TECH SESSION
Winterizing Your Classic Mercedes-Benz
by Richard Simonds
With winter well on the way, this is a good time to take steps to ensure the older Mercedes-Benz that you won’t be driving much during the next several months – if at all – won’t suffer during storage and will be ready to use when the weather improves.
Remember the number of cars you’ve heard of that were garaged in the fall – never to run again – because weather conditions got so bad during the winter that the cars couldn’t be salvaged in spring without investing more dollars than they were worth?
Before you bed your car down for the winter for a deep sleep, go through the following handy check list of preventive maintenance items to avoid a rude awakening in the spring.
• Change the oil and oil filter. Although you can change the oil on newer cars based on mileage, older cars that are only occasionally driven should have their oil changed following the calendar; the best time is at the end of each driving season to avoid leaving grungy old oil and debris in the engine that will create problems for you next spring. Run the car to warm it up before draining the oil to loosen said grungy oil and contaminants.
• Flush the radiator and fill it with fresh coolant – tap water mixed with the recommended proportion of antifreeze for your climate (usually 50-50 in most of North America); a pet-friendly and environmentally friendly antifreeze is recommended. Run the car to thoroughly circulate the coolant into the radiator and heater cores. Also, fill the windshield washer reservoir with washer fluid that won’t freeze at the coldest temperatures expected.
• Although glycol-based brake and clutch fluids are good for two years, it’s a better idea to change those as well, filling the reservoirs with new fluid and then bleeding out the old fluid. These brake and clutch fluids are hydrophilic (they absorb moisture) and the master and wheel cylinders can be damaged – or leave the clutch frozen – if too much moisture gets into the system and causes rust.
• Fill the fuel tank, add a fuel stabilizer, and run the engine. This stabilizes the entire fuel system; the fuller the fuel tank, the less room for moisture to cause rust and fuel contamination.
• Wash and wax the car thoroughly, and vacuum the interior. Make sure there isn’t any food left in the glove compartment or in the cracks in the upholstery that might attract critters. Remove anything that could burst in freezing temperatures to avoid damage in your vehicle. Then place opened boxes of baking soda in the interior and trunk to absorb moisture and storage odors.
• Fill the tires with air – usually at a slightly higher pressure than for regular driving. Some owners like to use jack stands or blocks to lift the tires off the floor to avoid flat spots and moisture rotting, especially if they do not intend to drive the vehicle until next spring.
• Park the car in a dry place that will be as protected from the weather as possible. The best storage situation is a weatherproof garage with a concrete floor. If you must store the car in a shed with a dirt floor, put a plastic moisture barrier under the car.
• Close all windows and doors, and the hood and trunk lid to discourage vermin from taking up residence. Use plastic bags or aluminum foil over the air cleaner intake and the exhaust pipes to prevent vermin and insects from damaging your vehicle. Moth balls placed around the vehicle can turn away some vermin.
• Hook up a battery charger/battery tender (the type specifically designed to maintain a charge without over-charging). If you don’t have access to electricity, remove the battery and store it in a clean, dry place off the floor and on a wooden surface where it won’t freeze and where a battery tender can keep it charged. Follow proper practice to remove your battery – remove the negative cable first, then the positive cable – and be prepared with a battery removal strap and the strength to remove the very heavy battery that is usually in an awkward place. Be careful: Battery acid will do a lot of damage if spilled.
• Cover the car with a good quality indoor car cover to keep dust off the paint and reduce the possibility of scratching when moving around the car. Resist the temptation to stack anything on the car over the course of the winter.
If you carry out these preparations, you will not need to restart your vehicle and run it while in storage. Idling is very bad on engines and can leave condensation and acids in the engine and exhaust system that do more damage than just letting your vehicle sit unused for the winter. However, it is a good idea to check the vehicle thoroughly on the interior, in the trunk, and under the hood at least once a month to make sure that nothing has taken up lodging in the car.
On the other hand, if you do have the opportunity to take the car out occasionally for a minimum 20-minute drive on a nice winter’s day when the roads are clear and dry, that’s the best way to keep everything in tiptop shape. You don’t need to warm up the car, even in cold temperatures, as long as you don’t put the engine under heavy load until the engine temperature reaches operating levels.
Follow these instructions and your car will be as good the day you drive it out next spring as it was when you put it away.
And don’t neglect your everyday driver, either. After your classic is bedded down, make sure the oil is in good shape in your regular car and the coolant has been recently changed. Check the hoses and belts in the engine compartment to ensure they won’t leak or burst in freezing conditions.
Check the condition and pressure of the tires, and make sure the tread is up to handling rainy and snowy conditions. Better yet, mount a set of winter tires in good condition if you live in a sub-freezing climate. Make sure the battery is in tiptop condition to handle the additional starting load in cold weather. Then hope for a mild winter and an early spring.
