A Checklist For Before And After Putting Your Car In Storage
Posted on: 26 September 2017
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People often have to put their car in storage due to multiple reasons, such as when they are moving to a new home, when they can no longer drive due to a busy schedule, when they prefer a subway, or simply when they don't want to drive to work during winters. No matter what your reason for storage is, you should always ensure that you follow an auto maintenance checklist for before and after putting your car in storage. This auto maintenance will help you save the most on auto repair costs in the future.
Before Storage
Your first step is to wash off the vehicle from inside out and ensure that it's as good as new in terms of cleaning, because even the smallest amount of water drops, sands, or bird droppings can do a lot of damage to the paint. You should inflate the tires to the maximum pressure recommendation, because flat spots often occur when a car is in the same position for too long. You should also try to put your car on jack stands.
Before putting a car in storage, you should change the oil, clean the air filter, top off the coolant, and fill the gas tank. You can also add a fuel stabilizer to prevent corrosion in the fuel line and stop the fuel from separating. Also remove the battery. Doing this is essential as batteries lose their charge and can corrode if you don't make use of the car for a few months. The last step is to cover the car completely, preferably with a weatherproof cover. If the climate is hot, you should buy a breathable cover as it will keep the moisture out.
After the Storage
After taking the vehicle out of storage, you should follow a few basic steps to ensure that you don't need to contact someone for auto repair. If you used a battery maintainer or tender while storing, you should check it to see if it's fully charged. If not, you need to ensure that the battery is replaced or charged completely before moving a car with a cold engine. Testing the availability of engine oil, and replacing it ASAP should be your next step. You should also check the fluid levels for power steering, coolant, fuel, and brakes.
Perform a visual check to spot issues like leaks, cracked wires, loose clamps, and presence of mice. The last step is to check tire pressure and match it with PSI rating that's indicated on the sidewall. You should also try to find any cracks and bulges in the rubber if you don't want the tires to flatten when you are in an isolated place and can't access auto repair.