Hello. I am new member and first time BMW owner. I drive a 2001 330ci convertible manual transmission with 110K miles. I live in the northeast, and I am planning on storing the convertible in an unheated garage from November 15th to April 15th. I will only have occasional access to the car (maybe two or three times) throughout the winter. These are the preparations that I have planned for: Change the oil and filter Clean thoroughly Block the air intake and exhaust Top off the gas tank and add a fuel stabilizer Leave the car in neutral and "chock" the tires Cover the car with a car cover Are there any other preparations that I should take? Do I need to remove the battery? If I do remove the battery, will I have to have a dealer reset any of the electronics in the spring? Thank you, in advance, for the advice. Seth
Seth first welcome to the club and forums. Looks like you got pretty much all the points for storage covered. If you can't put trickle charger on the vehicle then yes remove the battery and charge it while its out over the winter. There isn't anything the dealership would have to reset for a battery replacement. You will have to reset the time though.
A couple of other things to think about. Add 10 extra pounds of air pressure to the tires to help keep round. Park each tire on something other than concrete, a tile or 1/4" piece of plywood. I keep at least 3/4's of a tank of gas with stabilizer, but I read another opinion that is to keep just a minimal amount of gas in the tank. In either case I would still add stabilizer to prevent any water in the gas issues. If you have (dessicant?) packs available leave every where in the vehicle, inside front and rear, in the trunk, in the engine compartment. If you are in Maine, check out the Pine Tree Chapter of BMW CCA. They recently published an article about winter storage. You can also check with Bavarian AutoSport and the BMW CCA Tech Talk archives about seasonal storage. Russ, '01 330CiC (love that car)
I would scatter a few glue traps (mice) around the car. You might also try to find some ethanol-free gas (pure-gas.org) to help prevent water buildup; do put some stabilizer in, too.
