Don’t Make These Mistakes If You’re Storing Your Car for the Winter

It's common for people to store vehicles for the winter, especially those who own restored classic cars, sports cars, or vehicles that sit low to the ground. Keeping your vehicle in storage for the winter months keeps it protected from the outdoor elements during a time of year when it's too difficult or dangerous to drive it. However, you can't simply drive your car into a storage unit, lock it up, and leave it alone all winter. If you don't store your vehicle properly, you might discover that your car needs some costly repairs in the spring. So it's important that you avoid these mistakes when storing your car for the winter.

Allowing the Car Battery to Die

To prolong the life of your car battery, you need to make sure it stays charged while your vehicle is in storage. Car batteries don't typically die if they lose a charge one time, but if this happens repeatedly, you might have to replace your battery in the spring. You can ensure your car battery remains charged while the car is in storage by hooking it up to a battery tender or trickle charger. A battery tender will connect to your battery with the battery still in the car. You'll just need to leave the car hood open while the car is in storage. To use a trickle charger, remove the battery from the car, set the battery on top of a wooden board, and connect the trickle charger. When purchasing a battery tender or trickle charger, you should buy one that automatically powers off so that it doesn't overcharge your car battery. Additionally, if your vehicle has a radio installed that requires you to enter an activation code every time you need to reactivate it, don't disconnect the car battery until you're positive that you know code.

Not Filling the Tires with Air

If you're putting your car in storage, it's going to be sitting in the same spot for a long time, and that can wreak havoc on your tires. Tires that aren't properly inflated are more likely to develop flat spots from sitting for an extended period of time. To help prevent this, make sure all of the tires are inflated to the pressure level recommended by the manufacturer before putting your vehicle in storage. If you aren't sure what the tire pressure should be, you can find the number on a sticker on the inside rim of the driver's side door.

Not Getting the Oil Changed

If your car isn't due for an oil change, you might think that it's okay to put off changing the oil until spring. After all, you won't be driving the car, so the oil should be fine, right? Wrong. When you drive your car, the engine uses the oil to lubricate all of its gears. This contaminates the oil. If you allow your car to sit for a long period of time with oil in it that's filled with corrosive materials and debris, the oil could damage the car's engine. So before you put your car in storage for the winter months, take the time to get an oil change from a company like Precision Automotive, whether your car needs it or not.

Preparing a car for winter storage isn't difficult, but it is important. After all, the preparations that you take before you store your vehicle help ensure the vehicle remains in good condition while it isn't being driven.


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