Hey all,

Its that time where the 4 wheel comes out to play and the xfire goes into the garage to sleep. This is my first year w/ a convertible, and i'm just wondering if there is anything special that I should put on the rag top like some sort of topical care product. Or should I just clean her up, wash her, and throw a car cover on her and put her in the garage?

Thanks,

Indo

 

...I'm milking it for another two weeks! Then, mine is getting put away as well. Recommend that you shore up your tires or lift them off the ground, to prevent flat spots. And, throw on a battery tender (or disconnect the battery altogether). Finally, consider putting in just a tad bit of fuel stabilizer and letting it run in for a few... experience with motorcycles has taught me this is a wise thing to do, if you want it to start and run well in the spring.

Beyond that, consult the owner's manual. There is a section dedicated to winterization, and it's pretty good advice.

 

Can someone please explain the logic for winter storage. I can see not driving when the weather is bad or if there is salt on the roads, but, otherwise it seems that driving would be better than storage unless it's just a good excuse to keep the mileage down. Then there's the withdrawal symptoms to deal with...

Thanks,
Ste7of1

 

...In Michigan, they do salt the roads in the winter. And, after the freezing/thawing cycles in the spring, potholes rip open on freeways, overpasses, side roads, etc which yields chunks of concrete to pummel your car's nose. Drive it all year 'round here, and your Crossfire will have a sand blasted face and rust holes after a decade or so.

I plan on keeping this car around for a long time, and do not want to subject it to that type of damage.

 

Plus the salt doesn't get washed off the roads until a couple of good spring rains. I have garaged my ragtops for 35 years and have found that the best thing is to go out and start up the car every 2 weeks to keep the battery charged. I have a battery minder and mine never seemed to work. Someone else said they did that and it worked fine. In any case batteries don't like to go to zero charge. If you do let them go down, plan on replacing them in a year or two at max.

 

They really salt the roads here in PA, thats the number one reason I don't want to drive it. I do like rear wheel drive in the winter time, but I have 4 wheel drive the best of both worlds, 2 wheel to have fun and 4 wheel to get me unstuck. Thanks for the advice people!! Its been really nice this week here, except for a little bit of rain, I was able to drive her an extra week. I guess this weekend will be the last she sees the road till spring Oh well, happy winter everyone!!!

 

If you look into using the crossfire def. look into some winter only tires. I haven't driven the SRT in snow yet but if (and I assume) the traction control system is like the one on my Merc's you will NOT go anywhere based on the fact the computer will stop all wheel movement once it notices the slightest slip.

It was so bad one year I had to physically get out and rotate my car 180 degrees since the traction control would not let the back wheels engage in some light snow and ice...

 

...one more thing. I wrote to Continental Tires to ask about winter storage tips for the run flat, all season tires that those of us in Northern climes tend to have. I know there is a blurb in the manual, but I would rather hear it from the tire maker. I also asked them for their position on nail/screw puncture repairs, since a recent autoweek(?) noted that of the companies making run flat tires, Continental was one of those that did not have an official position on patching. Not that I have a puncture, but lets face it - it's a common thing.