Things You Should Do Before Storing Your Car During the Winter

Some types of cars are inappropriate for winter usages, like older convertible models that can’t withstand very cold temperature well. However, your car needs to be prepared before you store it. The first thing that you need to do is to clean the car. Make sure that the exterior, interior, areas under the hood and undercarriage are perfectly clean. When your car stored, any dirt that accumulates on the surface of the car could accelerate the rate of corrosion. When the winter will arrive in just a week, based on the weather prediction, you should thoroughly wash the car and prepare it for storage. After you wash the car, you should wax the surface to make sure that you protect the painted surface. Any chromed surface should also be cleaned and polished properly. Any excess moisture could cause corrosion, which is a bad thing.

You should replaced brake fluid, engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid and washer fluid. Make sure that these fluids inhibit rust. The place where you store that car should be warm enough, so fluids inside the car won’t freeze. When the storage area swings between sub-zero and above zero temperatures, moisture may build up inside the car, which could cause rust to develop on specific parts of the metal components. When preparing your car for winter storage. By changing the engine oil, you will reduce the level of humidity inside the engine. Make sure that you choose synthetic oil, instead of petroleum-based one, because it’s less likely to break down during low temperature situations.

Make sure that the gas tank is topped off, because any empty space inside the gas tank can be filled with moisture. When it happens, a small layer of water could develop at the bottom of the tank, which will increase the rate of corrosion and impair the performance of the car. You may need to add fuel stabilizer to the gas tank, because gasoline may slowly break down over specific period of time. Also, you need to disconnect the battery, so you won’t deplete the charge. If possible, you need to remove the battery from the car. When the temperature is very low, it is possible that the battery will crack and it will be very damaging if the internal part of your car is exposed to highly corrosive battery acid.

You may invest on a battery container that can help to protect the battery against cold temperature. By keeping the battery inside a container, it may maintain a consistent and continuous charge. If the floor of the storage area is very cold during the winter, you should take steps to protect the tires. It is a good idea to completely jack up the car and coat all tires with lithium grease. When the floor is very cold and the car is stationary for months, flat spots could form at the bottom of the tire. You shouldn’t coat tires with lubricants that are made from petroleum substances, because tires will become dry. You may also need to slightly over inflate the car to prevent flat spots from developing.