Planning on a long vacation out of town? A trip to another country perhaps? Or, just chilling at home because of the current NCOVID-19 scare government lockdown?
If this sounds like you, then you also have to pay attention to your ride in your garage. Heck, your car needs exercise too you know!
Yes, leaving your car idle in your garage or just anywhere especially under the sun, for a very long period of time, will definitely going to cause catastrophic proportions to your cuddly vehicle. And, it will degrade and fail prematurely if not taken care off the right way.
Good thing is that you have the power to avoid damages to your ride if you just do simple things on your car before you leave them idle for a long time.
Here are 10 things that you should do before you store your car for a long time.
Unplug the Battery
You can’t turn on the ignition if you have a bad battery. And that is the role of the battery in the first place, to power up your car.
Leaving your car idle for 5 to 15 days or more, can ruin your battery’s power reserve. It is recommended to remove your battery if you are planning on keeping your car idle for some time. And make sure that it is fully charged and the water level is at the top level before you remove the battery from its terminal.
Then store your battery in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Plus, use a WD-40 to spray on your terminals to prevent them from rusting.
Wash and Clean Your Car
This may sound trivial, but majority of people who leave their cars for a certain period of time don’t even bother to clean their cars first.
Why is it important? Cleaning your car means that you are putting some value on your priced possession. Let me talk about the interior of your car.
Most people tend to leave unnecessary trash inside their cars such as chocolates, biscuits, colas, energy drinks, water bottles, candies and many others.
These products don’t last long especially if you don’t have a garage and your car will be left in a place where direct sunlight is available. These products could rot and may attract rodents which spells disaster to your car.
Cleaning your car thoroughly and spraying some car freshener will do wonders for your car in the long run. For the external parts of your car, you might be asking why you should wash your car if you are going to store it anyway? Well, you can use a car cover to keep that shiny paint for days.
Park Your Car Indoors
Parking your car in a safer and cooler place is very much ideal and recommended for all types of vehicles.
If you leave your car outside for a long time, chances are, thieves will notice it and soon you’ll have no tires, side view mirrors or even your very own car. So it is important to keep your car safe by parking it in your own garage inside your house, and don’t forget to cover it with dust and water-proof car cover.
Plus, leaving your car in a direct sunlight can cause havoc to your car’s paint, rubber parts, electronics and even your glass tints will wear out prematurely.
Fill the Fuel Tank in Full
A major problem in cars is metal rusting, so should avoid this problem at all cost.
And if you are storing your car in extended period of time, it is quite important to keep your fuel level on top.
Yes, filling up your fuel tank with quality petrol or diesel to the brim will help prevent moisture entering the tank, hence it prevents rusting of the fuel tank.
Leave the Handbrake Disengaged
Using your handbrake during a short trip to grocery stores or a last minute shopping spree won’t hurt your braking system. But if you plan on storing your car for days or even months, then never ever engage your handbrake.
Why? Because your brake pad could get stuck to the rotors or drums. This will give you more braking difficulty the next time you drive the car.
So to avoid this, disengage your handbrake and just use wheel chocks such as a piece of wood or a stone to keep your car from rolling. Keep your car in Park mode or first gear for manual transmission.
Keep the Tires Correctly Inflated
Leaving your car in an extended period of time can lead to deflated tires. Yes, overtime, tires lose air especially if it is in idle for a long time.
To prevent this, check if your tire has the correct pressure using tire pressure gauges. Proper inflation prevents tire sidewall damage and flat spots.
Prevent Flat Spots
Speaking of flat spots, not using the correct tire pressures will eventually develop this problem. Flat spots occur when the weight of the vehicle presses down on the tires footprints, thus creating a “flat” corner in your tire.
To avoid flat spots, you may need to ask someone to drive your car once a week if you are going to store your car for months. This will help your tires to keep their normal operating temperatures and thus prevent flat spots.
If you don’t have someone to ask for this, then one way is to use jack stands at all four corners of your vehicle. This will prevent the tires from the burden of carrying your car’s total weight. This might require you more effort but it is quite practical than having your tires replaced due to flat spots.
Plug the Tailpipe
Cars are like humans, they also breathe as in like inhale and exhale processes. And if we humans ensures that no one enters our noses and ears where air goes in and out, the same goes with our cars.
The exhaust pipes or “tailpipe” is one opening that you should consider closing when you are leaving the garage for a very long time. Why?
Because critters and other insects or animals may climb inside. Also, you may want to keep the air out from entering your rear end.
Other possible entry point to your engine is your air intake, so make sure that you put some rug on its before you leave. You also have to make sure that all your windows are are not loose in any way.
Lube All the Hinges and Latches
I mentioned above that you need to some parts of your car to keep it from rusting or metal degradation. These parts include all hinges, latches, door knobs and even your key ignition switch.
Yes, you need to lubricate these parts so that you can get them open and function properly when you eventually decide to resurrect your car. One choice of lubricant for cars is of course WD-40.
Change Engine Oil and Filter
Like your fuel tank that needs a a quality petrol, your engine similarly needs a quality motor oil especially if you are going to store the car for too long.
Used engine oil can damage the engine if it’s left for months without replacing. So ensure that you change your oil first before you go to your vacation. And if you change your oil, it is also advisable to change your air filter as well.
