Can anyone tell me if it is OK to remove the battery for a long period of time, will the codes for the ECU still be OK when I put the battery back on maybe 2/3 months later, or not!!
I have just got a new Cam Cover and I wondered if there is a gasket under the cover or does it just bolt down, any help would be appreciated,
Many thanks

it's recommended to remove battery over winter if car is not in garage, some data could be lost (ecu reset) but next time when you reconnect it will adapt all again.

about cover, you mean that one with "barchetta" logo on? you unscrew it freely, no gasket under. it's just bolted there.

F4usT said:

it's recommended to remove battery over winter if car is not in garage, some data could be lost (ecu reset) but next time when you reconnect it will adapt all again.

about cover, you mean that one with "barchetta" logo on? you unscrew it freely, no gasket under. it's just bolted there.

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Hello F4usT, many thanks for the info, I will take the battery off for winter, the car is in my barn for winter so no worries about the dreaded snow on my new roof.
I will have a look at the Cam Cover tomorrow it is the cover with 6 bolts and two around the oil filler hole and it says' Fiat 16V VFD barchetta.

There is a rubber gasket under the cam cover but not under the coil pack cover.

Hiya!
Rocker Cover with six hex bolts removed looks like this, so engine is still safe.
Its easy to remove.. just undo the six hex and two small bolts by the oil filler cap and remove.
Only be carefull when your putting it back not to retighten them with great force and just nip them.

afroking said:

There is a rubber gasket under the cam cover but not under the coil pack cover.

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So I take it from your post the Cam Cover that I am asking about is called the Coil Pack Cover, many thanks.

Blue Sailfin said:

So I take it from your post the Cam Cover that I am asking about is called the Coil Pack Cover, many thanks.

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No worries!

Hi, thanks all for the advice regarding the Coil Cover, today I managed to take off the cover and fit the one I got on eBay, a powder coated red one. What do you think?

I have also laid up my car for the winter. I have left the battery connected and plan and starting the car occasionally. Is this the thing to do, or is it better to not bother turning the engine over until spring?

Steve

You have to decide if you are going to:

1) regulary run the engine

2) lay it up

If 2) then do the following

a) park car up in final resting place
b) jack up/remove wheels or use 'wheel/tyre saver chocks'
c) remove spark plugs
d) fill each cylinder (through spark plug hole) with around 5cc of new engine oil
e) rotate engine over several revolutions by hand
f) replace spark plugs or stuff spark plugs holes with tear free tissues / cleaning towel

Depending on length of lay-up then you can a) to f) every 4 to 5 months

I have never "winterised" my B. Over the last few years of ownership she has often not been used for a month or 2 on numerous occasions....

S130's info would be the best advice...

I have however found that she is quite happy to sit for 4-6 weeks and not end up with a flat battery (unlike sone of my other cars

Short and Long term storage of aircraft recomend moving them slightly to rotate the tryes by 90 degrees every couple of weeks to prevent damage. a bit of masking tape is a good way to log rotation. They also recomend frequent engine runs and filling fuel tanks to prevent corrosion. Sorry I'm not much of a car mechanic!!!

So if your laying her up for 2-3 months I think that starting her every week or so would be my prefered option as I'm too lazy to remove plugs and always feel happier to know things are running well. Keep her moving even if only a few inches at a time..

Tis only another oppinion to conseder.... Coating everything in oil as S130 recomends will probably offer the best protection.

Nice!

You can polish up the lettering by running a sanding block with a wet/dry paper of 1500-2000 and then it looks really nice..

All good advice but I would add that whatever you path you go down make sure the handbrake is left off to stop it freezing on. Also you could install a switch on the -ve side of the battery, they are easy to fit and inexpensive- around £10. It also makes an effective anti theft device. The make I have is, I think, called DISCARNECT and came from ebay.
Good luck.

KC3 said:

Nice!

You can polish up the lettering by running a sanding block with a wet/dry paper of 1500-2000 and then it looks really nice..

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I like this idea, I think I will be doing this on my return from wintering in Paphos, might see you driving by!

Why not use the car in the winter? You can avoid taking her out in really bad weather but not much beats a long fast drive on a cold but sunny day with the hood down and heater full on. It is actually better than going out with the hood down on a sweltering summer day and getting your brains fried.
My B does sometimes remain in the garage unused for a few weeks at a time but a permanently connected battery conditioner ensures she starts first time.
Cars need to be used and a mechanic told me that most cars built after 1990 are pretty good at fending off the dreaded tin worm.
Mind you, if like Sailfin you are lucky enough to spend winter in sunnier climes then that's a different matter!

Richpea said:

Why not use the car in the winter? You can avoid taking her out in really bad weather but not much beats a long fast drive on a cold but sunny day with the hood down and heater full on. It is actually better than going out with the hood down on a sweltering summer day and getting your brains fried.
My B does sometimes remain in the garage unused for a few weeks at a time but a permanently connected battery conditioner ensures she starts first time.
Cars need to be used and a mechanic told me that most cars built after 1990 are pretty good at fending off the dreaded tin worm.
Mind you, if like Sailfin you are lucky enough to spend winter in sunnier climes then that's a different matter!

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LUCKY! LUCKY! I wish, I have been working my socks off to pay for it!!, BUT it beats winter in the Limousin, it does get really cold here and with just the wood burner to keep me company it's worth the expense to jet off to Cyprus for a couple of months, but I will miss my B.
Thanks for all the good advice.

Hiya, Sailfin

If when your over in paphos, your welcome to give us a call and i,ll come up from Nicosia and give you a spin in the wild thing i call my B.

I'm going along the 'start her up regularly route'. I hadnt thought about topping the tank up to avoid rusting and wish I had now. All good comments (as always)

The problem with regular starting is that it leaves a lot of condensation in the exhaust system & in the engine itself. I usually give my B a good wash then a 1hr drive then park in garage asap. I then blow tyres up to 45psi, leave handbrake off, lower windows 25mm & put battery on Optimate charger. After a week or so I then fit breathable cover & loads of old blankets (the blankets protect from rapid temperature changes which cause condensation).
I have used this method of storage for m'bikes & cars for 20 years with no problems.