Do you have a favourite car you only use for part of the year? Maybe you own a nice classic that only gets taken out once in a blue moon to preserve its good condition. Whatever the situation, there comes a time when it’s time to put your ride to sleep for a while. If you want it to wake up in the same condition it went in, you’re going to have to prepare your car for long term storage properly.
Steps To Prepare Your Car
So lets make sure everything is taken care of in the right way from the beginning. Before putting the car to bed, there’s a few things to be done first, to ensure a successful awakening next time it gets taken out. Hopefully you have already chosen a good storage location for your car before doing any of this, if not, we’d advise doing that first.
Fill Up The Tank
This might seem to be a strange piece of advice to give. Why fill up the car if it’s just going to be sitting there for a while? The answer is a simple one: it prevents moisture from building up inside of the tank. Moisture build up will cause the inside of the tank to rust, and deteriorate over time. Keeping the tank filled also keeps the seals from drying out and breaking.
One thing to keep in mind with leaving gas in a tank for a long period is that gas does have a shelf life. There is a solution for this in the form of fuel stabilizer, which will prevent gas from deteriorating and harming the tank and lines. Stabilizers won’t keep gas in good condition for ever, you will probably have to change it out once or twice a year depending.
Drain And Put In Fresh Oil
Leaving old oil sitting around isn’t the best thing for your car. Old used oil can have contaminants in it that could cause harm to your engine. If you intend to store the car for only a short period, say a week or two, feel free to skip this step.
Give It A Good Wash
So why bother washing the car if it’s going away? To avoid damages of course. Dirt, water, or bird droppings can cause damage or stain the paint. Salt left over from the winter could rust away at the metal over time. Cleaning up the dirt and debris can avoid these issues. For some added protection, give the car a good shine of wax.
Jack It Up
While the car sits there for months at a time, there will be tremendous wear on only one portion of the tires. This can lead to flat spots developing on the tires, which you’ll then need to replace instead of going for a nice drive. If you live in a cold environment, or low-profile tires, these flat spots can occur faster. To avoid this, put jacks at all four corners of the car, raise it up, and take the wheels right off. They will be in far better condition then they would be by not having all the car’s weight pressing down on them constantly.
Charge Up The Battery
Over time your car’s battery will lose its charge, even when it’s just sitting there. If only storing the car for the short term, say during specific seasons, start it every few weeks and let it run for about 15 minutes. Preferably take for an actual short drive, but even if you can’t, turning the engine over will be good for it. For cars in long term storage, this won’t really work too well for you, a better option would be to get a trickle charger which will apply a low charge that keeps the battery topped up without overcharging. If budget is an issue, a low tech option is to simply disconnect the negative battery cable, but this is not a perfect solution.
Cover It Up
The best place to store the car would be in a garage or public storage facility to ensure it is well protected from the elements. Should this not be a viable option for you, you need an alternative or else your car is in for a bad time. To that end, go out and get a good weather proof cover to keep the car clean and dry.
Consult Your Insurance
If the car’s being put away for a long time, it seems like a good idea to cancel the insurance to save some money doesn’t it? Before hitting the cancel button, get in touch with your insurance provider to see what options are available to you. In some cases they may charge you a higher rate to make up for the coverage gap, which won’t save you any money at all.
There We Have It
Some good steps for putting your car into long term storage will ensure everything will roll along nicely when it’s time to bring it onto the road again. Keeping it protected from the elements, and cleaning it all up will make sure it won’t deteriorate while in storage.