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Should I run my FJ over the winter just to keep the fluids / battery / etc working smoothly?

69FJ-KY

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united_states
Hi guys, quick opinion question here- I bought my FJ40 in the fall and the guy I bought it off said maybe run it for an hour (even in idle) every few weeks through the winter to keep the fluids and all moving in the system.

I asked a fellow collector friend (with different older cars) the same question and he said it would be better to just disconnect the battery and let it sit until Spring.

What do you guys do with your FJ's over the winter if you don't drive them much?

Thanks!
 
There will many different opinions on this! A lot of the decision can depend on your climate. Running the engine for a short cycle can do more harm than good, as it doesn’t let all the components get up to normal working temperatures, whenever you have a big temperature change you can get condensation building up, degrading your oil quality, causing corrosion internally etc. It might be a better solution to invest in a climate controlled tent and store your truck in there, or just pick a good day to give it a proper drive!
 
Thanks for the reply. I'll be actively watching for any 60-degree days but not expecting any of those for a few months soon. If I run my heat my antifreeze boils out (lol, separate problem I am working on) and frankly the whole things smells like gas inside with the windows up (another minor issue, need to replace the gas can connects I guess!) - so I have to kind of wait for the nicer days. But isn't that the fun of these things? If I had no problems to deal with it would be just another ornament.

Anyway- what is a reasonable time to run it? I don't mind letting it idle an hour, or even 30 minutes or so and then take a quick spin. But if it is ok just letting it sit in my barn, that's probably the best for now- should I disconnect the battery and bring that inside?
 
Another vote for removing the battery and letting it sit ....... take the battery inside and keep it on a trickle charge
Older vehicles like our WW2 stuff do benefit from a decent run to keep the leather trans and axle seals from drying out.... but your truck has modern seals and you will do far more harm letting it idle for even an hour than you will do good....all the exhaust gasses will condense in your exhaust system and as they are acidic will rot it from the inside out ...same for the gasses inside the engine ...on idle parts of the engine will never get up to running temp and you will just load your engine oil with unburnt residue fuel and acidic traces .
 
The gas smell would have me remove the battery and store it elsewhere just to be on the safe side of unwanted sparks .
 
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Yikes! I'm convinced. Heading out to the barn now to remove the battery! THANK YOU for the help because otherwise I was surely going to run it every 2 weeks on idle for at least 2 more months!
 
No doubt you won't have done any harm....warm it up one last time and change the engine oil.....that gas smell could be unburnt fuel in the oil ..
I often tell customers who think oil is costly that it's the cheapest part in the vehicle to change .....
 
What the heck!
Drive it! It's a Land Cruiser for heaven's sake. get some aggressive AT tires, maybe a set of chains and go out and enjoy the Dragon's Tail thru the mountains in the dead of winter!
Oh, and take a sturdy tow chain.... it's always fun to help Bronco owners get their rides out of the ditch!
 
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