Some of you may be lucky enough to have a classic car, motorcycle, or other vehicle that you use only in the warmer months. For the winter, you store it in the garage or cover it in the driveway. There are a few things you need to do first to ensure it comes out in the spring in the same condition as when it went into storage.
Video transcription:
Tips for storing your car in the winter
To store an automobile or to store toys that are only used in the summer, there are some specific things that you should do.
Number one: You want to make sure the fuel tank is full. You want the fuel in the fuel tank to be treated with a stabilizer. You want to run it for about ten minutes after that stabilizer has been put into the tank so that it is distributed throughout the entire fuel system.
You want fresh oil in it. If it is time for new antifreeze or any other fluid, that need to be done before it goes into storage. A lot of these things get acids in them and you want to get rid of those acids so they’re not sitting there eating away at the engine or the other systems on the car.
You want to over-inflate the tires so they don’t get flat spots. Or, better yet, if you have jack stands, raise the car up and place the jack stands out close to the wheels so that the springs are under compression. That way your tires will be fine.
In addition to things like that, you want to take care of the battery. If you have a battery you can add water to, add distilled water up to the proper level. But, on all batteries, you want to connect a battery maintainer. A maintainer is not a trickle charger! A maintainer, well, that it does is real simple: it works like the alternator on your car. It charges as the battery needs it and it shuts off when the battery doesn’t need it. It won’t over charge and kill your battery. A trickle charger will.
These are the basic things. Of course, you can get more elaborate if you need to. But, by doing the basics, you’ll be able to put the key in the ignition, start it up, and drive it away in the spring.
