I would put "Stabil" in the fuel, per instructions. Coolant should be somewhat fresh, like not 10 years old or anything. Disconnect battery, but jam open the rear hatch, since the hatch handle won't work without power. Change the oil when you start it up in the Spring. Off load the tires a bit if you can, to avoid flat spots.

 

...and fill the tank to the top. You don't want moisture condensing in the tank.

 

The best advice possible. Ethanol fuels will phase separate once a certain amount of water is absorbed. Also change oil now not the spring. Water that condenses inside a running engine (from hydro carbon fuels) is acidic. The water gets steamed off but leaves the acid portion behind. Modern oil obviously has additives and modifiers to counter act this but why leave it to sit in your engine over the winter? Come spring all you will have to do is wash it and be gone.

 

I always recommend filling the tank with non ethanol fuel if possible and adding seafoam to the fuel to keep it from going bad.

Adding a little extra oil is never bad as it will keep more of the internals coated.

I would also put a maint battery charger on it such as the Ctek
https://www.waymotorworks.com/ctek-a...y-charger.html

I also add extra air to the tire, and I've parked on cardboard before to help reduce flat spots.

Moth ***** are also great to keep animals from eating wiring.

 

Turning on the air re-circulation will close the flapper that will keep rodents out of your HVAC and not storing their winter supply of food in your air intake.

 

this☆Is a great idea!

 

I used to have to park my MIni for 3-5 months at a time in a field for deployments. It was technically a "secured parking lot" but was really just a grass field with a fence around it. I've done most of the things listed except worry about flat spots in tires or suspension.

Depending on age, the battery could go low in as little as a week or two if left connected to the car. To disconnect it, all you really need to do is disconnect the positive (red) cable. I did not have the luxury of leaving the hatch open, so I had the joy of climbing to the back from the front door to reconnect the battery. The best thing to do is leave it all connected and put it on a trickle charger as mentioned.

At first I worried about the fuel, then I realized that I parked close enough to a gas station that i stopped topping it up, then I stopped filling it up and parked near empty for several deployments. These are poly tanks, they wont rust. If the car isn't being run, then there is less opportunity for condensation and unless you have a very high strung engine, it will run with a little extra moisture in the fuel. It is not a diesel engine after all. Plus, the lower the tank level, the more fresh fuel you can get into the tank to dilute the older stuff.

One last thought. About a month ago, I pulled a R52 Justa out of long term storage. It spent 3 years parked on an open trailer in a storage yard waiting for an engine and transmission replacement. I did nothing with the fuel system as I never expected it to be parked for more than a month or two and after that never got around to it. We got the engine and transmission replaced and I started it up last Sunday, for the first time in three years. The fuel gage indicates that it is about empty and apart from some smoke, some of which could be from oil entering the exhaust when the previous engine failed, it idles and revs smoothly. Not bad for 3yo fuel with 10% ethanol.

 

Guys thanks for help.

I am not worried about tires, by spring i will replace them ( maybe even put 17 rims and tires) and hopefully by that time new brakes, wheel hubs, axle shafts and maybe exhaust will be replaced as well

Anyway Mini will get fuel tank and Stabil for sure. Regard oil, so far i was using full synthetic oil and i will change now and if necessary in spring again

Since garage is 10 min away from home i will probably start Mini once in 2 weeks, it will get nice buff, new Hella 500 driving lights and cover is ready as well ..

 

I forgot to mention. If you leave the emergency brake set for several month in a row, you may have an issue with the pads sticking to the rotors. It breaks free relatively easy, but it caught me off guard the first time it happened.

 

We put our Minis in storage for about 4 months. I start them once a week and run them around the facility 2 miles or so. Did this last year.

I am lucky that the place is 3 minutes from me.

If not....follow advice from above.

Plus the winter fuel is junk !!!!!