Putting Your Car Into Long Term Storage

If your car won't be used for a long period of time, instead of parking it, you may wish to put it into "storage".  This can be in your own garage, a self-storage facility or some other safe location.  If you are considering doing this, there are eight things you can do so it doesn't deteriorate any more than necessary. 

1)      Thoroughly clean your car, inside and out, before storage. 

2)      Give your car's exterior paint a good waxing and polish up the chrome with a chrome cleaner.

3)      Inflate all your tires to the maximum allowed air pressure.  They will lose pressure as time goes on so starting with maximum is a good idea. .

4)      To avoid moisture buildup and mold, consider putting a container of dessicant inside the car. These are available at most hardware stores.

5)      If you live in a colder climate, make sure your car has enough antifreeze in the coolant.

6)      Mice have a bad habit of taking up residence in vehicles parked for a long time and mothballs are a good deterrent for mice.  Put them into a container or put a handful into an old sock.

7)      Use a fuel stabilizer.  Most ethanol-blended fuels have a shelf life of only about three months. If you're storing a car for six months, adding a fuel stabilizer should help prevent corrosion.

8)      Your car battery should be either removed and stored, or connected to a trickle charger.