[Mosaud1998]

I will be going to the city after the spring semester is over (5/19/2021) at my local community college. I am not sure if by the fall of next year classes will still remain online or be on campus. But, I am not going to be driving back and forth from the city to my house because it's almost an hour drive and 60 miles one-way trip. It's going to cost too much for me to drive back and forth plus, I don't want to drive back and forth to the city every day and risk missing a class. So, the BMW will be sitting at home in the garage for a week. My plan is to come home every weekend to see my family and probably drive the BMW around for maybe 20 miles round trip. (or around my block??). But the week it sits, how should I go about storing it? Would a car cover be necessary even though it is going to be sitting in the garage? What about the battery, fluids, etc?

[ewicky]

What type of temperature extremes are you expecting inside this garage?

Starting it once a week should be plenty.
If you were going to leave it for more than a month, general long-term storage is over-inflate tires, disconnect battery, crack the windows open. Little stuff like that. Even longer term storage might be fuel stabilizer or non-ethanol fuel if you can find it, car cover, and put the battery on a float charger.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by ewicky

What type of temperature extremes are you expecting inside this garage?

Starting it once a week should be plenty.
If you were going to leave it for more than a month, general long-term storage is over-inflate tires, disconnect battery, crack the windows open. Little stuff like that. Even longer term storage might be fuel stabilizer or non-ethanol fuel if you can find it, car cover, and put the battery on a float charger.

I mean right now it's 32ish degrees F outside. It's around 52-55 in the garage. Overnight it probably drops to 40-45. While I am in school, it'll be warmer outside. So, around 60ish in the garage?

I'll probably come home once a week every month so I can drive it during that time. The cars been sitting for a while because of covid. I probably drive it like 100 miles a month?

[BSM n54iS]

Just a ctek battery tender is all

[nsjames]

put the battery on a tender or disconnect it.

[Tunafish]

You wont have to do anything special.

[Vivek.]

I'd do nothing. If and only if the battery starts dying, hook it up to a battery tender (unless you already have one laying around, in which case it can't really hurt).

I left my e30 in the garage for months at a time when I was in college and had no ill effects. Tires would lose maybe 2psi over a semester, and I was 1800 miles away so I didn't see the car often and no one else started/drove it.

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by Vivek.

I'd do nothing. If and only if the battery starts dying, hook it up to a battery tender (unless you already have one laying around, in which case it can't really hurt).

I left my e30 in the garage for months at a time when I was in college and had no ill effects. Tires would lose maybe 2psi over a semester, and I was 1800 miles away so I didn't see the car often and no one else started/drove it.

an e30 has practically nothing that draws power when you turn the key.

you either kill a $200 battery or put it on a $25 tender.
or disconnect it.

[krhodes1]

The only thing you need to do is put a battery maintainer on it. And if you are only going to be gone a week at a time, you don't REALLY need to do that, but the battery will last longer if you do (and changing a battery in these cars is not that fun). And of course, if life happens and you stay in the city for a few weeks at a stretch, you will probably come home to a dead battery.

My e91 sits for up to nine months a year, every year for the past four years. Before that, it sat for four or five months a year for a few years. I didn't drive it in snow when I lived in Maine, and now that I winter in FL I am gone up to nine months a year.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

The only thing you need to do is put a battery maintainer on it. And if you are only going to be gone a week at a time, you don't REALLY need to do that, but the battery will last longer if you do (and changing a battery in these cars is not that fun). And of course, if life happens and you stay in the city for a few weeks at a stretch, you will probably come home to a dead battery.

My e91 sits for up to nine months a year, every year for the past four years. Before that, it sat for four or five months a year for a few years. I didn't drive it in snow when I lived in Maine, and now that I winter in FL I am gone up to nine months a year.

You don't drive or start the car once a week? I was reading that it's better to just leave the engine off then running it for 5 min. Or instead of just starting in for 5 mon once a week, it's better to just drive it for 20-30 min (15-20 miles round trip) so the car warms up once every two to three weeks.

