New car storage

[JoelB]

I live in Minnesota and we get some pretty serious winters which are always accompanied by some heavy road salt use. This makes me lean towards having a "winter beater" and storing my new car for about 6 months a year.

My concern is that while in storage for 6 months the oil will all drain back into the pan leaving little to no film on crucial engine components. So that first start after storing for so long will potentially damage the engine. I know in older cars you could prime the oil pump with a homemade tool using a modified distributor. But as far as i know this isn't possible on modern engines.

Are these concerns foolish? I'm still and oil noob at this point, but I'm trying to soak up some knowledge from the forums. The car is a 2016 Nissan versa and ill probable be running 5w-30 mobil 1 EP at the time of storage.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: JoelB
I live in Minnesota and we get some pretty serious winters which are always accompanied by some heavy road salt use. This makes me lean towards having a "winter beater" and storing my new car for about 6 months a year.

If you had some fancy exotic car, then having a winter beater to supplement it would make sense. But you are talking about a Versa here. Personally, I'd just drive it all year long. The car is there to serve you, and not the other way around.

Quote:
Are these concerns foolish?

Yes. Whatever the little damage that may happen in this situation isn't big enough to lose sleep over, in my opinion. The engine will still last longer than you care to keep the car.

 

[thr_wedge]

Please people just enjoy life.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: JoelB
Are these concerns foolish?

Yes.
Originally Posted By: JoelB
The car is a 2016 Nissan versa and ill probable be running 5w-30 mobil 1 EP at the time of storage.

In a couple years that will be considered a winter beater. Just drive it year round and save yourself the expense of having multiple vehicles.

 

[stephen9666]

If you're worried about rust get one of the oil-based undercoatings done and drive it all year. That's what I'd do.

 

[HemiHawk]

I kind of agree with just driving it all year long, maybe with making sure to get some automated underbody car washes from time to time.

That said, what I do when I haven't driven my mustang for a couple weeks if there is snow/salt out, is use the "clear flood mode". Most (maybe all?) newer cars have a function that lets the engine crank over without starting. In the case of a manual shift car, that is hold the clutch and gas pedal to the floor, and turn the key. This would still turn the engine over, but at cranking speeds to circulate some oil.

 

[RooflessVW]

Drive the car year round, keep it washed.

Back on topic, I store my car for a total of 270 days a year, 90 days at a time. I keep it on a battery tender and it always starts right up with no strange noises or problems.

Off topic again, my name is Joel B. too.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I'd get the thing rust checked and drive it through winter - it's a sort of grease undercoating that will help stop the car from rusting underneath. Throw some good wax on in the fall and some snow tires and it'll work great.

I have to agree that being a compact car and nothing too exotic, I'd just drive it rather than get a winter beater. I have a Ford Focus - it's just-a car. I did buy it new, and maintain it well ... but I can't see buying another car to keep the $12000 car from rusting out.

If you do put it up for winter, there will be no problems with it sitting for a few months. If it has a clear flood mode that may be useful. Just crank it over for a bit to run the oil pump without the engine firing off.

Also - I'm not sure M1EP is an ideal choice for this car. There is nothing wrong with it, and it is more than capable for an extended drain interval. But to keep the warranty in place, you're going to be dumping the M1EP a very long time before it needs to be dumped and wasting good oil and your money.

 

[JoelB]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I do tend to overthink things but i wanted to get the opinions of people who deal with oil more in depth than i do.

I realize the versa isn't a show car but being that i still have student loans to pay and at 26 I'm still fairly new into my career path it's what i could afford without a loan. I like to baby my cars weather it's a 20 yer old buick or a brand new nissan.

I'll most likely end up driving it and just keeping it washed whenever it's warm enough.

 

[IndyIan]

Unless you've already got a winter beater that's in good shape, I don't think it will pay off to keep the Versa off the road.
A road worthy beater is probably worth atleast $2k too, so if you sold it and invested the money, you might have a 1/3 of the next Versa saved up by the time you need to replace it, most likely 12+ years.

