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Joe Pelonio
12-06-2008, 2:38 PM
My daughter is in Italy at least until June, while her husband's employer has him assigned there.

We have her little Mazda here, and keep it with a car cover over it, running and moving it once a week or so. It's been a couple of weeks though, so today I got into it and noticed that everything was moist inside. The steering wheel and gearshift were damp, the inside of the back window wet, as was under the floormats. I'm guessing it's just moisture coming up through the floor from our wet climate, but certainly don't want it to get moldy inside.
She will be back for a week in February and will drive it but between now and then, any suggestions? Perhaps leave the windows cracked under the cover?
Does the cover do more harm than good?

Don't ask about the garage . . .

Jim Becker
12-06-2008, 2:48 PM
The cover could indeed be holding in moisture. I'm not sure how much it does for you outside of potentially keeping the outside of the car cleaner...

Tom Godley
12-06-2008, 3:02 PM
You are not doing anything positive to start the car every couple of weeks - unless you are taking it out and fully warming it up.

I have some cars that I drive very infrequently and I do nothing special to them -- I do make sure they are properly waxed. I use a trickle charger on one because the battery can be discharged enough within a month of inactivity to mess up the electronics. I also use a charger on my convertible while it is sitting over the winter.

I do not understand the moisture problem. The car cover should stop most of the water from getting to the car. Most are made from Gore or have similar properties to allow any moisture that does get through to escape.

With the car closed up no water should be getting inside!

Is this a convertible?? Could it be leaking? If you had actual water on the floor then something is leaking.

You need to put it out in the sun with the windows cracked - to dry it out.

Or place a small heater in the car to dry it.

It is not unusual for the inside to be a little higher in humidity - but not damp.

We always had to keep a small heater set in our closed up boat to keep dry - but that was on the water !

Mike Sheppard
12-06-2008, 3:36 PM
The cars I have stored I put a plastic sheet under them and a tent over them so air can flow around them but rain or mosture from the ground can't get to them. Covering them keeps dust off but will hold mosture from changing temps or what comes up from the ground. For me I have found it's better not to use car covers but to just take them for a 20 mile drive about ever two weeks or so. If left on the ground for long they rust from the bottom up (brake and fuel lines go first).
Mike

Joe Pelonio
12-06-2008, 3:54 PM
I do actually let it warm up to temperature and give it a short drive.

There are no leaks, this has to be moisture from humidity in a place where we have had lots of rain since she left in early October. The cover is waterproof, so even if there were leaks it couldn't get in.

The cover was meant to keep fir needles and bird droppings off it mainly perhaps it's not really needed (it's near a 85' tall fir tree). I think I'll keep the cover off and windows slightly open when it's not raining, and use the leaf blower if it does get covered with needles like I do on the other cars.

Roger Bell
12-07-2008, 11:27 AM
In our PNW climate, it is not good to store cars outside in the winter. The moisture will work it's way inside. You wouldn't want them to come home to a car that smells of mold on the inside. That smell will be especially difficult to get out, if it can be done.

If it were me, I would drive the car every other week to work or for a ten mile trip of some sort from now to June.

Pat Germain
12-07-2008, 11:34 AM
I'm thinking it might be helpful to put a bunch of very large desicant packs inside the car. You know, they're those pouches you find inside of packaging labelled "Do Not Eat". I've seen great big examples which could absorb a whole lot of moisture.

Jim Becker
12-07-2008, 11:37 AM
Joe, how about picking up one of those reasonably inexpensive "tent garages" from HFT or Northern Tool to provide a covered environment without the close contact that a typical tarp/cover affords. It would allow for air circulation but keep debris and precipitation off the car. I'm seriously considering getting one for my Kubota for the same reason...

Joe Pelonio
12-07-2008, 4:24 PM
I'll contact her about it. Maybe just driving it more would help, but I like Jim's idea of the tent garage as it would allow the windows to remain open, but I'd have to be sure to take it down when it snows.

Thanks for all the ideas.

Jim Becker
12-07-2008, 5:31 PM
You may be OK with the snow, Joe. The one's I'm thinking of have a peaked roof and it "should" slide off...

Lee Schierer
12-08-2008, 4:46 PM
I store my Miata every year for the winter months. I rent a space locally. It is indoors, dry and semi heated (never freezes). It is in storage from 10/30 through to April. I can drop all the insurance expcept comprehensive since it is stored, which essentially pays for the storage. All I do is change the oil the day it is stored, fill the gas tank and they disconnect the battery. Ideally the car should be rasied up on blocks and some oil injected into each cylinder to protect the rings for long term storage without starting. If the battery is a gell cell it should be topped off about once a month. The car has been stored every year for 12 years with no ill effects.

Dave Lehnert
12-08-2008, 5:06 PM
I own a Mustang that I do not drive much in the winter. I keep stabil in the gas tank.

http://www.goldeagle.com/sta-bil/images/Stabil_prod_collage_new.jpg

Cliff Rohrabacher
12-08-2008, 6:05 PM
The small cars that feel and handle like bigger heavier cars accomplish this by using a lot of rubber damping components.

The Disk Brakes on a small car can take a rust spot that no amount of damping can insulate you from causing a severe pulsing when the brakes are applied.

In a big car or truck you can drive through this but on a smaller car you gotta re do the brakes. And it can ruin all those bushings and dampers.

This means that in weather when it's damp you gotta drive it daily or garage it.

I learned this the hard way.