Tucking away for winter

[Mainy]

As the title says I'll shortly be tucking the R8 away for winter. The roads up here have already been gritted once and with the weather turning ever more $hitty its time to put my baby to bed for a while

I already have a nice R8 cover for it (thanks Matthew )

But is there any other steps I should be taking ?

Thanks in advance for your help

[RK07]

As the title says I'll shortly be tucking the R8 away for winter. The roads up here have already been gritted once and with the weather turning ever more $hitty its time to put my baby to bed for a while

I already have a nice R8 cover for it (thanks Matthew )

But is there any other steps I should be taking ?

Thanks in advance for your help

Being closer to the equator (marginal admittedly) you could lend it to me for the winter

On a side note I stayed up your way last night - the roads were bloomin awful this morning although the S3 coped marvellously

[Cdubya]

I'd do a couple of things:

Have the gas tank about 7/8 full. This ensures minimum condensation in the tank.

Keep the windows snug and check every couple of weeks for vermin/mouse invasion. They can get into amazing places and do incredible damage.

If the car isn't to be started or driven at all over a many month period, I've had good luck with attaching a trickle charger to the car and then running the charger through a timer so its only on about 1 hour per day. That's enough to keep all the electrics happy without any worry of overcharging.

Visit her occasionally (if you can) and remind her how much you love and miss her...

[Mainy]

Kind offer RK but I think I'll pass unless you just want to park it up in the showroom

Thanks for the advice Cdubya

Seems like I'll be purchasing a trickle charger real soon

What's everyones thoughts about the tyres ? Will they flatspot after 5-6 months of no use ? Would I be better taking the wheels off and putting the R8 on axle stands ??

[imclueless]

I was taught that tyres should be turned a quarter every month when in storage

[Mainy]

Thanks IC

I'm planning on taking the wheels off over winter for a good clean and seal as well but I'll add the roatation to the list as well.

[imclueless]

I plan to get it really dirty!

[Mainy]

Good man

Personally I couldn't bear the pain of seeing my car covered in the $hit that they grit the roads with up here, but I do admire everyone that uses the R8 as a daily driver in the UK

[imclueless]

There is picture of my car somewhere on here covered with snow and grit!

[BlueMax]

There has long been an argument over raising a car during winter storage and leaving it on the ground. In the end, leaving it on the ground with an elevated tire pressure seems to make more sense as no damage to the expensive shock absorbers occur when they remain fully extended.

Here's a brief list of what we do on our P-Cars prior to winter storage as I'm sure the same can apply to the wonderful R8:

1) Replace engine oil & filter
2) Top up fuel & add fuel stabilizer to the tank (StaBil)
3) Pump up all four tires to 50 PSI
4) Use 1 or 2 Amp trickle charger to keep battery full. Note that if you have a LoJack or Boomerang vehicle tracking module installed on your car, you may have to either run with a 2 Amp trickle charger leaving the battery connected or a 1 or 2-Amp trickle charger with the battery disconnected.
5) If storing car in an outdoor shed or garage, cover all intake and exhaust ports with material so that rodents will not nest in your ride
6) Do not wash the car immediately prior to storing. If washed, drive the car a bit to evaporate moisture
7) Do not start vehicle periodically during the winter months. Studies have shown that this procedure actually increases wear on engine and drivetrain components. The engine cylinders will always have a thin film of oil on them during the winter months. Also, you will accumulate moisture in your exhaust system which may eventually lead to premature corrosion of certain exhaust components.
8) If space permits, shift car to neutral (w/o starting) and periodically move the car frontwards and backwards to further reduce chance of flatspotting.
Using a piece of tape as a marker, mark all 4-wheels (once parked) to display tire position to ease choice of future positioning. I personally use four thick rubber mats under my tires to prevent them from staying in extended contact with the cold concrete during winter months. These mats are actually made from recycled rubber tires and are destined for use on outdoor stairways to prevent slippage. I've purchased two and cut them both in half.
I park my car, mark the area where the tires will be positioned during storage and then place the mats where the marks were made.

One important note is to remember to reduce the tire pressure back to factory specs prior to your first drive. Stay Safe!