Winterizing Your Classic Mercedes-Benz
by Richard Simonds
With winter well on the way, this is a good time to take steps to ensure the older Mercedes-Benz that you won’t be driving much during the next several months – if at all – won’t suffer during storage and will be ready to use when the weather improves.
Remember the number of cars you’ve heard of that were garaged in the fall – never to run again – because weather conditions got so bad during the winter that the cars couldn’t be salvaged in spring without investing more dollars than they were worth?
Before you bed your car down for the winter for a deep sleep, go through the following handy check list of preventive maintenance items to avoid a rude awakening in the spring.
• Change the oil and oil filter. Although you can change the oil on newer cars based on mileage, older cars that are only occasionally driven should have their oil changed following the calendar; the best time is at the end of each driving season to avoid leaving grungy old oil and debris in the engine that will create problems for you next spring. Run the car to warm it up before draining the oil to loosen said grungy oil and contaminants.
• Flush the radiator and fill it with fresh coolant – tap water mixed with the recommended proportion of antifreeze for your climate (usually 50-50 in most of North America); a pet-friendly and environmentally friendly antifreeze is recommended. Run the car to thoroughly circulate the coolant into the radiator and heater cores. Also, fill the windshield washer reservoir with washer fluid that won’t freeze at the coldest temperatures expected.
• Although glycol-based brake and clutch fluids are good for two years, it’s a better idea to change those as well, filling the reservoirs with new fluid and then bleeding out the old fluid. These brake and clutch fluids are hydrophilic (they absorb moisture) and the master and wheel cylinders can be damaged – or leave the clutch frozen – if too much moisture gets into the system and causes rust.
• Fill the fuel tank, add a fuel stabilizer, and run the engine. This stabilizes the entire fuel system; the fuller the fuel tank, the less room for moisture to cause rust and fuel contamination.
• Wash and wax the car thoroughly, and vacuum the interior. Make sure there isn’t any food left in the glove compartment or in the cracks in the upholstery that might attract critters. Remove anything that could burst in freezing temperatures to avoid damage in your vehicle. Then place opened boxes of baking soda in the interior and trunk to absorb moisture and storage odors.
• Fill the tires with air – usually at a slightly higher pressure than for regular driving. Some owners like to use jack stands or blocks to lift the tires off the floor to avoid flat spots and moisture rotting, especially if they do not intend to drive the vehicle until next spring.
• Park the car in a dry place that will be as protected from the weather as possible. The best storage situation is a weatherproof garage with a concrete floor. If you must store the car in a shed with a dirt floor, put a plastic moisture barrier under the car.
• Close all windows and doors, and the hood and trunk lid to discourage vermin from taking up residence. Use plastic bags or aluminum foil over the air cleaner intake and the exhaust pipes to prevent vermin and insects from damaging your vehicle. Moth balls placed around the vehicle can turn away some vermin.
• Hook up a battery charger/battery tender (the type specifically designed to maintain a charge without over-charging). If you don’t have access to electricity, remove the battery and store it in a clean, dry place off the floor and on a wooden surface where it won’t freeze and where a battery tender can keep it charged. Follow proper practice to remove your battery – remove the negative cable first, then the positive cable – and be prepared with a battery removal strap and the strength to remove the very heavy battery that is usually in an awkward place. Be careful: Battery acid will do a lot of damage if spilled.
• Cover the car with a good quality indoor car cover to keep dust off the paint and reduce the possibility of scratching when moving around the car. Resist the temptation to stack anything on the car over the course of the winter.
If you carry out these preparations, you will not need to restart your vehicle and run it while in storage. Idling is very bad on engines and can leave condensation and acids in the engine and exhaust system that do more damage than just letting your vehicle sit unused for the winter. However, it is a good idea to check the vehicle thoroughly on the interior, in the trunk, and under the hood at least once a month to make sure that nothing has taken up lodging in the car.
On the other hand, if you do have the opportunity to take the car out occasionally for a minimum 20-minute drive on a nice winter’s day when the roads are clear and dry, that’s the best way to keep everything in tiptop shape. You don’t need to warm up the car, even in cold temperatures, as long as you don’t put the engine under heavy load until the engine temperature reaches operating levels.
Follow these instructions and your car will be as good the day you drive it out next spring as it was when you put it away.
And don’t neglect your everyday driver, either. After your classic is bedded down, make sure the oil is in good shape in your regular car and the coolant has been recently changed. Check the hoses and belts in the engine compartment to ensure they won’t leak or burst in freezing conditions.
Check the condition and pressure of the tires, and make sure the tread is up to handling rainy and snowy conditions. Better yet, mount a set of winter tires in good condition if you live in a sub-freezing climate. Make sure the battery is in tiptop condition to handle the additional starting load in cold weather. Then hope for a mild winter and an early spring.