Properly Storing Your Car for Long Term

There could be several reasons why you would want to leave your car in storage for any length of time. You could be going on vacation or out of town for a lengthy amount of time or storing it for future restoration or for seasonal use only. Whatever the reason or amount of time you intend to store your car, taking appropriate car care steps will save you stress and money for car repairs in the future. First, consider the storage location. Best is a garage that is enclosed with concrete ground. Before you pull your car into the garage for storage, you should change all fluids. (Oil, transmission, brake, antifreeze, windshield), Disconnect the battery and fill the gas tank with gasoline. (This is because gasoline can absorb moisture and a full tank eliminates the possibility for the moisture to accumulate in the tank.) This is the only time that you would ever hear a professional recommend that you over-inflate your cars tires, of course this will only be a ‘slight’ over-inflation and will allow you to return to your car without the need to replace all four of your tires and can eliminate damage to the tires rubber during the lengthy amount of time it is sitting o those tires. Now that you have taken care to appropriately care for crucial elements of your car, consider the exterior as well as the interior. What damage could possibly happen during storage? Insects, Rats, water, rust on the paint; you can prepare your car easily in the event of any unforeseen event occurring that could necessary car repairs your vehicle. To begin with you should thoroughly detail both the exterior and interior of your car. Use of a good wheel cleaner should be used as well as a good brand of foaming (or other) rubber cleaner…such as Mothers Tire & Rubber Cleaner™ or Turtle Wax Rim Brite™ to clean well not just the rims but the rubber wheels as well. Also you should clean the wiper blades with the same protective cleaner. This will protect your wheels from dust and from water if the garage were to possibly have any type of flooding while your car is in storage. For insects and rodents, you can place around the garage any type of repellants or ‘traps’. Inside of the car remove anything that would potentially attract these creatures, luring them inside where they can cause severe amounts of damage in only a short time. You can place a simple dryer sheet or essence oil into the car to avoid a ‘musty’ odor that results from long term storage, use a scent that will not attract insects and rodents easily, such as pine scent or lemon scented. Now detail the interior very well. If you have leather or vinyl upholstery, use an appropriate leather or vinyl cleaning solution that will also provide protection to the leather and or vinyl. And now you can drive your car into the garage and park it. Be sure that it is sitting level on the ground and remove anything that could potentially fall or leak onto the car in the event of any type of storms. And finally, you can leave your car, feeling confident that you have provided appropriate car care and she will be awaiting your return safely, ready to serve you well.