I am going to be storing my 560SL through the winter in an enclosed self-storage facility and would like to know what steps I should take to winterize it. Specifcially, please provide me with your comments about:

Soft top - should I leave it up or down with the hard top on it?

What other stepes should I take - battery, fuel, cover, etc?

 

please make sure that there is no leaking water pipes on the storage room.

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Geez, man, yeah. Check for leaky water pipes.

Here's what I would do in addition:

> Inflate the tires to max pressure to help prevent flat spots.

> Disconnect the battery or leave connected but attach a battery charge manager (about $20 for a Battery Tender).

> Change the oil so you're not storing the car with contaminants in the oil.

> Fill the gas tank. This will leave the least amount of air space in the tank where moisture can form. Add a fuel stabilizer.

> Block all inlets with rags, duct tape, or rags and duct tape. Block air inlet to the engine, exhaust pipe tips, air ducts to the inside, etc. This will discourage furry mammals and birds from entering and nesting inside.

> Remove any food stuff from the interior. Especially things like mints or gum from the console, etc. This will keep ants and such from colonizes the interior.

> Don't start the engine unless you can drive the car ten or fifteen miles, at least. Otherwise, corrosives and contaminants will build up in the oil. These contaminants burn off when the engine is warmed up properly.

> Leave the hard top on. The soft top will be fine tucked away for the winter. The soft top would hardly slow down a rodent that wanted to get inside.

> If you use a car cover, make sure the car is washed first. I don't think you absolutely need a cover for just a winter, but it wouldn't hurt.

 

I also store a car every year and was always told not to keep the roof down but up to avoid shrinkage when not closed and stretched.

I did leave my roof open for a month once during the summer as it did not rain and it was a lot harder to close it than usual.

 

I'd add:
Make sure the soft top is DRY before storage.
Make sure the battery is fully charged.