Loving Your Car

Posted on: 14 August 2018

If you are going to be storing your car for the season, then you want to be sure you prepare it to be stored for a good period of time, or you may find yourself dealing with a variety of issues once you pull it out of storage. Here are some of the things that you want to make sure you do for your car when it is parked for a period of time.

Clean up the area where the car will be sitting

The first thing you want to do is to clean out the area where the car will be stored. You want to remove debris and foliage that would tempt critters to make their homes right near your car. If you don't do this, then they can end up deciding the car looks like an even better place for them to make their home. This can lead to them eating your wires, insulation, and other parts of the car or motor. It can also cause them to leave their unhealthy droppings in your car. Along with rodents, even birds are prone to creating their nests in cars that are left untouched for lengths of time.

Start the car and roll it regularly

Even though your car is stored, you still want to get in and start it up regularly. When you do this, you should move it a few inches to avoid the tires becoming misshapen from one part taking on all of the weight of the car for long periods of time. This can even create eggs in the tires and lead to them needing full replacement.

Keep the car covered

If you are going to have your car kept in the elements, then it is important for you to keep it covered. Not only will the cover act as a deterrent for those pests mentioned above, but it will also protect the car from the sun bleaching the paint and from things like dust and twigs scratching the paint. It also helps to keep it cleaner in general.

Keep the car insured or put a non-op on it

It's important for you to either keep the car insured or to put a non-op on it with the Department of Motor Vehicles. This way, there won't be any inconsistencies which can make it look as if you have been driving without insurance, which can raise your rates.

Have the car repaired before you park it

If your car needs repairs, you may be better off having the repairs done before you park the car. One reason this is a good idea is you won't forget about the issue and end up starting the car up and driving it around with issues, which will lead to them getting worse. Another reason this is a good idea is because some repairs can leave the car susceptible to more damage while it sits. For example, if you have a cracked hose you leave sitting, then all kinds of things can crawl into the opening and enter parts of the motor you don't want them in. Also, broken parts can lead to the fluids in your car quickly evaporating or even draining out onto the ground.

For more information, reach out to companies like Rancho Chevy & Cycle.