Vehicle Storage Tips

With winter approaching, many classic car owners are thinking about storing their cars for an extended time.  Also, some of you who work from home might not drive your vehicle very often.  Letting a vehicle sit for any length of time is not healthy, so it is important to protect key vehicle systems to ensure a safe reanimation of your vehicle when it is time to bring it back to life.

Three (3) systems on your car are affected by the inactivity of a vehicle in storage.  Depending on your storage period, these are the key systems to protect:

• Battery life
• Fuel stability
• Tire pressure

Regardless of your storage period, take preparation to protect your vehicle.

Short Term Storage (less than 6 months)

Vehicles can be stored for a short term without much prep to these systems.  Shorter term storage should involve you starting your car at least once every two weeks.   This keeps the battery charged and the fuel flowing through your intake system.

Recommended Tasks

• Take your car for a 15 minute ride to make sure the engine gets to operating temperature.  This helps charge the battery and heat up the exhaust system to burn off any moisture (which can cause rust).
• Check your tire pressure (the recommended pressures are noted in the door jamb visible when the driver’s door is open).  Tires can lose a small amount of air due to inactivity and with temperature changes. Tire pressure changes by 1 psi for every 10 degrees of temperature change (temperature decrease lowers tire pressure and temperature increases raises pressure).
• Keep your fuel tank full to prevent condensation from forming in the tank.

Long Term/Winter Storage (more than 6 months)

If you plan to keep your vehicle stored or inactive for 6 months or more, you should follow a normal “winter storage” regime that car collectors use.

Recommended Tasks

• Add a fuel stabilizer (StaBil, Sea Foam or similar) to your tank and fill the tank with fuel.  Drive the vehicle for 10 minutes to be sure the fuel stabilizer flows through the fuel system.  This will remove moisture in the fuel and prevent fuel breakdown (which can clog your fuel system).
• I like to inflate my tires to the recommended pressures.  A friend of mine in upstate New York parks on 1″ rigid foam insulation. He uses a small pad under each tire to get it off the concrete and over inflates the tires by 5 PSI.  He claims he has never had a flat spot.
• Give your car a good bath, and cover it with a quality car cover (if storage is outdoors) or a soft blanket/sheet if indoors (keeps the dust off).
• Connect a “trickle charger” battery maintainer to your battery to keep your battery charged.  The typical one is Battery Tender. Less expensive ones can be bought for less than $20 (I found several on Amazon).  I use  a Schumacher model bought from Tractor Supply.  It has served me well.
• If your vehicle is stored in a rural area prone to rodents infestation, consider this added tip from my New York friend:
  • “My motorcycle and car are stored in a detached garage out here in the country, so I am concerned about mice or chipmunks nesting. I’ve been using dryer sheets in the interior, trunk and engine bay. Spread them out generously. It keeps the mice out and the car smells great come Spring.  Call me paranoid but I also tape up my exhaust to keep critters out.  So far so good.”

Questions?

The above steps will help make sure your car starts right up when you need it, and prevents unnecessary repairs.

I hope you find this information useful.  Let me know if you have any thoughts, questions or a cool story to share in the comments.

Want to learn more about me?  Go to this article:   Meet The Vehicle Nanny