Bronco Long Term Storage

[RM DEVOS]

Hello,
Plan on storing our 2024 WT SAS for about 6 months in a covered shop in Arizona
Any tips that might be specific to the Bronco would be welcomed..
Example
Battery
Fuel
Fuel Additive
Cover
Rodent Protection
Misc.
Thank you

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[Blakshukvw]

Trickle charger of course.
You could as far as putting it on jack stands to avoid flat spotted tires.
Full tank of gas with a stabilizer in the fuel.
I think dryer sheets are a good way to discourage mice.

 

[BroncoChallenger]

Agree with the above, though I have a fondness for the rounded 'car caddy' dollies. They can be chocked, some have brakes on them, but they are curved to prevent flat spots on the tires. They also allow the vehicle to be moved if needed without being started, or to be put in a more 'out of the way' location.

Otherwise, a battery tender of some quality kind, fuel stabilizer (for only 6 months not necessarily needed but still a good idea), dryer sheets work pretty good at repelling rodents so a few under the hood and in the interior works well, and if you don't want to buy a cover a painter's drop cloth will be soft enough not to scratch but thick enough to keep dust off. Just make sure it's a NEW drop cloth that's never been used before.

 

[GoHawks63]

I have stored my other two cars over the winter for years.

- Battery tender
- Full tank of gas, drive it for a couple of miles so that the treated fuel makes it all the way to the fuel rails and injectors
- Oil change, always good to have fresh oil so that the contaminants do sit in your engine/oil pan for months
- Dryer sheets under the hood (especially near the wiring harnesses) along with the interior and exhaust pipe. Just remember everywhere you put them.
- As for flat spots, if you are storing it on jacks, make sure that you store it so that the springs are still bearing the weight of the vehicle. Having the suspension unladen for a period of time is not good for it.

For the last few years I have had the luxury of storing them in a climate controlled warehouse, but prior to that, they were stored under car covers in my garage in SE Michigan and haven't ever had an issue. I also have never stored my cars on jackstands. Yes, you will develop flat spots, but they tend to work themselves out after a few miles. My two toys wear softer, summer only performance tires that are even more susceptible to flat spots, but as I said earlier, they work themselves out. I would imagine the Bronco's tires are a bit less susceptible to severe flat spotting.

We had a long, drawn-out winter/cold spring in Michigan this year and my cars were in storage from late October through early April and they came out of storage just fine.

 

[GnormalGnome]

If it's a known time frame where you will not need to be starting/moving the Bronco, consider disconnecting or removing the battery instead of a trickle charger. Then just put the battery on a charger the day before you will need to drive it.

I'd fill the tank and use Sta-bil or another stabilizer. But I've used untreated fuel older than 6 mos without issues.

Rodents, and any remedies, can be geographical and environment dependent. If you don't already have a pest problem, highly unlikely a parked vehicle will create one.

At 6 months, flat spotting tires shouldn't be an issue. Inflating to 40psi will help in preventing that.

In AZ humidity is probably not a thing, but if in a wet location I'd put some Dri-z-air in the cabin to prevent mildew.

Good Luck!

 

[GoHawks63]

If it's a known time frame where you will not need to be starting/moving the Bronco, consider disconnecting or removing the battery instead of a trickle charger. Then just put the battery on a charger the day before you will need to drive it.

Disconnecting the battery was an acceptable approach years ago when cars were analogue. It's a bit different now with modern cars that have multiple computers in them that retain information. Also, since you have to still put the battery on a tender once removed, what is really the benefit?

The key is to get a quality battery tender (not a charger). Many of the better ones monitor the battery's health, actually draws down some of the power and then brings it back up to prevent sulfation on the lead plates.

 

[Z because X was taken]

I store motorcycles during the winter, campers during the winter and have had various classic cars in long term storage. Keep it simple. Six months is not a long time to store a vehicle in my opinion. I would fill the tank with premium and add Sta-bil and drive it for several miles. Change the oil, Wash and wax the vehicle, clean the inside really good. Put the battery on a good battery tender. Park the vehicle on plywood and add 5 lbs of air to the tires. Put a high quality cover on it and walk away. I have done this with multiple vehicles and motorcycles for 40 years. Not once have I had a problem starting the vehicle up after storage.

 

[totaljustice]

In addition to all the advice above. Remove the battery from the truck to leave on the tender. I had a Mustang that I used to store each winter and I always removed the battery. It was a good thing because the last year the stock battery was in it, the tender never detected there was a problem. So I get up one morning and go down into the basement. There was an awful smell and I thought one of the kids never flushed the toilet. Walk into the garage and the smell is much worse. Then I heard the hiss. Walk over to the bench and there is steam and battery acid spitting from the top. I race to unplug the tender and go to grab the battery but it was too hot to touch without gloves and the sides were bulging. I was able to get it outside to cool off in the snow. The sputtering acid ruined a new pair of jeans and the shirt I was wearing but I can't imagine the damage that would have happened if the battery was left in the car. Something happened to the battery itself that the tender couldn't detect but tender was swapped out for a new one anyway. Anyway, my 2 cents.

 

[Wildfire1]

This is how I store our vehicles in the winter. Battery tender, no fuel additive, don’t worry about what’s in the tank and they stay firmly on the floor. The 2012 Mustang is stored the same in our other small shop. After 6 months get in, turn the key and drive off.

 

[telenerd]

I store my Bronco over the winter months. I simply change the oil before storing, hookup to battery tender, put sticky traps down under vehicle, make sure tank is full and tires are fully inflated.

When I pull the Bronco out for Spring, I hold the brake pedal, gas, and then the start button to let the engine cycle oil before starting it. Then I start it, check air pressure in tires, remove traps and battery tender. I drive it for a few weeks to let the oil get through and remove contaminants and run the Bronco near empty on fuel before filling with fresh tank of 91 octane. Then I drain the oil and replace filter. That’s a bout it. I don’t use stabilizer additives. Never needed to.

 

[MFP2241]

The octane level matters much less than the ethanol content. Ethanol is what draws in moisture. Basically;

- Premium fuel sometimes contains slightly fewer volatile components, so some people feel it stores a little better, but the difference is modest at best.

- Ethanol-free fuel stores better than ethanol-blended fuel regardless of octane.

- Old fuel can lose octane over time as lighter compounds evaporate.

Best case is ethanol-free fuel with Sta-Bil. If you only have fuel with ethanol, use Sta-Bil Marine.

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