Prepping for Winter storage and tightened gas cap

[ChangeYourOil]

Hey everyone, been a while!

I just prepped the car for winter storage in my garage. Should be about 4 months or so.

I took it out for a nice drive and got some gas to top it off.

After I parked the car in the garage. I was going over the car exterior and interior. Then I decided to check the gas cap, I took it off and tightened it again until it clicked.

I don't know why I did that, I have issues. Now I don't know if the cap it "sealed" or not. I realized that when you are driving the car, it will throw and error code or check engine if there is an issue with the gas cap and EVAP.

I'm probably being OCD here, but just wondering, do I need to start the car again to check if it complains? or just leave it?

I won't really be able to drive it, since the temps are dropping and there will be some winter weather coming this week.

Does anyone know if the car checked the EVAP system if you just put it in the "on" position and don't start it?

Just don't want condensation in the tank or something.

I'm being weird, I know.

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[tacthecat]

OCD - it's fine.

 

[AZCWTypeR]

You don't want to start the engine. Water will condense inside the engine if the block isn't up to temperature.
I'd recommend connecting a battery tender once a month to top up the battery, otherwise should be fine.

 

[Sporky McGeuschky]

Hey everyone, been a while!

I just prepped the car for winter storage in my garage. Should be about 4 months or so.

I took it out for a nice drive and got some gas to top it off.

After I parked the car in the garage. I was going over the car exterior and interior. Then I decided to check the gas cap, I took it off and tightened it again until it clicked.

I don't know why I did that, I have issues. Now I don't know if the cap it "sealed" or not. I realized that when you are driving the car, it will throw and error code or check engine if there is an issue with the gas cap and EVAP.

I'm probably being OCD here, but just wondering, do I need to start the car again to check if it complains? or just leave it?

I won't really be able to drive it, since the temps are dropping and there will be some winter weather coming this week.

Does anyone know if the car checked the EVAP system if you just put it in the "on" position and don't start it?

Just don't want condensation in the tank or something.

I'm being weird, I know.

Where do you live, UP Michigan or Alaska? Just jokin.
I don't even know what "prepping for Winter" means. I'm from Texas.
Did a couple years in New England back in the late '90s, but didn't have my own car yet.

All I know is, in Texas, our Sta-Bil is...

VP Racing Ethanol Free 94 Octane gas! (I use it in my lawnmower and Suzuki DR-Z400SM.)

In 2020, this was $85.00 for a 5 gallon can (already overpriced). That $85.00 is now over $120.00 a can in 2025.
So... maybe not your most cost efficient option.

Maybe Sta-Bil is a better option...?

Cheers.

 

[djl526blue]

I've stored my FL5 for two winters now with no incidents. I top off the fuel and add Stabil. I pump the tires to about 45 lbs. since that is what Honda did when the car arrived at the dealer off the boat. I keep it on a NOCO Genius 1 battery tender, but I've also used Deltran battery tenders for years on other cars. I put dryer sheets in the cabin trunk and under the hood to try to discourage mice, but I don't use moth balls. They have a stronger smell, but it can take a long time to get that smell out of the car (ask me how I know). Finally, I cover the car with one of those waffle fabric covers from carcovers.com. I also did this process for two other cars over a 20 year period and never had any issues.

 

[ChangeYourOil]

Where do you live, UP Michigan or Alaska? Just jokin.
I don't even know what "prepping for Winter" means. I'm from Texas.
Did a couple years in New England back in the late '90s, but didn't have my own car yet.

All I know is, in Texas, our Sta-Bil is...

VP Racing Ethanol Free 94 Octane gas! (I use it in my lawnmower and Suzuki DR-Z400SM.)

In 2020, this was $85.00 for a 5 gallon can (already overpriced). That $85.00 is now over $120.00 a can in 2025.
So... maybe not your most cost efficient option.

Maybe Sta-Bil is a better option...?

Cheers.

Apologies for the late reply, life is busy!

Thank you all for the input and suggestions. I have the battery on a NOCO genius charger. I also decided not to add fuel stabilizer. The car is garaged and the tank is topped off. I'm hoping to drive it sometime in March.

I had no idea VP fuels made ethenol free 94 octane gas in those cans lol. Might be a good option for longer storage intervals. Yeah i looked it up and its expensive! Only plus is that the FL5 has a 11-12 gallon tank LOL.

 

[jtlctr]

I’ve been storing my summer cars in a storage unit for the past 4 years or so. My routine is topping off the tank, overinflating the tires, disconnecting the battery, and mouse prevention. My biggest fear during storage is mice! If they find a way into the HVAC ducting, it's an olfactory nightmare, and this is where my OCD really shines. On the FL5, I removed the rear bumper cover to remove the 2 cabin vents and covered them with stainless steel screen. Then, before storage, I put the HVAC in recirculation mode, then lift up the wiper cowl cover to install my custom plastic cover over the fresh air inlet and add a few dryer sheets on top of that. After that, I place dryer sheets all around the engine bay and in the air cleaner inlet. Finally, I place 2 mouse traps in the engine bay, and a few more around the perimeter of the car. I failed to take these steps when I had my Si years ago and regretted it when they got into the car and took their little dumps and peed everywhere. The smell never went away.

I try and check on the car every 2 or 3 weeks. Last year I only caught one or two mice throughout the entire winter. This winter, I'm already up to 7 or 8 mice with 12-14 weeks to go!

 

[ChangeYourOil]

Woah that's intense! The recirculation part is a good idea!

Oh and I have my tires filled at 40 psi. I also have wheel chalks for the rear as I do not have my e-brake engaged. And the car is in neutral.

 

[jtlctr]

Woah that's intense! The recirculation part is a good idea!

Oh and I have my tires filled at 40 psi. I also have wheel chalks for the rear as I do not have my e-brake engaged. And the car is in neutral.

Good call on the e-brake, I did the same thing there.

Yeah, I would think the fresh air door being closed should be enough to keep mice out, but I know they can get through some pretty tight spaces, hence my extra barrier just in case.

Before I put the car away for the winter, I found mouse turds on my front left shock tower. I cleaned them off, and they would reappear after a few days. Then I opened my hood one day and there he was, nibbling on the battery jacket! He was living in my engine bay for weeks taking daily road trips before I caught him. He also got as far as the cabin filter, but thankfully didn’t get through it.

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