Winter is Coming! Is Your Porsche Ready?

If you're a fan of Game of Thrones, then you'll recognize the Stark's motto in our title. If you're not, excuse the obscure reference, but it doesn't change the fact that winter is coming! While I don't expect "the Others" to walk out of the north (you really need to start watching Game of Thrones), I do expect snow at any time from this point on. Having just survived the wrath of Sandy, I now have to look at the cold reality of preparing our 911s for winter storage. Many of you need to do the same. For the more intrepid, it means time to prepare your Porsche for driving it through the winter. Here are a few things to consider for each situation.

14 Porsche Winter Storage Tips & Techniques

For the past five years we've been posting ideas on what to do with your Porsche when it's time to put it in storage. Each year you give us great feedback and add to the growing list of tips. Below is the complete list of everything we've learned so far. For details, product ideas and longer explanations of the various steps below check out Winterize Your Porsche in 10 Easy Steps.

1. Don't get caught outside. Check the forecast, set a date and stick to it.
2. Don't put it away dirty. Wash and clean your Porsche inside and out.
3. Don't let water infiltrate your Gas. Top off the tank and include a fuel additive like STA-BIL.
4. Don't let your tires develop flat spots. Inflate your tires to the highest pressure allowed; or, consider using tire cradles that are shaped to the tire and prevent flat spots without over inflating.
5. Don't forget about the anti-freeze. If your Porsche pumps more water than oil you'll want to check the level of your anti-freeze and make sure it's full and fresh.
6. Don't crack your windshield fluid holder. In the event you cheaped out and used water instead of windshield washer fluid, be sure to top it off with the real stuff and make sure it contains and anti-freezing agent if you live in a cold climate.
7. Don't let your battery die. Either disconnect the battery (Excellence Magazine advises against this in the 997) or attach a trickle charger like this one. If you do disconnect, be sure you have your radio code.
8. Don't apply the parking brake. We leave ours in neutral and use wheel chocks, but leaving it in gear or park is fine too.
9. Don't neglect your windshield wipers. A number of readers have suggested you prop your wiper arms or place a small piece of cardboard between the blade and the windshield to protect the wiper blade edges.
10. Don't let your Porsche collect moisture. We place reusable desiccant containers in the car as our garage is not climate controlled. Remember, you will need a number of these as the interior of your Porsche is a large space (we now place 10 of them in the 993). You can easily check them once a month or so and reactivate them per the instructions.
11. Don't let your Porsche get scratched or dirty. Put a car cover on it.
12. Don't waste money! You could possibly save big bucks (as much as $100 per month) by letting your insurance company know your Porsche is off the road. Be sure to check with your agent, but we reduce our coverages to the minimums and remove the liability all together. Just be sure to let them know before you take it out in the spring!
13. Don't let rodents take over. We put large plastic keg cups backwards into our exhaust pipes (some readers have suggested tennis balls) and close our air vents.
14. Don't lose your skills. We miss our Porsches just writing this post. Besides visiting the garage often, we play racing games and drive simulators while we're waiting for the snow to melt.

Tips for Driving Your Porsche in the Winter

While we're not inclined to drive our 911s through snow, salt and ice, we do know quite a few people who do. The Cayenne is simply a snow machine with all season or winter tires and the rear-engine design of the 911 provides excellent mechanical grip. When you combine this with proper tires and wheels a 911 can handle as well (albeit without as much ground clearance) as a Cayenne. If it happens to be an all wheel drive variant, then grip is almost legendary. The following tips are for those of you brave enough to face the winter in your Porsche. For longer explanations and winter driving tips directly from Porsche Camp4 check out our post on Preparing and Driving your Porsche in the Winter.

1. Don't slide all over the place. Perhaps the most important aspect of driving your Porsche in the winter is making sure you have the right tires. Check out the video below, from our newest sponsor Tequipment, and see what we mean. If you're having trouble viewing the video, visit Porsche winter tires to view it on our site.
2. Don't let your Porsche freeze up! If your Porsche is air-cooled, you might think of changing to a lighter/thinner viscosity (something like a 5W or 10W). If you're Porsche is water-cooled then be sure you have clean, quality coolant and it's filled properly. As with our tips above, don't forget about your washer fluid. If you live in a cold climate, be sure your reservoir is filled with a washer fluid that can handle freezing temperatures. It would be bad enough if you couldn't see. It would add insult to injury if your cracked your reservoir or fluid lines.
3. Don't pressure wash your Porsche when it's covered in sand and salt. While it might seem to be the easiest method, this could actually push the salt into places you can't get it out of and speed up corrosion. Instead, use a quality foaming soap and the low pressure setting to carry away all those nasty particles.
4. Don't let your tire pressure get low. Changes in air temperature can change your tire pressure as much as one (1) psi for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change. Get a Porsche tire gauge and check pressures monthly.
5. Don't neglect your Porsche's body! Cleaning and waxing your Porsche before the winter weather starts is a must. A nice layer of wax makes it easier to clean and will protect your paint from the elements.
6. Don't spin the tires when starting out. Plenty of our readers have emailed with their winter driving stories and quite a few have suggested starting from second gear in very slippery conditions. While we think it might lessen the life of your clutch if done frequently, we've done it ourselves in tricky situations.

If you have a tip or trick for either storing or driving your Porsche in the winter please let us know. We'll be happy to add it to our growing list. Regardless if you drive or store, be smart, drive safe and watch out for the idiots!

Other Porsche Seasonal Posts You'll Find Helpful
How to Save Your Porsche Floor Mats and Keep Your Carpets Clean This Winter
Will your Porsche Survive the next big Natural Disaster?
How To Use Clay to Clean Your Porsche’s Paint
Porsche Spring Start up Steps (for those of you on the other side of the planet)