Every year we receive numerous questions about how to properly prepare an MX-5 for winter storage in the garage at home or whether the MX-5 can also be used in winter without causing major damage to the car. In today's MotorBlog we go into what you have to pay attention to if you want to use the MX-5 in winter and what is important when storing it during the cold season.
Using your MX-5 in winter time:
Basically, the use over winter is not recommended. The salt used to avoid icy roads promotes the already rust-prone MX-5 to rust in all cavities and sheet metal parts. As a result, areas that are naturally prone to rust, such as side members, sills and wheel arches, are only further motivated to rust from the attacking salt. So if you value a nice body for your MX-5, you should leave it in the garage when it is snowing, as repairs to the body work can quickly become expensive.
What is good for the MX-5 anyway and keeps the rust problem under control is a cavity seal. When using it in winter (even if it is only in an emergency because the other car is in the workshop) it is essential to seal the car in order to keep the road salt away from the sheet metal parts in the cavities. But even if you do not use your MX-5 in winter, you should (have) a complete cavity sealing of your car every 3-4 years so that the rust does not stand a chance.
How do I prepare my MX-5 for the winter storage?
We'll start by giving the car a complete wash to remove any stuck dirt from the car. The car can also be polished and the softtop treated with softtop care. It is extremely important to drive the car one last time afterwards. The reason for this is that on the one hand the water from washing is blown out of the cavities by the airflow, on the other hand the freshly washed brake discs are heated so that even the last drop of water evaporates from the brake disc so that rust cannot form here. On the last trip, you can stop by the gas station and fill up the car again so that no rust can form in the tank, which could clog the fuel filter in the new season.
After the last drive for the season, you ideally put the car on stationary tires to avoid flat tires on the tires that are actually used.
When parking in the garage, only shift into gear and do not apply the handbrake. The applied handbrake can easily rust over the long parking time, which in the worst case can no longer be released at the beginning of the next season and the brake on the rear axle has to be replaced. Before leaving the car, it is advisable to open the windows about 10cm so that air can still circulate through the car. This effectively helps against mold formation in the interior.
Then the battery of the MX-5 is disconnected and completely removed in order to connect it to a battery maintenance device. With the MX-5 NC and ND it should be noted that the car goes into a self-learning cycle at the start of the new season. As a result, the idle can be increased a little at first and the throttle response can be delayed a little. After about 200km, however, the control unit should have automatically moved all parameters back to where they actually belong. There is absolutely no need to worry about the data on the ECU (regardless of whether they are OEM or standalone), they are retained on the ECU even without battery voltage.
Finally, a fabric hood can be pulled over the car to protect the car from dust and possible solar radiation through windows in the garage. Plastic hoods are not recommended because the plastic cannot circulate air and the car can get mold or mildew in the interior.
Do you want to winter store your MX-5 soon and still have questions about the process? Please write a comment under this post or send us an email, we will be happy to answer your questions!
Your SPS Motorsport Team