Is it Better to change the oil before or after storing my car for the winter?

I will be putting my car away soon for 3-4 months for the winter. I have always changed the oil in the spring when I start to drive it again. I figured there was no reason to put new oil and and a filter in and then let it just sit there for months. I have read a few posts that said to change the oil and then store the car for the winter. Anyone have more info/feelings on this. Also, should I switch to the 0W-40 or stick with 15W-50 the car (2000) came with? TIA.

I'd change it before and start the car once or twice a month to burn off any condensation in engine.

Don't store your car. Put on winter tires and drive it. I'm sure your streets will be clear most of the time.

Change it before. Never start it again unless you can drive it for at least a half hour to get the oil up to full temp so you will boil away any water with acids. Remember water temp is not oil temp. It will take a at least a half hour of driving not idleing. I never start my car till spring once I put it away.

I never change the oil before storage. Remember, if you are changing your oil regularly anyway, there is always fresh oil in he car. In the spring, I run trhe car for a little while (driving around) and then change the oil.

The reason to change before you put it away is this. The products of combustion have by products. Among them are water and acids. There are additives in the oil to combat both. Over time these additives get used up. By changing oil before you put it away you insure that you have the best protection against acid etching of bearing surfaces ect. My mantra is it is easier to change oil than to change engines. YMMV do what you want. I have been storing cars in the winter for 20 years.

As your car sets in the garage during the months of winter the oil, fresh, old, will all (98%??) have drained into the bottom, sump, within a few days. If you drive for long enough before parking it for the winter all of the moisture will be purged except for that which condenses as the car cools when you park it, but that will be the same amount new or old. Mine, 78SC, 01 C4, always gets changed in the spring.

That's true but should you have to start it for whatever reason which I don't recommend unless an emergency you will have fresh oil to combat any moisture acid that might occur.

Why not just change it before storing, and then again soon after bringing it out of hibernation in the spring? It may be overkill, but I still think that storing a car is really bad for it.

I agree with Paul, drive at least 1 hour per week... don't let it sit... if your using Mobil 1 synthetic I think your safe... the mantra "cheaper to change engine oil than engine" has been grossly overplayed... synthetics where designed for machines in the arctic wher they could NEVER change them... they last a very long time.... combustion and by-products concerns apply more to turbocharged engines than NA engines... save your money and don't worry about it at all... I know people who chagne their synthetic every 3-4000 miles... that's a serious waste of money... in these cars you can do it every 10,000 miles and you can watch it come out clean at that interval...

You must not live in Minnesota. It is always so slussly and messy here I would never take it out in the middle of winter. Once we get snow it never leaves.

If the Oil is clean and dry I doubt the enigne will suffer much . Previous posts have given some good advice. Park it in storage after a full heat up might help a little. Oil, exhaust, and brakes would be dry. When I think storage here in New England I think about corrosion. The car itself should be dry everywhere. If you refuse to drive at all I would use something like the car cacoon. Zip your car in with a few cans of desicant air drier activated charcoal or baking soda on the floor to absorb odors and monitor the museum quality humidity with a thru-the-wall guage. Of course there is the battery (get the radio code, and remove the battery to maintain separately). and mice, and scratches, tire pressure/flat spots, security, insurance... I like the idea of recoating oil conacting parts, moving the fluids, cleaning off the brake disks, etc. so I will selectively drive it in the winter being very carefull to avoid the salt. West marine sells some wax forming corrosion sprays I like. As I have often kept cars for long mileage, I remove my splash covers and spray brake/fuel lines, etc. as a precaution. Corrosion actually occurs more slowly at low temperatures if it weren't for the salt. When they bring out the salt or there is sand on the road my car is garaged. I bought it to drive it, but I do protect it from the elements.

Steve- I remember reading some posts at the GT3 forum last winter about a guy from Minneapolis who was driving his GT3 through the winter. Can't imagine that as it's not undercoated AT ALL and is so damned low all it would do is snowplow! Anyway, that's what Audi Quattros are for!!! Speaking from experience here in Iowa...

I used to drive my 63 Corvette all winter. It had 670 x 15 radial tires and went fine in the snow. I had it for 15 years but the frame was starting to rust out and get weak. After that I stored all my Corvettes. I did not store my 99 996 the first year as it was mild not much snow winter. I did drive it once in the snow and it went well even with the stock tires. I think with a set of Blizzazks it would go great. If I was going to trade it in every three years I would probably drive it. Although what fun is a high performance car you really can't do much with. You always have the added danger of a idiot sliding into you. I do not heat my garage for the reason posted above about crorrosion being worse at higher temps. I put stabil in the tank park the car on Tire Cradles to prevent tire flat spots and a maintainer not a trickle on the battery. I have the hard top on so the soft top is down all winter. Going on year 6 with excellent results. It fires right up in the spring like I just drove it in the garage.

"I remember reading some posts at the GT3 forum last winter about a guy from Minneapolis who was driving his GT3 through the winter. " It's true. You'll find Pat's GT3 with a ski rack and snows in the winter and a bike rack in the summer. Then he pops off the rack and runs 1:48s at Brainerd. That's several seconds faster than my C class 996. Now there's a guy that knows how to enjoy his car. BTW, I wouldn't worry too much about corrosion. He actually waxes the wheel-wells on his cup car. As for winter storage, there is no way I'm getting back into that argument. All I'll say is this, those of you that Club Race know who AutoEdge is. They are at most of the big races and they usually have a car or two on the podium. Being from MN they know a bit about storage. Their direction is very clear. 1) It is critical to change your oil in the fall. 2) Do NOT start your engine until spring. I have no interest in restarting this argument. I'm just telling you the advice I follow. Jim