 

[Scum_Frog]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

If you had some fancy exotic car, then having a winter beater to supplement it would make sense. But you are talking about a Versa here. Personally, I'd just drive it all year long. The car is there to serve you, and not the other way around.


+1

If you are concerned about winter weather my suggestion is the look into Krown, Ziebart or another rust protection service to apply to your vehicle.

 

[JoelB]

As far as using Mobil 1 EP, I will be changing it every 5k miles with an OEM nissan filter to comply to the warranty. I work about 5 miles from home and do very little highway driving. My thought process is to just spend the extra money and keep some good synthetic in it to reduce sludge buildup. I only do 2 oil changes a year so cost isn't an issue.

 

[thr_wedge]

Originally Posted By: JoelB
Thanks for your replies everyone. I do tend to overthink things but i wanted to get the opinions of people who deal with oil more in depth than i do.

I realize the versa isn't a show car but being that i still have student loans to pay and at 26 I'm still fairly new into my career path it's what i could afford without a loan. I like to baby my cars weather it's a 20 yer old buick or a brand new nissan.

I'll most likely end up driving it and just keeping it washed whenever it's warm enough.


Good plan, drive it, wash it, enjoy it.

It's still going to depreciate at a rapid pace whether you drive it or not so you might as well enjoy the car.

 

[HemiHawk]

Originally Posted By: JoelB
As far as using Mobil 1 EP, I will be changing it every 5k miles with an OEM nissan filter to comply to the warranty. I work about 5 miles from home and do very little highway driving. My thought process is to just spend the extra money and keep some good synthetic in it to reduce sludge buildup. I only do 2 oil changes a year so cost isn't an issue.


I'm sure the cost difference, probably not much, but for that interval the regular Mobil 1 will be fine also. Of course the EP wont hurt.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: JoelB
I realize the versa isn't a show car but being that i still have student loans to pay and at 26 I'm still fairly new into my career path it's what i could afford without a loan.

So given that, why would you even think of getting a second car, and pay for extra insurance, maintenance, and repairs that it would require? Makes no sense to me.

Chances are, in a few years, when your career takes off, you'll be bored of this Versa and want to get something better/nicer. When you sell it, people won't pay you much (if any) premium just because you babied it and stored it for winter. Or, when you do buy something nicer in a few years, you can keep the Versa as your winter beater, in which case again, it won't matter much whether it was babied on not. But that's just me. If you enjoy babying the cars as a hobby, I can understand that. I used to be that way once when I was young and single.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: JoelB
As far as using Mobil 1 EP, I will be changing it every 5k miles with an OEM nissan filter to comply to the warranty. I work about 5 miles from home and do very little highway driving. My thought process is to just spend the extra money and keep some good synthetic in it to reduce sludge buildup. I only do 2 oil changes a year so cost isn't an issue.

I'm not sure there is anything in M1 EP that can prevent sludge buildup specifically. As a matter of fact, no oil can prevent fuel and moisture buildup that results from short tripping. Either find a way to take the car on a longer drive once in a while, or plan on changing the oil more often, in which case it makes no financial sense to buy expensive synthetic, unless your car manufacturer requires it.

 

[John_Conrad]

One other thing you should do, is go ahead and let your pet "mark" the tires before the friendly neighborhood dog does. It's like a right of passage, once this is done the car will be good to go.

 

[JoelB]

I should also clarify, I have no kids and lots of free time. So tinkering on cars and detailing are hobbies of mine.

 

[demarpaint]

Welcome to Bitog. Search the archives, the topic has been addressed several times. There's lots of good info.

 

[69GTX]

Should be a few times in a Minnesota winter where the roads are clear where you can get the car out for a 15 mile run. While sitting for 6 months is not a big issue, I'd rather run them every few weeks, or once a month as weather permits. Last winter in New England I was able to drive my "toy" nearly every 2 weeks.

After sitting for 8-48 hours most of the oil that is going to drain back to your oil pan has already done so. Whether you go 1 week, 1 month, or 6 months, about the same amount of oil will be clinging to your engine parts. And that clinging oil is what gives you added protection on the first 0-20 seconds of startup until the oil pump flow is fully established.