SORN for the winter. Help please.

[carl carlson]

I own a Elise S and as the MOT and tax runs out at the end of this month I have purchased a winter snotter. What should I do with the Elise to keep it in goog condition over the winter? It will be parked outside as I don't own a garage though I do own a car cover for it.

[The Bandit]

To be honest for the potential grief of leaving it under a cover outside all winter i'd just MOT and tax it and use it at the weekends.
If you leave it without use you could potentially end up with a knackered battery,brake discs(and pads) and all sorts of electrical gremlins.
By spending a couple of hundred quid on tax and MOT you could potentially save a lot more than that

Why would'nt you want to go out on days like today,roof off,gloves and beanie on,magic.

/My 2p.

[Chimjunkie]

Not to mention mice/rats nesting to keep out of the cold. Poor little fkers.

[CardShark]

There is a lot to be said for driving with the roof off during the winter, I personally love it and find it better than a coffee at half 5 in the morning for waking up on the way to work

If you're defo not going to use yours then I'd recommend giving it a good wash, polish and wax before using the cover, keeping the hand brake off (if on the flat and on a driveway, but then if it's on SORN I guess it'd be off the road) and maybe 'rocking' the car every now and again to prevent disc and pad issues. The battery will drain all be it slowly, you could run the engine for a while every other week - not sure what the consequences of long term battery disconnection would be, I've heard stories of the Stack display doing funny things.

Having said all that and as you can tell from what I first said I've never tucked mine up for the winter, there'll probably be someone along soon that has!

ETA are you a member of SELOC? Stick a post up on there on the 'technical' forum

Edited by CardShark on Monday 25th October 00:03

Edited by CardShark on Monday 25th October 00:04

[carl carlson]

This will be the first year that I will actually have followed through with SORNing it for the winter. I do like having the roof down in a sunny crisp morning its kind of liberating but the daily commute last year in snow, ice and freezing temps was an god awful experience. Hence this year its being tucked away for a period of time.

It will be getting valeted this weekend.

Is there anything you need to do with the engine like add extra anti-freeze,oil that kind of thing?

[blueg33]

I dont know where you live, but personally I would rent a garage. I would be worried that the cover would chafe the paint on windy days.

As others have said best with the handbrake off, clutches can bind so I used to use a piece of wood to depress the clutch pedal. Standing is bad for tyres too so move it everynow and then or try and put the car on stands. But if you do this you need toi position the stand so tha the suspension remeains loaded rather than droops.

I would chang ethe oil straight away when the car is back on the road.

having written the above, it reminded me of the conclusion I cam to when taking my last car off the road for the winter.......Its too much hassle! Better to use it every now and then

[Stephanie Plum]

I think you'll regret it, unless you either rent a garage, put it into dry storage or buy something like an outdoor Carcoon. Leaving any car for months in the cold and wet without moving it, is storing up problems and won't do it any favours at all. Store it properly or keep driving it is my recommendation fwiw.

[J2LOT]

'storing' your car outside is not a good idea. If you can't rent or borrow a garage I would keep it useable even if it is only run for 1/2 hour or so every week to warm it through and clear dampness. If you don't use it but leave it outside it could end up costing more to bring it back to life than you will save.

[Stitch]

There is a SELOC Wiki on storing the Elise.

[hueandcry71]

Good article in the latest edition of the Club Lotus magazine about storing for winter.

[Cogcog]

I SORN my S1 every winter, sometimes for 7 or 8 months at a time, although mine is in an underground garage with just the doors on an outside wall so nice and warm/dry. I have a soft cover and a battery conditioner, leave the handbrake off (when I remember) and give it a roll back, and then forth at intervals. I have it serviced as soon as it wakes up. It always seem to emerge in fine fettle (touch wood).

[Thorburn]

Stitch said:

There is a SELOC Wiki on storing the Elise.

I wouldn't follow their advice with regards to WD40 on the brake discs though.

Mines garaged, but I've gone with clean it, dry it all down, tyres inflated to 40PSI to prevent flatspotting, chocks under the wheels, handbrake off, in neutral, WD40 sprayed over the engine, car cover over the top of it (just to keep the dust off).

[400SE Dave]

For me the £100 saving I'd make if SORNing the car is not worth it as I easily get more than £100 worth of smiles going for a blat on the cold, dry winter days you always get at some point.

Each to the own but I assume it will still be insured so keep it taxed and drive it for fun, use the daily hack for doing the commuter stuff.

Just my thoughts.