In the words of Forest Gump, “Mama always said ‘Life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get'”. 2020 has certainly proved that to be true. Many of us have gone from driving daily for work and other activities, to having to shelter in place at home. Cars that usually hit the road daily sat idle for weeks. When things started to open up, some people surely had an unpleasant surprise – their car would not start. Whether you have to put your car in storage for an extended period of time, or just are not driving due to the pandemic, there are some things you should do to prepare your car for storage.
How-to Prepare Your Car for Storage: Steps to Take
What Happens When Your Goes Into Storage?
Before you start to prepare your car for storage, you should know what can happen to your vehicle over time as it sets still without being used. This can be exacerbated by how well you prepped the car and where you have it stored. For example, did you know gas can go bad? It can react with oxygen and start to degrade if it’s not in an airtight container. It can happen really fast too. In fact, this process can take only 30 days to begin. An entire tank of gas can go bad within 3 to 6 months, causing issues with the fuel system.
In addition, the battery can die. A battery relies on using an alternator to recharge the power you are using. With no driving, there is no charging. This leads to a dead battery. The other major thing to consider is your tires. When your car sits in one place for a long period of time, flat spots can start to form in the tires. These tires can cause you to feel a vibration when you drive it after storage.
How-to Prepare Your Car
While it may sound like there are a lot of issues that can happen to a stationary vehicle, there are some things you can to do prepare your car for storage. To help keep the fuel from going bad, you can add a fuel stabilizer to your gas tank. You can purchase these products at your local parts store, and they will extend the life on your fuel for two years.
You can easily prevent a dead battery by hooking it up to a charger. Keep in mind that there are two types of battery chargers. One is designed to quickly charge a dead battery. The other helps to maintain a charged battery. You’ll want to buy a battery maintainer or “trickle” charger, as they send a slow, steady stream of electricity to maintain your battery’s charge. To save your tires, consider putting your car on blocks. When you take the weight off the tires, it helps to prevent your tires from starting to deform.