Hello
I am taking my 2008 MX5 off the road for the winter and don’t no what to do to protect it fully.
Any advice would be great
Thank you
Most people these days tend to run the cars a bit more year round.
I would still take it out on the nice days in the winter, OK maybe December to January is a bit off the mark.
The old way was to take it off the road at the end of September and tax again in April to save 6 months tax. Now you can SORN it for a few months. Also not that much to be saved on insurance.
There is no need to do anything special for a few months off the road. Apart from disconnecting the battery.
Up here in Aberdeenshire we have our first club run in February and we have our last run this year all being well 1st December.
As Drumtochty says the procedure for taking off the road for a few months is nothing too arduous. The main aim is to keep the moisture out of the car whilst it’s laid up. I’m about to do this with my wifes car as I have for the last few years:
New oil & filter. Oil has a load of crap suspended in it from combustion so you don’t really want it sitting getting all acidy over the winter
Clean and dry the car and apply a nice coating of wax, leave the windows lowered slightly so they can’t stick to the rubber on the roof. A bit of silicone lube on the runners would not hurt either. Some people leave the roof unlatched so the roof won’t stretch. Definitely don’t leave the roof lowered, you’ll never get the creases out!
A full tank of fuel: This is to keep the condensation in the tank to a minimum. If it’s full there are not any surfaces it can condense on. Using the good stuff is also a good idea as it generally contains less ethanol which absorbs water
A battery conditioner connected or if you only have a normal charger disconnect the battery, put it on a bench and give it a monthly/bi monthly top up.
A rubber glove over the exhausts. Stops water getting in as it cools down.
Put the cover on once the car is completely dry in all it’s nook and crannies, check the boot opening, the door jams and the drain holes.
Don’t start it until you are ready to put it back on the road. A ten minute run every couple of weeks will not get the engine up to temperature properly, the water will reach operating temp but the catalyst and the combustion chambers will not thank you and the exhaust will have water in it. Leave it alone until spring.
Optional: Bung 50psi in the tyres to avoid flat spots. I never do this but others swear by it.
Depends if it’s garaged or out in the open. I agree with the previous advice apart from the full tank of petrol. Modern fuel deteriorates after about 6 to 8 weeks. You can buy fuel stabiliser to add to the tank though.
Thank you so much. Excellent advice which I will follow. At the moment I do have some moisture in the car and desparate for a dry day. Thankfully hood is tight with no leaks.
I do worry about the hood getting discolored. I am keeping everything crossed i may be able to store indoors. Failing that the advice you have given will go a long way to keeping it in good condition.
Thanks again
Sally
ours is on the drive.we have a half cover but we run the car all year round.seems to be fine.
Hi Colin
Ideally I would love to do that but my drive holds 3 cars and no room for MX5. Next yr when son moves out I can claim the double garage back?
I tax mine on monthly direct debit.
When I decide that it’s time to cover her up, I sorn it.
This way I get about 7 or 8 months road tax, without having to shell out the full amount.
I know it works out a little more expensive, but it’s a simple process.
Mine is in the garage from the end of October (maybe November) until April.
I’ll start it up a few times over this period, if only to move it out of the way whilst I work in the garge on something.
I’ve never had fuel go off by the way.
I’m sorry I assumed that you would be keeping it indoors. If you are going to be keeping it outside then things change a bit.
Moisture is obviously still the enemy but it’s not something you can avoid even under a cover. Personally I think rather than take it off the road for the winter I would just limit it’s use to days where the roads are not salty. A nice blast with the roof down, heatr on max on a fresh winters day will get all the moving parts up to temperature and clear a lot of the moisture build up. It will also prevent things from seizing up.
A hard top could also save a lot of hassle if it’s going to be sat in weather for a while
Quick question about SORNing. I also pay my road tax on a monthly direct debit and will be taking my 5 off the road this winter. Does the direct debit automatically stop or do you have to inform the bank or GOV.UK to suspend payments?
Your direct debit payment will be cancelled automatically by DVLA. Do check though with you bank that this has happened.
If you want to cancel (SORN) the tax on the vehicle whether paid in full or DD I would do it a few days before the date you want it to happen, eg if sorning from the start Nov then do it a few days before not on the 1st Nov or you will be charged for Nov if you follow.
You will be paying quite a chunk of admin on top of the prorata monthly rate.
Better to tax for 12 months from the 1st of month you intend to start driving and then sorn at the very end of the month you intend to stop driving. You would then get all full months unused but paid for car tax refunded with no admin cost(5%?). I do this each year on bike and car - cheques appear in the post automatically.
Thanks MickAP, found most useful…
Whose house is it? Tell him to park on the road
Now for some practical feedback.
My Son’s Eunos has been sitting on the drive unused for about a year under a full car cover with the handbrake off. I charged the battery occasionally and checked the tyres. The other week it started immediately but the brake discs needed cleaning with emery cloth and the calipers were binding. A diagnstic check showed no faults. Last Monday I got it MOT’d having rebuilt the calipers and everything worked but it struggled a bit on emissions until the engine was really hot and this was with “stale” petrol. It passed.
A 6 month layoff should be no problem if the car is kept under a full cover. I advise chocking the wheels, leaving the handbrake off, the windows lowered one inch and the types pumped up to about 32psi. Charge the battery monthly. These cars if in sound condition are remarkably resilient.
Thank you for the great advice. Got it all prepped todsy and undercover. Took nearly all afternoon as I wanted it to be spotless…worth it
Can’t we post pictures?
Thanks again Sally
Thank you for the great advice. Got it all prepped todsy and undercover. Took nearly all afternoon as I wanted it to be spotless…worth it
Can’t we post pictures?
Thanks again Sally
You can post pictures. Look in the folder ‘Forum rules and FAQ’ and read the third thread down headed - ‘Photo tutorial 2018’ - this should help.