8 Tips on Storing Your Car For The Winter

Summer is nearing an end and it’s time to look for storage options for your “baby”. Storing your car is a smart decision but if you do not have room in the garage where is it going to go? There are two solutions to this, move the items from the garage to storage or bring your car to storage in one trip! Here are a few things to consider when storing your vehicle.

Place a plastic liner on the floor of your storage unit. Alternatively, you can use oil pads. This will catch any leaking fluids during storage, thus preventing you from ruining your concrete floor or the floor of your storage unit.
Change the oil and top up fluids. Don’t forget when you’re storing your vehicle for the season it will be longer than a month so it’s important that the oil is clean and your fluids are topped up for when you want to drive it again.
Tire Pressure. It’s best to make sure that the tires have the proper amount of air in them before storing if only for a few weeks. If you intend to store your vehicle longer it’s advised to jack up the car and take the tires off. This prevents what are called Flat Spots that can ruin tires. Read more about Flat Spot prevention here: http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-to-prep-your-car-for-long-term-storage.html
Take it to a carwash. It’s important to wash the outside of your car including the tires & wheel wells to remove any stains, insects, mud etc. These things, if left for a long period of time, can be damaging to the paint & body of the car.
According to Wheels.ca it’s important to leave one of your car’s windows open about an inch this will allow for ventilation and prevent moisture buildup. http://www.wheels.ca/top-ten/top-ten-tips-to-consider-for-winter-car-storage/
Don’t forget rodents like dry places and nibbling on anything they can. Prepare your car for these pesky pests by covering any place on the exterior they may get in. Ensure that you clean the interior of your vehicle well, removing any food, litter or other items that may attract mice. As an additional precaution, mouse poisoning or mouse traps inside your storage unit. If you are storing in your own garage be mindful of any pets that you allow into the garage before using poison of traps. Find a great how to here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a115/1272486/
Most self-storage facilities will not have an electrical outlet to plug a trickle charger in for your car. You can bypass this by disconnecting the battery and taking it with you to a warm place. When storing you battery be sure to keep it off concrete floors as concrete can drain batteries.
This is one of the most important things to do when putting your car in storage. Keep up your insurance. In case of emergencies such as fire, theft, hurricane, etc. you will want to make sure your vehicle is insured. This is especially important if you are storing it outside in a storage lot.