Leaving it sit during winter?

i close the gasoline petcocks and let it run till it stops , then put it on it's center stand.

oops , wrong news group , sorry bout that

MJ, if you dont plan on parking it all winter, you need to start it and let it run till it gets to operating temperature. Then after it warms up I would put it in gear to circulate the transmission fluid through the tranny and cooler. And then just keep the tire pressure checked. Especially if you parked it outside..

Ford Tech

You might want to check for any livestock that set up housekeeping under the hood before you start the engine.

I have been doing this for years with different vehicle and tractors and never have had a problem. A month is nothing. If it sitt for several months you might check battery halfway through with a charger. SOmetimes after a few months if it warms up for a day or so I may start it up and let it run for a bit. DO fuel gas tank up completely before you park it to removes change of condensation inside it and I would have fresh or fairly fresh oil in crankcase too.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Rodents, Roy, rodents!! I don't think most livestock would fit up there. (cats fit in the rodent category, too!)

Hell I'm a city boy.

As other have advised, start it and bring it up to NOT. Driving it some will keep the drivetrain happy and the tires from getting a 'bump' in them. I'd keep the battery on a good charger. I use the Battery Tender for my garaged car. It's a 'smart' charger and very reliable. Keeping the battery up is important especially in cold weather. There is a parasitic electrical load on the electrical system so the battery must be kept 'up'

My old F100 loves the cold, your Lightning doesn't?

Dave S(Texas)

Is the fuel in the tank blended with some percentage of Ethanol? If so, do you have availability to non-oxygenated fuel? If so, drain the ethanol out and fill it with non-oxygenated fuel. If you don't have easy access, or you have non-oxy fuel, you should still add fuel stabilizer to the tank. The problem with the ethanol blended fuel is that the ethanol will separate from the gasoline while it sits. Ethanol is blended as it's put into trucks, it's not stored mixed, because it tends to separate. Ethanol also attracts and absorbs water. It'll add more water to your tank over time than you'd get with normal gasoline. And finally, ethanol tends to evaporate more readily than gasoline, leaving deposits as it leaves. You're better off to not have that in a car that is going to be sitting.

Otherwise, if it's just going to be a couple months, just stay on top of the battery and the car will be ready to go come spring. If it's going to be longer than that, you'll need to take other steps.

My old F100 loves the cold, your Lightning doesn't? Dave S(Texas)

Dave, My truck does good in the cold weather. the performance tires on it aren't recommended for snowy driving though. I have never tried driving it in the snow before, but the owners manual says that its a no-no.

Hopefully next winter I will have a big 4x4 Ford to play in the snow with. ;-)

Thanks again for the responses. They were all helpful!

cold in texas LMAO ;-)