Some people believe that their car is an investment, and they want to keep its integrity. This involves cleaning, restoring pieces, not putting miles on the vehicle, and even putting the vehicle into long-term storage.
There are several other reasons that one might put a vehicle into long-term storage. This could be if you have multiple cars, seasonal cars, are deployed, taking extended vacations, or even are keeping a car for children.
If you are not planning to use your car, putting the vehicle in long-term storage means that it will be preserved, protected from pests, and you will have enhanced security. When you put a car into storage, you will protect the car from sun damage, as well as damage from rain, snow, and other extreme temperatures. These elements can cause your car’s paint to fade, rust to develop, and some of the parts to degrade. If your car sits for too long, you could have a dead battery, flat tires, or degradation of the car fluids.
If you are going to put your car into long-term storage, there are several things that you need to do to prepare it. Edmunds.com has 10 tips for preparing your car for long-term storage.
Keep It Covered
When you are going to store your vehicle, put it inside a garage, so that the elements and temperature are mostly stable. You could also put it inside a public storage facility, if you do not have a garage. If you are not able to do either of those things, then you should get a waterproof cover so most of the elements don’t get on your vehicle.
Clean It Up
Right before you put your car into storage, you want to make sure that you wash it off. Any sort of water stains, bird droppings, or dirt can cause damage to your paint. You should also clean the undercarriage, so there is no mud or grease. You could also give the car a wax to help.
Change the Oil
If you are going to keep the car stored for more than 30 days, then you should get the oil changed. Some engine oil has contaminants that could cause damage to your engine.
Top Off the Tank
Again, if the car is going into storage for more than 30 days, then you should fill up your gas tank. This will “prevent moisture from accumulating inside the fuel tank and keep the seals from drying out”. You could also buy a fuel stabilizer, which will help prevent issues and deteriorating
Keep It Charged
If your car’s battery is unused for a while, it will lose its charge. If you are able to, you should have someone take your car out about every two weeks and drive it for a minimum of 15 minutes. This will help keep your battery charged, while also keeping all of the other parts in working order. If you cannot get someone to drive your car, but you don’t want the battery to die, you can “disconnect the negative battery cable” or you can “purchase a battery tender, also known as a trickle charger.”
Don’t Use the Parking Brake
If you use the parking brake while your car is in storage it could be bad for the brakes. “If the brake pads make contact with the rotators for too long, there is a chance that they might fuse.” You should instead use a tire stopper to keep your car from moving.
Prevent Flat Tires
You should make sure that your tires are inflated the right amount. If the tires are stationary for too long, the weight of the tire could cause flat spots to develop. This happens more in colder temperatures or with low-grade tires. Again, having someone drive your car every once in a while will prevent the flat spots. Those flat spots can become permanent, and you will have to replace your tires. You could also take the wheels off and use car jacks on the four corner spots instead.
Keep Critters Out
While your car is in a garage or outside, their warm and dry interiors are an area of interest for rodents. You should try to cover gaps or openings, like your exhaust pipe or air intake, so that animals don’t get in. You could put in mothballs or peppermint oil dipped cotton swabs to keep mice away. Also, you could put down some mousetraps and rat poison.
Maintain Insurance
If you are not going to use your car for a while, you should still keep the insurance active. Potentially, if you cancel it, it could raise your rates because of the gaps in your coverage. This depends on your provider and location, so call your insurance to see.
Check Your Car Before You Use It Again
Check for animals or evidence of animals and possible damage. You can also look at your windshield wipers for deterioration, tire pressure, brakes, fluids, and battery power. Put everything back together that you might have taken apart for storage. And then wash your vehicle of any dirt or grime, as this can cause scratches on your vehicle.
It’s important to make sure that your car is running well before you start driving it after being in storage. If not, you could get into an accident with a malfunctioning vehicle. For the safety of you and others, prepare your vehicle correctly before long-term storage. Here is an article about common accidents on the road.
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