Pascal,

Here is my practice from when I was in the Navy and had to store vehicles
for 6 months or longer due to deployments:

1) You need to change the oil after storage due to condensation (water)
build up.  Change the filter too, since taking it off to drain it means I
was halfway there anyway - and filters are cheap!

2) Use standard petroleum oil for storage, there really isn't any benefit to
using synthetic for storage.

3) Don't forget to put fuel stabilizer in the gas, and run the vehicle long
enough that the stabilized gas gets into the injectors.  I get the
stabilizer, pour it in the gas tank and drive to get a tank of gas, to help
with the "mixing" process.  Then I change the (now warm) oil.

4) Pull the battery, place it somewhere warm (off of the concrete!) and put
it on a trickle charger.  Every couple of months, discharge the battery to
~10 volts and recharge, if you can.  This helps prevent the battery from
acquiring a "memory" - and discharging quickly from then on.

5) Air up the tires to the maximum cold pressure on the sidewalls, and
periodically check the pressure.  Don't forget to set the pressure to the
correct running pressure before driving it out of storage!  It's even better
to raise the vehicle so that the tires are off of the ground, but that's a
little extreme for most of us!  This helps prevent flat spots on the tires.

HTH,
Don in Reidsville, NC
1987 Vanagon GL Syncro

----- Original Message -----
From: "Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN)" <Pascal.Giasson@GNB.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wed 20 October 2004 13:52
Subject: oil, oil filter & winter storage

> Unfortunately it's time to put my westy up for storage before the snow
> starts flying.  My question is if I change the oil filter and oil now in
> October, do I need to do it again in May when I take it out of storage?  I
> run Mobil 1 15w50 (synthetic oil).  If I do have to do the spring oil
> change, is there any point in using expensive Mobil 1 for winter storage?
> Also, is there any point in changing the oil filter in the spring as it
> should still be clean?  Thanks
>
> Pascal
> ''84 Westy