How to Prepare Your Car for Long Term Storage

How to Prepare Your Car for Long Term Storage

March 21, 2019 0 By smithdviolet

Your car has served you well during the summer and now the winter is starting to come back and you find that your car is not an ideal winter vehicle. Your next step should be to store your car for the season.

If this is your first time having to store your car, then there is no need to panic. All you need to do is dedicate a day or two so you can properly keep your car in storage for a long time. Otherwise, you may find your car in a less than ideal condition once you come back to it.

here are many things you need to prepare for storing your car for a long while. You can store your car at a vehicle storage company like national mini storage but before you do, here are some of the things that you have to do.

Keep It Covered

Ideally, your car should be stored in some sort of indoor storage such as a garage or an actual public storage facility. Note, however, that public storage facilities obviously have monthly fees that you need to pay to continue availing of their space.

An indoor storage place for your car is important because it protects your car from the changes in the environment. Aside from that, the temperature inside usually does not fluctuate too much that it can affect your car. However, you may not have a garage nor can you afford a facility to store your car.

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If you really have to store your car in the great outdoors, then it is best that you invest in a good car cover. A good car cover is one that is able to withstand strong winds so that it does not get removed from your car easily.

Aside from that, a good car cover offers protection against additional dings and scratches that can be made onto your car. Also, it can protect your car from dirt and moisture so you do not find an entire ecosystem growing on or in your car.

Wash It

It will be unpleasant for you to come back to your car after the winter season only to come back to a greasy and dirty car that is filled with odd smells. Therefore, to avoid this experience, don’t forget to wash your car first.

When you leave your car unwashed and store it for a long-timecorrosive materials in the dirt can stain the paint job on your car. It will be an additional cost for you to spend on when this happens. Instead of doing that, you can just simply wash it before storage.

Do not forget to let your car dry before you store it away. If you leave any moisture lying around, you may end up growing mold in it. Remember the whole ecosystem thing? Yeah, you would not want that.

As a little extra-extra for your car, you can also get it waxed. Mostly, though, a good thorough clean should be good enough.

Change the Oil

Changing the oil is important for long-term storage. Long-term storage is considered as storing it for about a month or so. If you plan to store your car for that long, then it is important to change your car’s oil.

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Your car engine’s oil, when left as is, can damage your engine in the long run. Any waste matter in the engine will damage the car engine. It is costly to get an engine repaired so do your due diligence and fill your cars oil levels.

Keep Critters Out

When you store your car for a long time, it can attract a lot of vermin to make your car its new home especially in the winter time. It will definitely be a terrifying and unpleasant experience to find unexpected visitors in your car.

The best way to avoid this is by not storing your car somewhere near grassy areas or the woodlands where these creatures live. There are, of course, other ways to keep the vermin out of your car.

Block all possible entrances like the tailpipe so that the creatures don’t get the chance to get into your car. Just remember to unblock them before you start the car up again. You can also avoid vermin infestations in your car by placing hair strands of either your pet or yourself in the car. People have said this worked well so no harm no foul, leave some in there.

Top Off the Tank

Aside from filling up the car oil levels, it is also important that you fill up the gas tank. It is the same principle, essentially, to why you need to fill up your oil levels. However, do not forget to include space for fuel stabilizers in there.

Once you’ve done that, drive your car around for a little while. This way the liquids have the chance to travel inside the pipings.

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Top Off Fluids, Air Up Tires

Overall, you should top up on all the other car fluids your car needs. It is best that you do this right when you’re filling up the gas as well as your oil levels. When you’re doing that, do not forget to fill up your air tires as well.

Don’t Use the Parking Brake

To prevent a car from moving while in storage, use a tire stopper instead. The reason why you should use a tire stopper instead of just using the parking brake is that your brake pads and the rotors may fuse. To avoid this, purchase a tire stopper instead.

Prevent Flat Spots

We mentioned before about filling up your tires before putting them into storage. Make sure that when you fill up your tires that they are inflated at the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure. Otherwise, you may develop flat spots on the tire from making it stand on the same spot for so long.

If you want to be extra safe, you have the option to remove the tires instead. If you do not want to do that, you can also drive your car for a few moments to prevent the formation of flat spots on the tire.

There is much to be done when setting your car up for storage. In this article, we cover a lot of the major tasks you need to do before you store your car for a long time. Your car is an important tool and it deserves care so that it can serve you well again once it is out of storage.