Car Care & Maintenance · The African Autos
How To Store Your Car When You Won’t Use It For A Few Months
There are different reasons behind the need to store your car such as when you are traveling for a long period, during winter or when you have a classic car that you drive for a few months in the year. The common thing in all these situations is that you will have to protect your vehicle over this period. This is why we will look at how to store your car for a long period.
Indoor or Outdoor
It is important that you store your vehicle in a cool dry place and whether you have chosen indoors or outdoors as your ideal storage, you should ensure that these places meet these two important requirements. When you think about how classic car collectors manage to keep their automobiles in impeccable condition, then you will realize that the indoors will be your ultimate solution. A garage will do fine as a car store for a few months. There are private companies that offer car storage space to meet this kind of need.
If you do not have indoor vehicle storage as an option, then you should ensure that your vehicle is properly protected from the elements. Though outdoor storage will still have its own challenges such as deterioration and the normal wear and tear, the use of a thick cover will help improve the situation.
Vehicle Fluids
One of the best ways that you can ensure the interior part of the engine and the associated systems is safe is through ensuring that the fluids are all stable and full. A fuel stabilizer will keep the fuel from going stale and prevent gasoline breakdown that can cause damage to the engine and the fuel system. Keep the tank full and tightly capped to keep the air out to avoid rust which might be caused by air and moisture. Remove the sparkplugs and oil the cylinder housings to prevent corrosion. Change the oil and filter since old oil will have byproducts that might lead to damages.
Long Storage
If you expect to store the vehicle for a year or close, you should ensure that the battery is disconnected and the connections are cleaned. You will also need to jack the car and add pressure of about 10 pounds, if you plan to keep them on. This will eliminate the chance of flat spots. A good wax job will help a great deal in protecting the car paint. Remove the wipers and store them well since they might get attached to the windshield when in the same position for a long period of time.
Keep Animals Out
Small animals love cars and you might want to block any holes such and the tail pipe to keep them away or you will come back to a colony of mice and a squirrel home. Drop a few mothballs around the car and ensure the vehicle is impeccably cleaned before storage. If possible, have someone take the car for a spin occasionally to keep the parts moving.