Cold weather use

[bigpeps52]

I have a 1999 Cab 2 with 36k miles on it and it runs great. I live in the northeast so when the weather is bad I definitely wont use. It is garaged but there is no heat in there. Will starting it up once a week and driving it a little keep it juiced? Is there anything else I should do. The oil was recently changed. I also have a battery trickle charger just in case.

[therock88]

I have a 1999 Cab 2 with 36k miles on it and it runs great. I live in the northeast so when the weather is bad I definitely wont use. It is garaged but there is no heat in there. Will starting it up once a week and driving it a little keep it juiced? Is there anything else I should do. The oil was recently changed. I also have a battery trickle charger just in case.

I would do as you suggested, but you should also invest in a battery maintainer. I would suggest the automatic versions...That is what I use. Charges and then turns off...then chargers and turns off as needed etc...

Usually called battery tender or maintainer. That is your best bet. The starting and running a little will also help keep the engine well oiled. May want to put fuel stabilizer as well if it will sit for long.

Good luck.

DC

[BostonC4Scab]

I live in the northeast as well. I heard that you are better not to run the car unless you can put 25 mile or so on it. Running it a short period of time does not allow the moisture to burn off...which you can see dripping from the tail pipe. Can anyone comment on this?

[dgcook]

The ideas above sound good if you want to let the car sit much of the time. An alternative philosophy is--Why hibernate? The best reason for owning a Porsche is to drive it. Winter roads can be tough some of the time (I lived most of my adult life in the Northeast and know what you mean). But but sitting in the garage your 911 is just getting older and so are you. I have the same model as you and am finding it handles even very poor road conditions pretty well. Someone on this forum commented that driving a Porsche in the winter is fine if you view it merely as a "driving appliance". Maybe so---but what a splendid appliance it is. Will this shorten the overall lifespan of the car? Some. But for me the marginal consumption is more than offset by the gains. I look forward to every driving opportunity, rain or shine. Otherwise long winters really would get bleak.

Dave

[bigpeps52]

The ideas above sound good if you want to let the car sit much of the time. An alternative philosophy is--Why hibernate? The best reason for owning a Porsche is to drive it. Winter roads can be tough some of the time (I lived most of my adult life in the Northeast and know what you mean). But but sitting in the garage your 911 is just getting older and so are you. I have the same model as you and am finding it handles even very poor road conditions pretty well. Someone on this forum commented that driving a Porsche in the winter is fine if you view it merely as a "driving appliance". Maybe so---but what a splendid appliance it is. Will this shorten the overall lifespan of the car? Some. But for me the marginal consumption is more than offset by the gains. I look forward to every driving opportunity, rain or shine. Otherwise long winters really would get bleak.

Dave

You got a good point here. I was planning on driving it as much as possible but i work in NYC and commute from the burbs so i really only drive it on the weekends If we get a snowy streak it could be weeks before the side roads clear..Unlike some of my other cars this car doesn't do well until it get really warmed up.What I really would like to do is get a newer one c4 and drive that all time while keeping this baby as well :thankyou:

[dgcook]

Love the sound of your idea about the C4. Sounds way better than those dismal commutes on the Metro North. When I was there the only redeeming quality of taking the train was the "bar-car" they plugged in for the ride out of the city. Basically I think the well-placed value most folks put on their Porsches can sometimes detract from enjoying them when we lock them up like Rapunzel to protect them from the real world.

Best of luck with the commute.

Dave

[scottiemac]

Suggest you do as the BostonC4 said and get a battery tender. Starting it up occasionally is actually not great unless you bring the engine up to full temp for a while. If you don't warm it up fully you'll likely start to see evidence of the milky condensation crud that builds up on the oil filler tube.

[RatboneRanch]

I've been a member of the "park it with a battery tender and forget it all winter" crowd, but last spring when I started my 996 it had sat so long it took a good 5-10 minutes of idling for the lifters to quiet down.