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Tips on Storing Your Auto Investment During the Winter Months

Do you have one of those cars you only drive in the Spring and Summer time and your investment is more than your willing to admit? Proper winter car storage for your seasonal vehicle is essential because it extends the life of the vehicle, avoids costly repairs, and will be better-prepared when it’s ready to be driven again in the spring. Here are a few tips to properly store your vehicle over the Winter months so that you can be ready for those car shows in the Spring!

 Store properly to keep out critters

Use mouse traps outside the vehicle, not inside, or wherever you notice critter activity in your garage. Rat poisons, on the other hand, don’t leave evidence as readily and sometimes they don’t die right away and can leave some really bad lasting smells. Plus it’s not good to use them if you have pets. Be sure that all air inlets are closed in the car and put steel wool in the air filter, check under your hood periodically during the winter to make sure it’s critter-free, and plug up your exhaust pipe with steel wool to prevent critter access.

Vehicle exterior

Give the car’s underside a good spray or hand wash before storing. When the car has air-dried, give it a good waxing to protect the vehicle’s finish and give a good polish to the chrome as well.

Vehicle interior

Anything food-related needs to be removed, including wrappers. This lowers the chance of any pests trying to get inside your car and you also won’t have any unpleasant odors to face after months of winter car storage. Seat covers are a good idea providing extra protection for your upholstery. Plus, add some packs of desiccant (like the silica gel that comes in boxes of new shoes) inside the vehicle.

Oil and filter

Change the oil and filter on your car before storing it for the winter. Even if the vehicle isn’t due for one. An oil change provides helpful corrosion protection. Just as with the fuel stabilizer or any other added car fluids, run the vehicle for a few minutes to circulate the fresh fluids.

Tire Care

Tires should always be cleaned to remove dirt and brake dust, inflated to the recommended psi, and be aware of flat-spotting from long-term winter car storage. Underinflated tires and storage in a cold garage on a car that doesn’t get moved for several months will increase the chance of flat-spotting. Putting your vehicle on jack stands to reduce the weight put on your tires during winter car storage. Place a small piece of wood under the stands. That ensures they won’t leave indentations on your floor.

Coolant Top Off

Check your coolant level and top it off. To be extra safe, you should check the coolant’s strength to ensure the water concentration level isn’t too high. If it is, this can cause the car’s cylinder heads or engine block to crack.

Disconnect the car battery or use a trickle charger

It’s best to disconnect. Store it in a heated place then the battery should be good to go when it’s hooked back up in the spring. Be aware that battery removal isn’t recommended if the car being stored is newer and has engine computers. If a car battery loses its charge it may freeze, at which point it becomes useless. As an added dose of preventative maintenance, you can also coat the battery terminals with petroleum jelly.

Cover your car or use a car lift for winter car storage

Covering your car will protect the exterior you just waxed and keep dirt and dust off. Make sure the car cover you use has breathable fabric. Moisture trapped underneath your cover will be harmful to your car’s body.

You’ll find plenty of classic car restoration experts who believe that improper winter car storage can actually be worse for the vehicle than if it had been driven all winter on salt-covered roads.

If you haven’t gotten around to taking care of your winter car storage needs yet, don’t procrastinate much longer. These 11 winter car storage tips will keep your prized vehicle in pristine condition in your garage until spring time.

Spirit West Rapid Refinish, established in 2011, was formed to focus on providing quality service for customers who are paying out of pocket for automobile repairs and streamline the workflow volume.

We take great pride with teamwork and our commitment to making sure our team receives training on the latest innovative state-of-the-art equipment and collision repair techniques.

We are proud to say our team is family, and we treat our customers like family too. Whether you need minor collision repair services, bumper repair or vehicle paint, give us a call today (636) 386-8060 to see how we can restore your vehicle to its original factory finish or stop by the shop 14643 Manchester Rd, Manchester, MO 63011 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm closed 12pm-1pm daily.