few if any do this in the Sunbelt.

Only thing I do different from the rest of the year is to plug in one of those battery chargers, the kind that monitor the charge and only recharge it when the voltage drops below a certain point.

Oh, and I discontinue the liability coverage on my insurance while it's in hibernation. Saves big bucks.
 
I store mine in the winter. I switch back to the stock wheels and take out the battery.

I don't know exactly the best way to store the car but I've been doing this for 9 years and the NSX is fine.

Does anyone know if I should start it and let it idle for a few minutes once in a while or should I just leave it? So many people tell me different things when it comes to storing their cars.
 
Does anyone know if I should start it and let it idle for a few minutes once in a while or should I just leave it?

I just leave mine. For ten winters, I haven't had any problems.
 
Wouldn't you want to start it once in awhile to keep the gears & all the mechanical parts lubricated and in working condition to make sure that parts are not sitting for long periods of time. I'll keep mine in the garage during the rainy days, but will drive it on sunny days(which are pretty rare in Seattle during the rainy seasons). 2 years ago, we had a record of 90+ days of rain. Mount Baker ski resort had to shut down for awhile because the snow had reached the bottom of the lift chairs.
 
The last thing you would want to do is to start it for a few minutes every now and then. I have an antique car that I would start once every two or three weeks in the winters. When spring arrived and I took it out for a blast, the muffler had rusted right through (due to condensation from short warm-ups). I do start my NSX in the winters when it's clear and the roads are dry, then take it out on the freeway to get the exhaust very hot - then park it back in the garage. Failing the freeway blast, you would be better off not starting it at all during the winter.
 
A few other things I do before winter storage:
The obvious wash & wax and changing the engine oil. Seal the ends of the exhaust pipes with saran wrap (incase mice decide to make a nest in my NSX). Do not jack the car up in order to take the self weight off the tires - this damages the seals in the shocks from over extension. A Porche owner told me that their (Porche) club recommend putting 50 to 60 psi in the tires and roll the car every now and then so a "flat spot" does not occur. That's all I do before storing it for the winter.
 
I just take mine out every two weeks, when it's dry and sunny. I make sure to drive it on the highway at least 20 minutes to, heat up the exhaust & recharge the battery.

I wouldn't do that because (a) the roads are very salty in our area, even when it's dry the salt is going to get on the finish; (b) you have to keep your insurance coverage; and (c) it's just not necessary IMHO.
 
Why would you change the oil before storing it? That is if you don't start it during the winter? Thats the first thing I do when I get it out for the summer is change the oil.

I read in the FAQ to inflate the tires but since my factorys are bald I just switch to them. I did jack mine up for a few years with no problem, but after reading the FAQ I dicided to switch to the factories.

Driving mine in the past was out of the question cuz the snow accumulates in FEET not inches here. But since El Nino we haven't had much snow at all! Last year we didn't have snow sitting on the ground for more than 2 months I'd say. Thanks El Nino!
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Anymore storage info would be great.


[This message has been edited by PUREVIL (edited 29 September 2000).]
 
For the extra $20 of oil, I just prefer to have all the rubber oil seals soaking in clean oil as opposed to contaminated oil - (not that I ever let the oil turn black). If you're going to change the oil in the spring anyways, why not do that oil change in the winter before storing the car? Will the oil break down in cold temps?
 
I don't know but I know the most miles I put on in a summer is about 1100 so the oil isn't really "bad" and when I start it in the spring I like to have fresh oil not some thats been sitting in the car all winter. But thats my opinion.
 
In response to nsxtacy let me say the main reason I drive it in winter is because I want to. It seems like after two weeks I go through NSX withdrawal. I tried to store it the first winter I had it, but that period ended up being about 25 days (end of Dec to mid Jan). I just had to drive it.
 
Or South Florida. I feel for you Biophase. I can't image what it would be like to not drive the car for 25 days. And for those of you that store your cars for the entire winter without driving them, I commend you for exercising self-control to the 100th power.
 
Or, u can move to sunny california
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Where the housing costs twice as much and there's lots more traffic, too.
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No thanks.
 
My NSX is relatively new to me, and this will be my first winter with it. However, I had an RX7 prior that I stored for several winters. In the entire time that I owned it, I never really knew whether what I did was right, but it always seemed logical to try to drive it for at least a short distance every couple of weeks. When there was too much snow/salt/moisture on the roads, I'd drive it around (and around, and around) a circular section of my driveway for 10-15 minutes. (I'm sure this confirmed my neighbors' suspicion of my insanity.) At any rate, not driving a car for extended periods is said to lead to brake caliper corrosion. Running the air conditioner periodically (even on cold winter days) supposedly helps lubricate AC compressor seals and extend the compressor's life. My experience in dealing with the battery is as follows: disconnect it during storage intervals. It should hold its charge without the current demands from radio memory, clock, etc. Trying to leave the battery connected during the winter and periodically charge it up seemed to pretty reliably wreck batteries for me.
And, for whatever it's worth, the NSX owner's manual does recommend running the car periodically during storage (don't have the manual in front of me now, and can't remember the exact wording).
Apologies for the lengthy message.
 
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