Greetings,

I am taking delivery of a 2012 A5 Cabriolet later this week, and had a question: I will probably not be driving it this winter, so I was hoping some folks could share some winterization tips with me? It will be garaged and covered, so other than that, what do people recommend?

Many thanks, Dave

 

Put stabilizer in the fuel, and run it a bit to treat the fuel in the pump, lines and injectors. If possible ahve the tank full (less room for any condensation to form) Depending on the miles, change the oil right before hand. Disconnect the battery and attach a battery maintainer (one brand is Deltran Battery Tender). Not sure what type of garage you have (heated, dry, damp, etc), or wher you live climate wise but a couple of interior desicant bags will keep away any musty odors or mildew. Probably not a concern with your's however). Pump the tires up to the max psi shown on the sidewall (don't foget to readjust next spring!). Last but not least, right before storage clean inside and out, good coat of quality wax, etc....Put the cover on and wait impatiently for spring to come!!!!

Thought of another couple things. Contrary to what some say, close the windows tight (don't leave them cracked open). Hopefully not a concern but if there's a danger of mice, cover the tailipipes and ideally the engine air intake as well.

 

Great post, thanks for the info!

 

I always put in a bottle of gas line anti-freeze as well as Stabil. I don't know about the A5, but if you disconnect the battery in my A6, it can lock out the radio (anti-theft feature) and you are stuck unless you know the code. I would suggest investing in a float charger (they can be bought online from Harbor Freight for under $10 or an auto store for around $20-30. Unlike a charger, they do not over charge the battery. You may want to stuff rags in the exhaust to keep out mice and I have used sticky boards around the walls for the same reason. One year I stored it in a U-store place and dumped a container of mothballs under it to keep critters away.