Car outside all the time in the winter?

[MistaFreeze]

Hey I was just wondering if it's a bad thing to have your car outside in Minnesota winter 24/7 if it's your daily driver. I had to do this on my X-Type last year when I first bought it but I started it at least twice a day. I can't garage it because my dads garage is loaded and he wont let me park it in there.

 

[Billb2]

You're probably doing more harm starting it twice a day (without completely warming it up, like driving it for 15 minutes) than just letting it sit.

 

[sdifox]

Just get a block heater if you are worried about it not starting. Run a nice thick outdoor extension cord to it.

 

[LTC8K6]

Much better to warm it up and then drive it for 15 minutes once a week, than to start it twice a day, imo.

 

[Kaervak]

My car is ten years old and has sat outside for all ten years in northeast ohio weather. Aside from some corrosion on the rims, the car is fine.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Mine sat out in subzero weather (-15 with a -30 windchill) for a couple days last winter. Started right up (surprisingly enough, but the wheels were frozen to the ground!).

Mine's always outside as I don't have a garage to put it in.

 

[StageLeft]

Worse on moving parts, which will get colder. Potentially better on the body, which will see less thawing of ice/salt mixture and thus less oxidation.

 

[Vetterin]

+1 for the block heater. I lived in Michigan's UP for 3 years and never had a problem with the block heater. Best part is you get warm (not hot) air from the heater as soon as the car is started.

 

[waffleironhead]

Parking in the cold is better than in a heated garage. Salt+warmth+melting snow=rust.

 

[exar333]

Growing up in MN (and still a resident) it's fine to have your car outside. The biggest difference I have noticed is the difference between areas that use salt, and those that don't. In Moorhead, where I used to live, they used gravel in the winter, and it wasn't nearly as hard on your car in terms of rust, body issues, etc. Now in the Twin Cities, I make sure to wash my car frequently, or you can get rust in the wheel wells, underbody very easily with all the salt/snow sticking to it.

As for the temperature issue, +1 for the block heater. This makes the starting process much easier, and it keeps your fluids such as coolant and transmission from getting too cold. I could definitely tell, back when I parked outside, when I forgot to plug-in the block-heater and when I didn't. On those -30 days, it meant the difference between sometimes starting and not starting, or starting and warming-up for 5 minutes, versus starting (barely) and warming-up for 15-20 minutes.

Lastly, I recommend always driving your car on the REALLY cold days, even if it is just for 15-20 minutes. I saved myself many troubles by taking the car out for a quick errand in the evening to warm it up, and that usually meant it would be fine the next day. DON'T let your car sit out for more than a day or day and half when it is REALLY cold (below -10 or so), or you will be sorry.

Those that haven't been exposed to really cold temperatures may not realize it, but there is HUGE difference between 0 and -20. You can leave your car outside for a week around 0 and it will start just fine. When it is -20, and the wind is howling, your car will lose a charge very quickly.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I park in the streets of uptown/lake calhoun area in Minnesota, during the winters in my poor, poor Audi.

Starts up every time, even on the coldest days.

I drive my car at LEAST 15 minutes to/from work...I am very gentle on the turbo engine though, until it's at least at it's normal temp.

Like ExarKun said, I get a crawash at LEAST once a month, unless it's far too cold to get one.

 

[exar333]

LOL, yeah sometimes it is too cold to wash the car. Last year, I washed my car on one of the really cold days (it needed it) and it took about a block to get the ice off the brakes so I could stop...

 

[SparkyJJO]

After I almost froze the door shut by trying to wash it when it was too cold out I don't try and wash the car in the winter until it is 30-ish outside

 

[StageLeft]

I make sure to wash my car frequently, or you can get rust in the wheel wells, underbody very easily with all the salt/snow sticking to it.

Does that even help? If it's sub freezing for a couple of weeks and you're forcing warm water on there, you're accelerating rust. I've heard at least from one source it's best to not touch your car in the winter; let the ice and snow stay there, suspended away from lots of moisture that it gets when being cleaned.

I only have two cars, but one is a 2000 maxima and the other a 2004 MPV. Both born in the south and started their winters in 2006. The 2000 maxima is rust-free. The 2004 mpv is already starting to deteriorate. I actually think I can trace much of the rust on its body/panels to a thorough wash I gave it last winter to get all the salt off. I will not wash a car again in the winter. I don't know for sure the wash did it, though...

 

[exdeath]

It will work wonders on your clear coat and paint from constant exposure to frost + sun cycles. Couple years of that and your clear coat will start peeling and flaking.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: exdeath
It will work wonders on your clear coat and paint from constant exposure to frost + sun cycles. Couple years of that and your clear coat will start peeling and flaking.

Maybe if you have crappy paint.

My old car, my current car, my brother's car, my neighbor's car, my friends cars, etc... all sit outside and we don't have clear coat issues.

 

[AMCRambler]

Mine sits outside all winter. I do try and wash it when it gets warm enough to. Can't do it if it's colder than 30 though. The doors freeze shut. Leaving it alone all winter is bad IMO. It's never frozen fully when it's stuck to your car. Usually it's in that awesome slushy state where it's wet, with a bunch of salt mixed in and it's just stuck to the wheel wells and paint like plaster of paris. That HAS to be way worse for the paint than periodically washing the crud off the car.

The other thing I do is go to the touchless automatic car wash that has the under carriage sprayer. You can wash the painted surfaces of the car all you want, but it's the unprotected metal on the undercarriage that's probably getting the worst of the salt and slush. A good rinse off of the under carriage is probably worth its weight in gold.

 

[exar333]

Yeah, the salt and snow are hardest on your car in the temperature ranges of 20-40F. With heating and cooling above and below the freezing point, that is really when the salt is doing it's number on your car.

I agree with ARCRambler though, a cheap undercarriage wash is probably the best thing to get all that snow and salt off the bottom of your car.

 

[ChaosDivine]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
I park in the streets of uptown/lake calhoun area in Minnesota, during the winters in my poor, poor Audi.
Starts up every time, even on the coldest days.
I drive my car at LEAST 15 minutes to/from work...I am very gentle on the turbo engine though, until it's at least at it's normal temp.
Like ExarKun said, I get a crawash at LEAST once a month, unless it's far too cold to get one.

I treat my 98 Cavvy the same way. "Premium" Walmart battery, synthetic blend 5W30 (either Valvoline or Castrol), parked outside in the cold as witch t*ts IA winter and it has NEVER failed to turn over / start.

 

[drum]

hopefully my beater will make it another winter so I can leave my new truck sit without having to drive it in the snow.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: exdeath
It will work wonders on your clear coat and paint from constant exposure to frost + sun cycles. Couple years of that and your clear coat will start peeling and flaking.

lol southern americans trying to act smart about cold climates. lol.

millions of canadians park their vehicles outdoors 24/7/365, like me. it's rare to see a car with peeling paint less than 15 years old.

in your opinion all cars 2+ years old in canada or russia or other cold climates have no paint left? lol.

to the OP: it's never GOOD to let a car sit out in the cold, but again, millions of cars do it. DONT start it twice a day, that's a dumbass thing to do, just use it when you need to. it REALLY helps if you get a block heater if the temps will be below -15C