Winter Car Storage: Keep Your Vehicle Safe This Winter

If you have a car that you love, you want to keep it in prime condition. The winter can be tough on cars, especially hobby cars and sports cars. That’s why it’s especially important to store your favorite cars during the winter. Many people do this at the beginning of every winter season for the cars that aren’t built for winter driving. If you’re thinking about storing your car this winter, there’s a lot you need to know. Here is a guide to help you get your car ready for storage.

What Cars Need to Be Stored

Ideally, all cars would be stored during the winter, but that’s not always practical. You have to get to work somehow, and we don’t all have access to carpools or public transportation. However, there are certain cars that definitely benefit from avoiding the snow. Any car with rear-wheel drive is going to give you trouble in the snow. You also don’t want to drive on fat tires.  Avoid any car running on an electric battery. The battery will die much more quickly in the snow, making the gas mileage advantages virtually useless. You also don’t want to drive any car that you truly love in the snow. A large truck or your daily car are your best bets.

Why Store Your Car

Some people don’t understand how much damage snow can do to your car. Here are just some of the reasons why you should store your favorite cars this winter.

Dangerous Roads

A shocking 25% of accidents over a ten year period were weather-related. Storing your car for winter can protect it from people who are sliding on the road. You also won’t get stuck in a ditch.

Salt

Salt can really help your car gain traction while on the road. Unfortunately, it can also cause rust on your car. It can even eat into your car over time. Everybody knows that bodywork can be extremely expensive, so don’t let this happen to your favorite cars.

Batteries Die Out

Unfortunately, batteries don’t work as well in winter as they do when it’s nice outside. In fact, they shouldn’t be in temperatures under 30 degrees.

Water Damage

One of the more unfortunate things that could happen to your car in the winter is water damage from melting snow getting into your car. This can completely ruin the internal system and cost you a significant amount of money.

Getting Your Garage Ready

Clean your garage to the best of your ability and make room for your car. You also want to make sure that you fix any leaks. The roof and garage door should be secure to protect your car from thieves, rodents, and snow. Talk to your local garage door installers if you think that your door could use an upgrade. They can go over your different options and tell you which work best for protecting your car.

Tips for Storing Your Car

Always thoroughly clean and detail your car before you store it. Crumbs can attract pests, so clean it out well! Don’t forget to clean underneath the car, too! You can even apply a new layer of wax and maybe polish, too. When you do take the car out of storage in the spring, it will look good as new! Tires typically deflate with time, even if they are not in use. Fill up your tires with more air than normal to help counter this. Be careful not to pop your tires, so pay attention to the limit printed on the side of the tire. You may even consider putting your car on a stand to relieve it of the weight. Get a cover to protect your car even while it’s in storage. Remember that plastic can scratch the paint on your car, so stick with something specifically designed for cars. They should allow your car to breathe and also be waterproof to protect it from any water damage. You can even get custom covers for your favorite cars. Pests can create a big problem for your car, so it’s important to keep your garage or storage facility pest-free. Fix any known problems before the season. Remember to be careful about the traps you put down. If you have pets, they could get into them. Fill up your gas tank and add a fuel stabilizer. The fuel stabilizer is absolutely necessary. It will stop the fuel from getting low. When it does this, it can create deposits that could be harmful to your fuel system. Get an oil change, even if it’s not quite the time for one yet. Change the filter, too! You won’t have to worry about corrosion this way. After you change the oil and fill up the tank, be sure to drive around for about ten minutes to allow the new fluids to circulate.

When Spring Arrives…

When it’s finally time for you to drive your car again, you’ll have to do a couple of things to get it ready. Examine the car to ensure that no rodents got inside. Check the tire pressure to get them back to normal. Even though you filled all of your fluids, double check them in case of an unknown leak. Clean your car if anything got on it during the winter, and you’re good to go! You may need to run the car for a short while before you get going but be careful not to leave the car running in a closed garage. That can be extremely dangerous. If you love cars, take good care of them by keeping them away from the salt and water that comes with winter. You and your car deserve it!

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