[Schweden]

Hi everyone! My 2013 BMW 528i xDrive CPO is my first car and I'm looking for some help regarding winter storage. I'm looking at keeping it off the road for 3 months between mid-December to mid-March. It will be stored in a heated underground garage. I will not be able to take it outside legally during that time as I will not have mandatory winter tires and insurance is only for storage.

So, my questions:

1) Should I keep a full tank of gas mixed with fuel stabilizer in the car?

2) Should I leave the parking brake on while it is parked?

3) Should I crack the windows open or cover anything up? I have some worries regarding insects that do live in the garage getting in.

4) Is it advisable to over-inflate the tires before storage?

5) I will be able to start up the car and drive around the parking garage for a few minutes every so often. How often should I do this?

6) Should I put a cover on my car? I am planning to have it fully cleaned before storage. A bit of dust does start to accumulate on the car from the garage after non-use for a couple of days. I am not really able to wash the car as there is no usable hose in the garage. Would there be any issues with 3 months of dust accumulation on the car?

Please feel free to chime in if you have any other tips.

 

[dga]

When I store my other car in a heated condo garage from Dec to Mar, I do the following:

1. Full fuel tank to avoid any water condensation -- no stabilizer needed for such a short period
2. Parking brake off to avoid any adhesion -- leave in gear for either MT or AT (park)
3. Assuming no rodents -- windows closed is ok and all that is reqrd
4. I over inflate tires to 5 psi less than max on sidewall
5. I start and drive around the condo garage floors once a month to get to operating temp -- use wipers, lights, switches etc. to prevent minor corrosion -- getting in car lets air circulate so no windows open are reqrd -- use some duct tape to mark where tires sat so when you park again you are not on the same exact spot for each tire
6. Dust cover is good to stop salt/dust from other people's cars accumulating on your car

On my other car, I use a battery switch to disconnect battery for each month so no run down occurs between starts, however, it is a simpler machine. Not sure if this approach can be used with F10. May need battery tender???

 

[AlteBMW]

I store a MB over the winter at a house we don't often get to in the winter. Yes on full tank; yes on overinflate windows; yes on parking brake off. I drive it sporadically, sometimes two months between rides.
I would definitely add a battery tender or other smart trickle charger if your garage allows for it and there's a nearby outlet.

 

[Gilgorm]

I store a MB over the winter at a house we don't often get to in the winter. Yes on full tank; yes on overinflate windows; yes on parking brake off.
I would definitely add a battery tender or other smart trickle charger if your garage allows for it and there's a nearby outlet.

I also had an MB that I 'stored' over the winter. But in my case, it was left outside on the driveway. Two feet of snow on top was not unusual.

I did fill the tank and made sure the tires had at least 5 psi more than usual.
I was advised to leave the parking brake off, otherwise the pads may become 'seated' onto the discs.
When I could get in it, I started it and let it warm up but the rest of the car was never moved.

For an F10, I would highly agree with the tender option. My MB always started in the spring and drove the same way it had in the fall. For some odd reason the paint always looked brand new in the spring as the snow slid off and took all the winter dirt with it.