Winter hibernation

[7oaks]

Hi All, first winter as a Caterham owner fast approaching.

Any tips for keeping the car healthy, I have a garage and happy to take out on the dry days, avoiding freshly salted roads if possible.

Wondered about petrol tank, is it best fully brimmed or near empty? Oily bits and brakes, anything else?

Will have a trickle charger but may have to take battery out of car to connect it, as no power in that garage.

Thanks!

 

[Wrightpayne]

Over inflate the tyres to avoid flat spots.

 

[Piers300]

There are battery chargers and there are battery chargers!!!

The old fashioned trickle charger is not good for Caterham batteries unless monitored constantly. The problem is that in “boost” or “ trickle “ charge setting, the charging voltage and current remain constant. So it you forget about it, it will ruin your battery. It is however good at charging completely flat batteries.

what you need is a constant potential charger. This is fully automatic and can be left on 24/7. With this type of charger, as the voltage in the battery rises, so the current reduces. When the battery charger voltage and battery voltage are the same, then current ceases to flow. I.e. it’s switched on, but it is not charging. If the battery discharges, the battery charger will automatically start charging again, till the battery is charged.

I have an Accumate and it’s been in the same battery for 8 years. There are a number of other quality chargers and it’s worth paying for a good one. Most have the facility for quick connection.

Piers

 

 

 

 

 

[TomB]

It depends were you live I think.  For me in the soggy northwest, I tend to SORN it November-March using the time for tinkering.  Its semi-permanent damp with slime, so I prefer to hibernate the car and play with it in the garage.  There are so few of the classic dry, salt free & sunny days and they'll rarely combine with a window of opportunity for a run for me at least.  

[Geoff Brown]

If you don't over inflate the tyres occasionally move the car manually back & forward in the garage but don't come to rest on the same spot if you can help it. 

Petrol tank almost brimming helps prevent condensation forming inside.

If the weather prevents driving then monthly start & run the engine for about 25 minutes or till the fan comes on. At the same time move it back & forward under power - this stops the clutch from sticking & keeps the bits that need to move moving - ish. 

If the car is not to be driven for a lengthy period disconnect the battery and/or connect a good maintenance charger. 

Copious amounts of WD40 or similar wiped over the back end - chassis, De dion etc. Especially after a winter drive. There will be some tiny nibbly white bits appear on the powder coat.

After the winter lay over carry out all the normal service procedures for that particular year.

 

 

[mandalman]

As a new owner I am wondering the same thing as this will be my first winter.

At the moment it is on my drive under a Classic Additions all weather cover (I do not have a garage at my house) but I intend to move it to a garage that I rent about a mile away. Unfortunately the garage does not have any electricity..

I was intending to connect it to a solar powered charger such as the ECO-Worthy 60W Monocrystalline Solar Panel System available on Amazon

but in view of comments above I am now concerned. I use an Odyssey Extreme PC680 and have just fitted a brand new one so I'd hate to cook it!

[Piers300]

I’ve just looked at the specifications and there are no details about the charge rate, voltage or current. I would want to know a lot more about the charger before connecting it 24/7.

 

[Bricol]

The usual advice is NOT to start and run it - you cause lots of wear in those initial starts, cause condensation to form inside the engine, box, exhaust, that no amount of static running will boil off properly.

You are better to leave it alone.

I simply drive mine in and several months later, drive it out - its worked for long work trips, winter hiberation, years long hiberation and so far, the current situation.  Not noticed any ill effects form not taking any other precautions other than keeping the battery alive, and checking tyre pressures. Only the Caterham complains about the state of the fuel after sitting for a few months - so I leave it pretty empty and fill up with fresh as soon as I start using it - clears it nicely,

With the Caterham, a couple of Lancia integrales, Alfa V6, a 91 Pug 106 that has sat on occasion for years (ok, that for the first time this January needed the carb spindle freeing off) A Ford crossflow powered Dutton trials car that gets its nuts absolutely revved off on events, and my Dodge.  