[Wolf 335]

- battery tender
- shot of fuel stabilizer. Run engine with it so it gets into all of fuel system
- over pump up the tires a bit to avoid flat spots.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

You don't drive or start the car once a week? I was reading that it's better to just leave the engine off then running it for 5 min. Or instead of just starting in for 5 mon once a week, it's better to just drive it for 20-30 min (15-20 miles round trip) so the car warms up once every two to three weeks.

Nope -I'm 1600 miles away at my place in Florida all winter. The Florida cars sit down there over the summer. I do put fuel stabilizer in those cars, as my garage is 100+ degrees all summer. But no issues with either set of cars.

I've actually been storing my Spitfire over the winter for 25 years now. Just pull it in and plug it in. Start it up again in the summer.

The worst thing you can do is start the engine then not drive the car. It won't get warm enough to do any good. If you are going to start it, drive it long enough to get full up to temp. But just letting it sit all winter is just fine too.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

Nope -I'm 1600 miles away at my place in Florida all winter. The Florida cars sit down there over the summer. I do put fuel stabilizer in those cars, as my garage is 100+ degrees all summer. But no issues with either set of cars.

I've actually been storing my Spitfire over the winter for 25 years now. Just pull it in and plug it in. Start it up again in the summer.

The worst thing you can do is start the engine then not drive the car. It won't get warm enough to do any good. If you are going to start it, drive it long enough to get full up to temp. But just letting it sit all winter is just fine too.

You've got a point. If you started it, might as well just drive it to your local Walmart or something . I'm probably not going to add fuel stabilizer since I will most likely be coming home over the weekends. I'll probably drive the car to the grocery store to get some stuff to take back to the apartment downtown.

[JonOhh]

No need to worry about it. Last year mine sat at home for a month or so at a time and always started up like I had driven it the previous day... and that was with a tired and weak starter. I did this about 2-3 times over the course of the year.

If you have a parasitic drain issue, it may very well go dead in that time, plus some components of the car seem to use miniscule amounts of power when off by design, however at least on my 06, a couple of weeks is no big deal at all.

Personally, I'd rather it sit for a longer amount of time than periodically take it on short drives where the engine oil does not reach operating temperature. If you're going to drive it after it sitting, it needs to be a longer drive, say 15-20 minutes in order to rid the oil(s) of any moisture.

[S65Hunter]

I dont get the reasoning for not just taking it with you to school. How will you be getting around while in school? How will you be going home and back to school on the weekends?

[eljay]

Originally Posted by Wolf 335

- battery tender
- shot of fuel stabilizer. Run engine with it so it gets into all of fuel system
- over pump up the tires a bit to avoid flat spots.

This is all you need.

Also, a note on battery tender: connect it to the connections under the hood, not on the battery terminals.

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by AlpineE93

I dont get the reasoning for not just taking it with you to school. How will you be getting around while in school? How will you be going home and back to school on the weekends?

because city parking costs and public transportation?

[S65Hunter]

I guess. But paying for public transportation around for the week, then a 2 hour round trip every weekend seems like its gonna cost more, but then again idk the full situation. Id assume if staying at a dorm or apt there would be parking. Plus a 2 hour round trip on the weekends isn't even too bad, but thats just me.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by AlpineE93

I dont get the reasoning for not just taking it with you to school. How will you be getting around while in school? How will you be going home and back to school on the weekends?

The University I am attending gives students a pass that makes bus rides free.

My dad can pick me up on his way home from work on Friday and drop me off Sunday on his way back to work.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by nsjames

because city parking costs and public transportation?

Plus gas in the city is around $5/gallon and people in the city don't know how to park . I don't want to take my BMW way out in the city and end up having to buy new wheels or side mirrors the next day I can also walk or take a bike

[S65Hunter]

Well thats very convenient. As far as storage goes, I think you'll be fine with doing pretty much nothing. My e93 sat for 2.5 years before I owned it, when I went to pick it up I jump started it and it fired right up and I've never had any battery related issues.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by eljay

This is all you need.

Also, a note on battery tender: connect it to the connections under the hood, not on the battery terminals.

How much fuel stabilizer should I put? Any specific brand recommended?