Hi All, I'm considering storing my Mini for the winter. It would be great to get advice from those who have stored. Should I use a battery tender ..... what about run flat tires .... fluids etc. Heated storage vs. cold? Thanks

 

The batteries will not last long (several Weeks) without the tender. The computer will drag it down.
I would commend a monthly start. Oil seals will dry out. Also, cycle Air Conditioner for the same reason. The nature of the Freon is that in relaxes in cold temps. So the gas escapes as temps drop.
good luck!

 

Just for winter storage:
1. Fill up fuel tank. Condensation builds up in an empty or low tank.
2. Add Sta Bil fuel stabalizer. Drive car around a little to mix it up and get it all the way through the fuel system.
3. Disconnect battery and use a battery tender or give it a little charge now and then.
If you can crank it every so often that would be good but you don't have to for just a few months. Oh and don't forget to get kleenex for your tears when you miss driving it....

 

Most important part.

Yup, just make sure all fluids are full, tires are full, gas tank is full with stabilizer and you should be good with a battery tender.

I am most likely going to be going down the same path when I get mine too.

 

On other cars (not MINI), I've left the trickle charger on through the winter with the battery connected. In this way you don't need to reset all the computer settings that get erased after battery disconnect. Is the MINI different? Need the battery be disconnected before connecting trickle charger?

 

The difference in a Battery tender and just using the trickle charge mode on a normal charger is the micro chip that detects when the battery is fully charged, stopping the trickle charge until the micro chip detects a low condition in the battery, starting the trickle charge again. This maintains the battery in a full charge condition with out over charging. A normal trickle charger will just continuously charge the battery and the excess charge will be disipated through the release of heat, possibly damaging the battery. You should always disconnect your battery when charging to protect the electrical system (ECU) from any possible surge that could damage the system and your wallet. 2cents

 

If you are going to not drive it at all for six month, do what has been suggested except add this.
1. Put it on jackstands to avoid flat spotting the tires
2. Leave the battery connected but start and run it say once a week for a few minutes to ensure tha the battery stays charged.

 

If you do not want to put it on jack stands, inflate your tires to +5 lbs more than recommended to make sure it does not have flat spots. If you drive it around a little every week or two, you will not get the flat spots as well. When I store cars, I do not have that option due to snow and performance tires.

I also do an oil change and run the car for at least 1/2 hour before storing. Then clean everything. When I am not too lazy, I will also wax the car (but this is a nice to do only). Oil/lube what you can, door handles, hinges etc...

Good recommendation to buy a good battery tender to avoid boiling the battery. I have one from BMW, and one from Porsche and like the BMW one better. I have always kept the battery connected and never had a problem for the last 20 + years of storing cars over winter. I thought that is what the battery tender is supposed to charge up. If you choose to disconnect the battery, wrap the negative end well so it does not short out if it accidentally touches something (+).

Not sure why you are storing a Mini. Put some snow tires on and they are great in the snow with FWD etc...

 

I store all my summer toys during the winter; I use an AWD truck in winter

Storage procedure:
1. Take it out for a last drive, go somewhere nice, make an afternoon trip.
2. Fill the fuel tank completely, before you leave the gas station add fuel stabilizer.
3. Change the oil, check the tire pressure, all fluids, lights etc.
4. Wash, clean, detail, and wax the vehicle.
5. Park it where it will be stored.
6. Disconnect the battery from the system, attach it to a trickle charger.
7. Cover it with a good soft cloth breathable cover.
8. Once a month remove the cover, connect the battery start it up, if and only if the roads are still nice enough, take a trip around the block.
9. Put it back away the same as before.

I do this with all my summer toys, my batteries last forever, haven't had any maintenance issues.

 

I also store my car inside my garage for 5 months and all the suggestions above are very good. Mine is:
1. Power wash the underside of the car & give a good washing & car waxing.
2. I fill up the tank full & add Stabil or Lucas fuel stabilizer.
3. I inflate the tires to 45 psi.
4. I hook up a tricklke charger with overcharging protection for overnight every other day.
5. I apply Meguires Rubber/Vinyl conditioner to door seals & seats.
6. I start my car every 2 weeks & let it run for about 15 minutes to take out all the water condensation.
7. When starting or running, I run the A/C for 5 minutes to seal O-rings in the AC unit & compressor. I also put my heater on to circulate the coolant in the heater core & prevent rusting.

 

I stored my mini from Dec 15th, until March 15th this past year. All I did was fill the tank, and put some fuel stabilizer, and covered it. In march, she started right up. no worries.

 

IMO this starting for 15 min once every few weeks is bad... first off dry starts are the hardest for the car and 15 min will never burn all the moisture out of the exhaust

ive been storing cars for years
either remove battery or trickle charge on it
wash and clean car inside and out
inflate tires to max, IMO its bad to put on jackstands as it leaves suspension hanging
full tank with stabil
top off all fluids
put some dryer sheets in the car to keep rodents away and a box of baking soda to absorb moisture
alos plug exhaust with rag to keep animals out

in spring remove rag, and the baking soda and dryer sheets, hook up battery and fire it right up. been doing this to a number of different cars for years

check pressure in tires and I let car run till temp starts climbing a bit then drive it easy till its full warmed up then let her rip

 

Lots of good advice here so far. Here is my $0.02

- Fuel stabilizer will prevent varnish buildup in the engine. Make sure to run the car with the stabilized fuel so it gets into the engine.
- Do not use a battery trickle charge, overcharging can lead to sulphonation of the battery. Use a battery tender http://www.batterytender.com/. The ones that plug into the cigarette lighter require that the lighter plug be active when the car is off. Porsche and Audi are like that, I don't think MINI or BMW are.
- Do not run the engine during storage for a few minutes. H2O is a combustion byproduct and if the engine is not run until it is at full operating temp, the water will condense and corrode the engine/exhaust from the inside.
- Plug the exhaust with steel wool or something else that rodents can't gnaw through. Put a sticky note on your dash to remind you to remove the plug in the spring.

 

everyone for all the advice .... wow, lots to think about.
I drove the Mini last winter, and my commute is on a busy highway that uses tons of salt. I'm in southern Ontario and we can get some pretty heavy snowfall. Front end got a fair bit of nicks. Got it fixed in the spring and had the invisible bra put on. This winter I plan to store it and I'm lucky enough that I can. Not looking forward to a long winter without my car though