The Dodge sat for a few months in Texas where I abandoned it - another couple in a shipping container in the dark, being thrown around, got driven from London to Yorkshire, then sat again for a few months until IVA was passed.  That admittedly already suffered from a known problem of rusty gearbox input splines - meaning the clutch disk was reluctant to slide along them under the influence of the slave cylinder - as its a long way back for the recall, to clean and lube them I did it myself :)

 

[Ivaan]

Don't leave the hand brake on. Use chocks instead.

[Viblue7]

Consider a dehumidifier in the garage- not cheap to run however I think it is worth it

[ScottR400D]

I leave mine stored from end October to April every year. 

After its last run I change the engine oil, , take the battery off and it’s then left until spring. 

It'll be on stands for a period until it’s been fully spannered and cleaned, then stood on its wheels and rolled a few inches back and forth every few weeks. 

Come spring, disconnect the inertia switch, spin over till the OP comes up, connect switch and start. 

I leave a little fuel in and refill with fresh first time out. No worries about condensation, shouldn’t be much water around in there in any case, and garage never drops below 6/7c in any case. Not sure that’s ever a real concern. 

   

[StevehS3]

I'm pretty much the same as Scott. I never start mine unless I am using it. I swap my wheels to a set which have cheaper road tyres that I am less bothered about and roll it a few inches whenever I walk past. 

Does disconnecting the inertia switch cut the fuel (as well as the spark?). I usually disconnect the cam sensor to achieve the same but the inertia switch is probably easier.

[Baggiebird]

Some good advice above.  When I caravanned (!) I used to put the winter wheels on which were 'triangular' stands, so putting the car on padded axle stands would be good, though it has to be said that Caterhams are very light even compared to touring caravans.

A decent battery charger, noting what has been said,would be a good investment.  I do have a dehumidifier but don't use it all the time.  Garages can often be damp places, even though we don't notice.

If you have a cover, make sure it is a non-absorbing synthetic fabric.

Unless you can ensure that the engine is thoroughly warmed through I think the advice to minimise start-ups is sound.

Worth keeping an eye out for rodents, depending on the location of course!

[ScottR400D]

Yes, Steve, I believe its main function is to disable the fuel pump. 

[SM25T]

MOT passed today on a decidedly damp day. Hope there is still some dry weather to come this year before hibernation.

[Tim S]

Rodents can indeed be a problem in garages - they nibble away on wiring and upholstery. Worth using a sonic deterrent and putting down some poison.

[Ult-jim7]

I raise the car off the ground (I use two long thick planks) that helps to avoid any damp on the floor of the garage.

I use a  Hausen Electric Tubular Heater (available from Amazon) that fits easily under the car.  Under a loosely fitting cheap Halfords car dust cover it produces enough convection to prevent any condensation or dampness.  It keeps the chill off the chassis & my R500 K series engine and being warm it starts easier.  

Don't forget to over inflate the tires as others have suggested.  Use wheel chocks, let off the handbrake so not to stretch the cable.

If in the UK the Banner battery does not like the cold, so I take it out of the car and store it in the the house.  I use a trickle charger once a month or  before I want to use the car for a 24 hour period to give it a top up charge only.  I don't keep any type of charger ,trickle or not trickle on for long periods of time.

That has worked for me for over 10 years now.

[CtrMint]

Rodents in a Seven? Are you talking about a remote garage?  If that was an issue for an attached garage I'd be addressing the problem regardless of Seven storage.

[Tim S]

My experience is with a remote garage, but I don't think it would necessarily be different with an integrated garage. The pest control chap was clear that they like to spend the winter in dry, relatively warm places. So take precautions in all garages.

[7 wonders of the world]

you will find rodents everywhere and you have no chance of making a garage mouse proof.

bought a bulk batch of traps from ebay, dab of chocolate sauce and there you go, poison should not be used if you have cats and dogs around.

If you have damp you can also put a bowl of kitty litter in the footwell works nicely and very cheap too.

[Wrightpayne]

Funnily, we've only had mice in the garage roof and the hall :-0

Its the time of year they'll be looking for somewhere warm!