Winter Strategies

I just took delivery of a new 2011 M3. Drove it home last night and the small dusting of snow we received showed me how sensitive the tires are to weather. More snow is expected This weekend so it looks like it will be staying in the garage for the next three or four months (my X3 will be my snowmobile). I am curious what strategies are employed to keep an M3 happy during this period of inactivity as even short drives may be impractical on wintery roads and driveways.

Easiest way to store a vehicle under these conditions?

Is your garage heated or no?

Simplest storage advice (if you're not going to drive it for a while). Run the engine for at least 30 minutes per week.

As long as the garage doesn't get below freezing too much, your should be should be fine.

Normally if the car didn't get driven for a while, you'd want to inflate the tires to high pressure to keep from flat spotting, but if you've got an M3, you likely have run flats, which don't require inflation.

M3 on Ice Skates?

@ bcweir:

Congrats on the new M3. YOU WILL LOVE IT!

My 2011 got snowed on last night as well, but it wasn't enough to cause trouble on the way home. It is time to mount my snow wheels and tires package!

I don't know where the you live, but chances are you will have plenty of decent non-snow days when you can drive the car (on the Summer tires) a couple times a month. With a brand new battery, if you can run it once a week for better than a half hour, you will be fine.

M3 Tires: Um, No. echanda is not correct.

M3s DO NOT come with run-flats.
If you have Michelin PS2s I would not worry about flat spotting.

Can't speak for the other OEM Continental tires about flat spotting.
Just get it up to highway speed every so often and you'll be fine.

If you need battery maintenance, I recommend CTEK battery chargers:
http://www.quadratec.com/products/97004_1010.htm (Full Disclosure: I work for Quadratec, but its a universal automotive product)

I have one that I use to maintain my 95 M3 track car (which sits for prolonged periods!)

I think you got your names crossed there, Dave...all that M Power get to your head?

Thanks for the input!

Garage is not heated, but doors are insulated so heat leaking from house to garage keeps the temperature higher so that should be helpful.

Interesting, the customer service folks at the dealer tried to insist that I had run flats, but I don't. The supplemental M3 manual actually states that the normal maintenance manual is in error when it suggests that M3s have run flats. Perhaps that is contributing to the confusion on this point.

I do LOVE this car. I have driven it all week and will try and get one more session in before Sunday's snowstorm. Already feeling sadness at the thought of leaving it in the garage for the winter after owning it for less than a week. However, I experienced a little drift coming down my driveway this morning and I couldn't live with myself if I damaged an M3 that doesn't even have 500 miles on the odometer. While I am considering getting snow tires so I can at least get it some exercise over the long winter, with the snow coming Sunday it may already be too late. I'll need snow tires to get to someone who can put on said snow tires. I live in Northwest CT, so I will run it for 30 minutes each week to keep it in shape and hope for warmer winter days to clear enough ice and snow to allow for a jaunt around the neighborhood.

If I run it for 30 minutes each week, how do I know when a battery charger is needed?

You can always buy a winter tire package that includes wheels and tires from TireRack. Simply mount the wheels yourself! It does not take more than 45 minutes and you don't ruin your nice M3 wheels.

Sounds like a reasonable solution if dry roads end up being infrequent this winter.

I just looked up Tirerack and they were only offering the Michelin PA2s for the 2011 M3 sedan but they are sold out. The PA3s are a much better tire. I think this is the only option as they are staggered. It does not look like you can downsize to 17s as maybe the brakes won't clear 17 inch rims. In Canada, BMW Canada offers the 18 inch Double Spoke 270M wheels with Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 winter tires but they want $4,062.50 CAD. That is ridiculous! Gary at TireRack is an excellent resource so maybe he could provide some insight (gary@tirerack.com).

BTW - Car looks amazing.

BavAuto also sells winter tire packages with the phenomenal Nokian Hakka Rs. For $1779.95, they come with the 18 inch Hakkas and Beyern Mesh wheels.

Wow! That is quite a difference.

I have to decide if I want to drive this car in the winter or not. I could wait until next winter and put snows on my existing 18 inch rims or I could go this route, save the wear and tear no the existing rims and be able to get the car out of the garage more often this winter.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Here's how to handle this ...

What you should do is drop the car by my house for the winter and let me look after it in a professional manner for you. This will include meticulous washing, waxing, vaccuming, and other required maintenance that ordinary people should not attempt. To prevent carbon and moisture build-up, flat-spotting of the tires and battery draw-down, I will drive it all the freaking time, just to help you out. Pay no mind to the fact that I live in Iowa - I will be dodging the snowflakes.

LOL! Thanks for your generous offer.

Put a Battery Tender on it and leave it plugged in when the car isn't in use. Simply forget about it.

Problem solved.

The C-Tek battery tenders are amazing. They are the OEM charger for Porsche and several other car companies.

CTEK Charger

Guys:
Sorry for the names confusion... Now I see I got the first two posters mixed up.

FYI: The CTEK Charger can maintain the battery without overcharging it.

So if you really want worry-free battery management during the winter, you can't miss with one of those.

They are available elsewhere, but let me know if you want one.

+1 Nokian are the best snow tires I have ever owned.

I just took delivery of a 04 m3. My first bmw! I had winter rims and tires(blizzak ws 70 - 17") put on from the gitgo. Works awesome in Minnesota. I went to high school in a Ford Granada with RADIALS! We are all truly so spoiled by all the technology in so many ways. The new m3 is outstanding but doesnt do u any good in a garage! Get tires and drive! Who u saving it for? The next owner.......

Really???
ANYTHING I recommend?

(rubs hands with evil laugh like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons).